Amy, Tom, and I arrived in Galway for the first time on a Saturday night, and the city was electric. The cobblestone streets were filled with people, and there was authentic Irish music playing around every corner. I knew immediately that this was a great place to be.
The next day Tom had his first team practice, so Amy and I decided to take a walk to the gym with him. Little did we know, we were embarking on a 2-hour journey. In reality, the gym was only about a ten minute walk from our accommodation, but we made about 30 wrong turns. Tom actually ended up getting to practice on time by some miracle. On a positive note, getting lost did allow us to see a lot of Galway!
After settling in for a few days, the Galway crew (Tom, Amy, and I) decided it was time for another adventure. We took a tour bus to the Cliffs of Moher, Aillwee Cave, and Dunguaire Castle. Despite claiming they were afraid of heights, Tom and Amy got very close to the edge of the cliffs. I tried to keep my distance. In all honesty, I’ve never been so impressed with a natural landscape in my life.
Later in the week, I had a fun time meeting my classmates at orientation and learning some more specifics about my exercise physiology program. I also realized that the “tea and biscuits” culture is the best! I haven’t done any formal playing or coaching yet, but I am looking forward to getting out in the community and starting up with my team soon!
