Another year is over and another has begun! I had a chance to go home for Christmas and New Year’s holiday to see friends and family and it was a fantastic time. It has been a lil tough being in a whole new country for so long without seeing my family and I’m glad that I was able to spend time with them. And before I knew it, I was on the plane headed back to Ireland. As I head back, I’m reminded of all the memories I’ve had and people I’ve met and it’s still such a surreal feeling. I never would have imagined living in Ireland for 10 months or being a part of this awesome experience. Half of me missed being home with my family but the other half couldn’t wait to come back and see the new experiences 2020 has to offer.
We made it to the National Cup Semi-finals this year and my dad flew out to get his first experience in Ireland. He got a chance to see our team play and advance into the Finals round which takes place in 2 weeks. Later that night, the team got a chance to meet my dad and talk to him a bit. He had such a good time that he’s thinking about coming up again for Finals. We also stayed in Cork’s historic hotel that had some interesting pictures and facts inside. After that, we had a few more days before he headed back home so we ate breakfast at the Lazy River Café, one of my favorite spots in Carlow. The plan for the rest of the day was to take him around Kilkenny, which is a nearby town that has lots of tourist-like things to do. But little did we know that this day was gonna be the best day to get a feel for Ireland’s weather, as we were faced with strong winds and a fierce downpour. Instead, I gave him a little tour of IT Carlow and showed him around the town. I enjoyed my dad’s company and I’m grateful that he got a chance to come out and visit.
Moments like these are very special. Like I said before, I never suspected that I’d be here years ago and here I am. And to be able to share this experience with family makes these experiences even harder to forget.
