The holidays have come and gone as it was a nice visit back stateside and spend some quality time with family. I have got the opportunity to spend Christmas abroad for the past two years, so I hopped on the chance to head home to see them. During my first trip over to Ireland, I stayed and travelled to Barcelona during holiday break. I also spent a pleasurable Christmas down in Galway with some great friends two years prior. Last year, I spent my holidays in Thailand as it was another great adventure. Although I was away from family for the second straight year, I was privileged to spend some time with some great guys who were also over there coaching. We enjoyed a nice Christmas dinner as well. Being away from family during the holidays can be tough, but cherishing the moments you get with them makes it that much better when you are finally in their presence. Making the decision to see my family for the holidays was a great decision, as we relished the fact that we were all together again for a special time of year.
Leading up to my travels home, I had a chance to visit Galway where I got to see some old friends, teammates, coaches and players. We ended up playing the Titans and we won in overtime, taking home a big win that was severely needed. In addition, I got to enjoy one of the many Christmas markets throughout Ireland and spent a nice weekend returning to Galway. Being surrounded by some pleasant people definitely makes this transition during the times away that much easier. Getting the chance to travel through Ireland and Europe is once in a lifetime opportunity. My family and friends were continuously asking about the many stories and experiences that I was able to take advantage of while being over here. I was very eager to be able to share my many adventures with them, as the questions were non-stop during my short visit home. It was well worth it!
On arrival back to Ireland, I was right back into my coaching, training and studying routine. Right off the plane, I was into a coaching session with Northwest Basketball Academy. The following day we had a game back in Dublin, so there was a lot of travelling done during the first few days back. We took another hard-fought loss, but that’s the goal for the new year to pick up a few W’s in the second half of the year with the National League and College teams. It’s been a tough season for us, but we will be working to finish the season strong. Getting back to work coaching in the schools, running a few camps and coaching several local clubs are on the agenda for the start of the new year. With things beginning to pick up again, I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else, blissfully looking forward to the new year for sure.
