Every Tuesday and Thursday the Ulster University Victory Scholars work with a set of individuals who are all over 50 years of age. Before the first day of attending a session, Mac, a Sports Changes Life staff member, explained the routine of these sessions to all of the scholars. He said, for the first hour we would be playing various sports such as badminton, table tennis and boccia ball (captured in the picture above). He went on to say that there would be a 20-30 minute break after the first hour, where we would be allowed to sit down, talk, and share a cup of tea with the participants. Lastly, he told us that the second hour would be filled with playing pickle ball. I was so excited and could not wait to begin, but I had one question; Pickle ball, what’s that?

At 10 am, Mac introduced us to the group that we were going to be working with. The first hour flew by, mostly because I kept losing in badminton and quite honestly, by a considerable amount. I thought I was halfway decent in badminton, so the reason why I kept loosing was not because of my low skill level, it was because of an advanced skill level that my opponents had. Quite frankly, I underestimated my opponent and they showed me up for it. To say the least, this was a very talented group. The first hour came to an end, and it was time for tea break. As I walked to the break room, I spoke to some of the members of the group about where I was from, what I was doing here in Northern Ireland, and how I was adjusting. We went back and forth with various exchanges of knowledge, that allowed me to become closer to the members of the group.

The break time was over. It was time to play pickle ball. I walked back into the gymnasium to find nets set up on a court almost similar to a tennis court style. Mac went on to explain that the game is played with a polygonal paddle which is used to hit a whiffle like ball back and forth. As Mac explained the rules and various technicalities, I grew with excitement. I could not wait to try it out. My first singles game was against Joe, who used to be a tennis player. Needless to say, I did not win that game either. He was really good, very mobile and had an impeccable touch and a spin on the ball with every hit.

Although I lost every game I played that day, I was able to build relationships with all of the members of the club. At the start of every week, I am always excited about these sessions. It is amazing the connections that are created by playing old and new sports. This is what Sport Changes Life is all about; using sport as a medium to build valuable relationships day in and day out. As time progressed the relationships became stronger. We have gotten so close to the group, that they invited all six of us to their annual Christmas dinner. I cannot wait to join them at this dinner, but more importantly I cannot wait till this week’s group session were I will have the opportunity to build more on our relationships.

In the midst of keeping up with graduate work, coaching, community outreach, and competing with your college and club teams, it is easy sometimes to forget you’re living in a foreign country. Establishing a daily routine can have its benefits, but I have found it important to still take time to explore the island and appreciate the rich culture it has to offer. Aside from coming to Ireland to work with and inspire others, I also came to better myself as a person in the process: to develop a more global perspective and to expand my horizons. In the ten short weeks since we first arrived in Dublin Airport, I’ve been more than fortunate to get a better feel for the landscape of my home for the remainder of the year. Here are my Week 10 Power Rankings of must-have experiences during your time here:

1. Saturday Night on Shop Street, Galway – As a Galway-based scholar, I’m slightly biased I know. But, I’ve yet to have an experience here as surreal as my first moments in the city-center. Rounding the corner of the Latin Quarters, I literally froze in my tracks at the sight of thousands of people flooded into the iconic cobblestone streets, with bright lights overhead, traditional music and singing filling the air, and great craic being had by all. The weekends can make for a hectic time in the city, however, the interaction of the local Irish community with the masses of international tourism makes for a uniquely fun experience on any given night.

2. Explore the Edge of Earth at the Cliffs of Moher – For those brave enough to stand on the edge, I salute you. An obvious must-have experience on the island, the Cliffs certainly did not disappoint. Upon arrival, take a right towards O’Brien’s Tower for a great vantage point of the full landscape of the Cliffs. Take a left to see just how small you measure against the 700 foot drop into the Atlantic Ocean (and to get those prime selfie opportunities).

3. Take a Trip Back in Time at Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin – Relive the history of Joseph Plunkett, Patrick Pearse, and company in the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising. Learn how the news of their executions helped inspire the Irish nationalists’ War of Independence against British rule.

4. Bike across Inishmore, Aran Islands – Take the 45-minute ferry from Doolin and cough-up the €10 rent a bike for a day of travel. Channel your inner-Lance Armstrong and explore historic monuments like the Iron-age Dún Aonghasa fortress and the Seven Churches, while taking in the remarkable coastline around the island. Stop at Joe Wattys for a Guinness to cool down after a good day’s workout.

5. See a Sheep Auction in Leeanne – Spend your saturday morning watching Connemara farmers flock (pun intended) to the base of Killary Fjord to buy and sell one of Ireland’s most precious livestock. While not as glamorous as other points of interest on the island, it’s interesting to witness the behind-the-scenes dealings of Ireland’s wool export industry. 

Honorable Mention:

1. The Giant’s Causeway, N. Ireland – A UNESCO world heritage sight, the 40,000 interlocking basalt columns are a natural wonderment well worth the visit. Educate yourself on both the formation’s scientific explanation, as well as on Fionn mac Cumhaill and its Gaelic mythological tale, and decide for yourself which one is really true.

2. Halloween Macnas Parade, Galway – The origins of Halloween is found in Celtic Ireland. Celebrate the day with the Irish locals as they honor the traditions of their culture through meaningful fashion, music, dance, costumes, and floats. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This past weekend, I had my first visitor from back home come to Ireland! My girlfriend Abbie flew over for a long weekend, and let me tell you, it was great to see a familiar face from back home. I have been so busy with schoolwork, basketball, coaching and volunteering that I really haven’t had the time to feel homesick. But, every now and again I get a rush of feelings that really make me miss my family and friends back home. Abbie’s visit couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

On Friday, I was very fortunate that one of my teammates took me to the airport to meet Abbie once her flight arrived. We then drove back to LIT. I was able to show Abbie around my college before we went into the city. We grabbed a coffee and a quick bite to eat then we went exploring through the streets of Limerick. We took a tour of King John’s Castle which was so cool. The place was massive inside and out. It was raining pretty hard that day, so we were completely drenched by the end of the tour. Also, it didn’t help that on our way to the castle a passing car drove right into a large puddle of water (which realistically resembled a small river) and splashed us on the sidewalk. It left us feeling like we had front row seats in the splash zone at Sea World. I literally could wring out my jeans and fill a small bucket, that’s how bad it was. I think my shoes might still be wet. There wasn’t really anything we could do but laugh, though. We were lucky that the following car swerved to miss the puddle, he must have seen us get doused by the first car and decided not to add insult to injury. After the tour, we went back to change into some dry clothes and ended up back in the city for a nice dinner at a traditional Irish pub. There was live music and Irish dancers performing as we ate, it was a nice way to end the night.

Then on Saturday we were big time tourists. We took a bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, Burren, and Bunratty Castle. The Cliffs of Moher were just as spectacular the second time around. We got really lucky because the entire bus ride up it was raining but as soon as we got to the cliffs it stopped, and no lie, as soon as we got back on the bus to leave to our next destination it started to rain again. The rest of the tour was very fun; we got to try some seafood chowder in Doolin and got some good pictures at Burren and Bunratty Castle. The tour ended around 5pm so we stayed in the city after to get some dinner. We ended up at another local pub. The Ireland rugby match was on, so it made for a cool atmosphere. Abbie and I had absolutely no clue what was going on in the game but the energy and excitement in the pub made for a good experience.

Sunday, I had a national league game in the afternoon. We lost a close one but overall, we played well. After the game, Abbie and I hopped on a bus to Galway. We got to Galway around 6pm, checked into our hotel and then went out for something to eat. We ended up at this seafood restaurant that had a great reputation for their fish and chips. After that we met the three Victory Scholars, Tom, Amy, and Kayla, who are at NUIG. They showed us to a traditional Irish pub with live music. It was nice introducing them to Abbie and catching up.

On Monday, we got up early and went to see the Galway Cathedral, the Spanish Arch, and the colorful houses along The Long Walk. The Cathedral was breathtaking. Between the architecture and the stained-glass windows, I couldn’t keep my jaw off the ground. It was truly a remarkable cathedral. The Spanish Arch and the colorful houses were great as well. We got some lunch, then got a bus back to Limerick for my college game at 6pm. We won in convincing fashion. It was a great way to finish off a busy weekend!

Tuesday was a sad day as we went to the airport for Abbie’s flight back home. We were also very fortunate that my coach offered to take us there. On our way to the airport, we made one last stop to see Dromoland Castle. It was the castle that former President George W. Bush stayed at when he came to visit Ireland. The architecture was amazing and cosmetic upkeep was perfect. We finally made it to the airport after squeezing in one last touristy sight.

Overall, I had an absolute blast and like I said, Abbie’s visit couldn’t have come at a better time. It was great seeing someone from home. It made me that much more excited to see the rest of my family in the upcoming month! I want to thank everyone that helped make Abbie’s trip easier and more enjoyable. I feel like I say it in most blogs, but I am very lucky to have so many people here in Limerick that look out for me and make my time here so much easier. Lastly, I want to thank Abbie for coming to visit, and for paying the extra $30 luggage fee for going over weight. I know my sweatshirts, snacks and most importantly my peanut butter accounted for most of that excess weight! I can’t wait to see you soon for the holidays!

 

 

This past week was action-packed to say the least! It was Reading Week, which is a week where most students are off from school to catch up on their studies. It’s basically just a midterm break.

On Monday and Tuesday, I really just relaxed and caught up on some school work and a few projects.

On Wednesday, Drew and I hosted the first ever LIT Sport Halloween basketball camp. There was an incredible turnout and everyone involved enjoyed themselves! There were 17 enthusiastic and excited kids at camp- as seen in the featured picture. We worked on some fundamentals like dribbling, passing and shooting. We also ran some shooting drills and finished out with a big game of dribble knockout! Not only were we able to teach the kids the fundamentals of the game but we were also able to talk to them and get to know them. We shared a bit about ourselves like where we are from, our experience with the game, why we are in Ireland and our main purpose as Victory Scholars. As a result, Drew and I are already talking about doing more camps like it in the future!

Then Thursday was another day to relax and do some more work for school. On Friday, Drew and I went to a radio station, Limerick Live 95 FM, for an interview with Joe Nash. Joe asked us about who we were and all about the Victory Scholar Program. We talked about the program in its entirety and shared some of our experiences here in Ireland. Below is a picture of Joe, Drew and me after the interview.

Last but certainly not least, on Saturday our sport coordinator at LIT, Wayne, took Drew, Taylor and me to see the Cliffs of Moher. It was incredible! It is hard to describe in words how truly breathtaking the Cliffs of Moher are; I have never seen anything like it before! The views and the natural scenery were spectacular. We were very lucky we had decent weather for the trip and we even got to see the sunset over the cliffs, talk about amazing. Shoutout to Wayne for taking the time to bring us there; we have been very fortunate to have a lot of great people looking after us here in Ireland! Last week was a great week and I’m looking forward to many many more in the near future!

 

Looking back, since the start of 2018, nothing was ever really planned out on what I wanted for my future. I have been so blessed by what has come my way this year but, it was terrifying to think of making this big milestone into adulthood. Basketball always being a part of my life and when it did abruptly end for me, it changed my perspective on life…and I’m so glad it got me here today.

 

Family

It was tough leaving my family for so long and not having them take a short drive to for game days or to bring me home cooked meals! Meeting the 32 other scholars has created a family based off of the same love of basketball as you do as well as made being away from home a bit earlier. It was not that hard to truly care for these people that are on this journey with you, which made it even harder when we all went our separate ways to start school. It just makes it that much more exciting whenever we do play against each other and visit every now and then.

The scholar family

Letterkenny: My New Start

Since being here in Ireland it has pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to handle some more things on my own in a brand new environment. For starters, I am living with 6 other international students and from France, Belgium and the Victory Scholar Program. From the start of being here, the timing of everything here is SO much slower than the fast pace lifestyle in New York. It is so easy to get caught up in trying to get as much done as possible. When practice is at 7:30 that usually means that everyone shows up at 7:30. In the beginning, it was hard for me to understand some of the accents out here…they are drastically different based off the area you are from; it is a struggle sometimes when speaking with my basketball coach Niall because even Irish people have a hard time understanding what he says. One of the hardest part to get accustomed to is the roads! They are windy, bumpy, narrow two-way streets they keep me constantly car sick and anxious.

 

What I love most about this place is the culture and history that so proudly represent their country. There is so much to explore with shores, castles, and endless acres of untouched land. Even though English is mostly spoken here, Gaelic is still spoken in some schools to keep the dying language alive. Also, I have been interested in the idea of seeing a game of Gaelic it is the most popular sport in this area aside from Football. In Letterkenny, it is completely secluded from everywhere else but the views and beaches that they have here are breathtaking. It takes some getting used to not having as much public transportation and having just the main street. Beyond that, we traveled to Portsalon which is one of the most gorgeous beaches I have ever been to. It went from amazingly sunny weather to complete downpour. I think it was totally worth getting sick over this amazing view:

 

The Letterkenny Family

I hope that being here for the next 9 months I will be able to learn as much on my own as well as others and gain experience here as a Victory Scholar. I’m beyond excited to begin the season soon and start to travel more within and beyond Donegal!

 

“Ain’t a woman alive that could take my mama’s place,” You’re literally one of my favorite humans. Seeing your smile is what motivate me to be a better person, a better athlete, a better student, and a better woman. I hope one day I can be half the mom you were to me. No matter the struggles you went through in your life you never let it show. You raised three CRAZY OFF THE WALL kids, we broke things probably every week, and you’d replace them. We destroyed some of your best furniture from either jumping on it or eating on it. We made your white walls look like they were painted tan, every time you cleaned the house we made it our duty to make it look like you’ve never cleaned a day in your life. Then when we finally did our chores we never did them right so you would have to do them again anyway. I mean honestly how useless were we!!!! Through all the craziness we put you through you loved all of us with everything you had and you still do to this day. No matter who has left my side you remain solid. Even when I didn’t listen to you when you would warn me about thing that would happen as I got older you constantly give me the best advise to this day. I’m pretty sure it’s unfair that I have the best mom in the world but we’ll leave that for another debate later on. I want you to know you’re one of my BEST FRIENDS and you keep me going! I love you to the moon and back baby girl and there not enough thank you’s for the unmatched love and support from you throughout the years! “There’s NO way I can pay you back, but the plan is to show you that I understand, you are appreciated!”

Peace, Love, and Hair Grease

 

 

 

Being in Athlone and being able to be apart of 2 different clubs have been amazing.  Tullamore is the club I play for and Athlone is the club I coach and help out with!  I also help with Tullamore teams sometimes but because I live in Athlone it is just easier to get to those practices.  So when it comes to Tullamore I help with their girls U16 team, and in Athlone the boys U14 and girls U12 division two team.

The Tullamore U16 girls team might be the most talented group of girls around that age that I have seen!  They have been playing together for a pretty long time and they work so hard.  When they play together they make so much look easy.   Helping with their team is so fun because they make it so easy.  They are so willing to learn  and the soak up and knowledge thrown their way. The first games they played this season their head coach let Ally and I take the lead role as he watched on the sidelines.  They seriously did so amazing and put on a clinic.

The Athlone U14 boys are so fun and hilarious.  These boys always make sure we are having a good time.  They work so hard and they know they are talented.  These boys come in twice a week and never fail to amaze everyone.  Their first game was so much fun.  Being a assistant coach on this team its fun because the head coach Mike really listens to our input and also gives us actual tasks.  They won the game and it was a great team win! Everyone worked hard and everyone helped.  I love working with these boys and I know for a fact that they will all go far in this game!!

The Athlone U12 division two girls team is the team Ally and I are the Head coaches of.  These girls are special.  I genuinely have grown to love every single one of the girls on my team.  They are amazing. They all play almost every sport under the sun and still make it to every single practice and come in with so much energy.  Our first game they amazed me.  They won, but they did not just win they beat the team by 20+ points and when told to try to slow down they just wanted to keep going and keep scoring.  They love the game and they never fail to make me proud!

Overall, coaching so far has been everything I have ever imagined! And I am so excited to see the growth of all the teams I help out with!

 

 

Basketball is simply my biggest joy in life.  Playing is something that has been so therapeutic for me since I was young.   So being able to continue to play even after my four years of college was something that I was really looking forward too.  Playing on Tullamore’s senior women’s team I feel a certain amount of pride because these girls have been playing with this club almost their whole life. As a newcomer I really felt the need to make sure I was being not only a good representation of SCL but also their club because this is about them!

The first time I played with Tullamore we had 3 games in one day!  Of course they were not 40 minute games but I have not played that many games in one day since I was 17 maybe.  So that made me feel pretty old.  It was weird because I felt so nervous before the first game.  I felt a lot of pressure to preform well which was something I have never really went through before so it was rather odd.  Yet once I got on the court it all just fell right into place and I felt at home again.  We lost our first match but followed up with 2 wins after that which was amazing!  They girls on the team are absolutely remarkable.  They all have so much heart when they play and play hard to the very last minute which is a characteristic that you can not teach. Playing with Tullamore is honestly a blessing and I am so super excited to see where we are at the end of the season.

In between our first game and our second game we walked to go get some hot chocolate as a team and we were all able to talk and really get to know each other.  Before that day we might have only practiced twice so I did not really know much about the girls. Most of the girls on our team our in their last years of what we call high school so it was fun to hear about what was going on in their lives at the time since its been so long since I was in their situations.

Overall the first game day for me wearing Tullamore’s jersey was great I so excited for more!

 

 

There is so much I could say about the city of Dublin!  It was absolutely breath-taking and more then I could ever imagine it to be.  Ally and I had a free weekend and decided what better way to spend it then to go see Dublin.  So we reached out to our fellow scholars at Trinity and DCU to see what they had going on that weekend so we could have some tour guides to help us out.  It worked out perfectly because it just so happened that multiple scholars were traveling their for games that weekend!  So we planned to get there Saturday morning so we could go watch some basketball and hang out with the scholars and then Sunday would be the day we just walked around the city!

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early to get to the train from Athlone to Dublin.  The train ride was easy and once we arrived into Dublin all we had to do was hop onto the L and take that right into city center where we would be meeting one of our fellow scholars.  We got a little lost but we found our way eventually once we met up we all got a taxi to the games where the Trinity girls where playing the Ulster girls.  It was so good to see everyone again!  And also super cool to watch them play!  After the games we chatted for a bit and then went back to Trinity because that was where we were staying for the night!  We went and got food at BOBO’s which has burgers and it was so amazing!  Then after that met up with other Scholars for a fun night!  A highlight from that night was going back to Trinity and having to knock on the huge doors to be let back in on campus!  It was so cool and funny!

Sunday the girls had more games but Ally and I knew our train was at 6 so we decided to just roam the city!  Dublin had so many shops that I just adored.  I personally love vintage clothing and just really authentic things and they had so many shops that sold stuff like that!  They also had Starbucks on every corner which was a plus.  I am from a rather big city at home but it is nothing like Dublin.  It was so hard to get anywhere because every time we walk out of a shop there was another one right next to it that we had to go inside of.  Another part we were both excited for was food!  Athlone is an amazing town but it is limited on food options so when we saw all the options in Dublin I know I was happy.  We ended up getting Boojum and after that got back on the L and headed back to the train station.

Overall Dublin was amazing and I would love to travel back multiple times and relive that experience.

 

What I learned rather quickly in my experience as a Victory Scholar is that living in Ireland is certainly a bit different than visiting Ireland; studying abroad in Ireland might not be the same as being immersed  as a Victory Scholar in the country. Coming into this experience, part of the image of what I would be soon embarking on was filled with photos from my friends who had the opportunity to study here abroad or visit for vacation, accompanied by stories of their incredible journeys. Portrait photos visiting the Cliffs of Moher, backpacking green rolling hills, holding sheep, seeing castles, and of course, drinking a Guinness at a local pub or storehouse were vivid in my mind. And while I will admit I have certainly participated in the majority of these activities, posting pictures with *wanna be punny* captions, this is simply a glimpse of what my experience is in the entirety.

This difference struck me most after arriving home from my stay at Ashford Castle with my Aunt Loretta and Uncle Jim over my birthday weekend. My Aunt and Uncle have been coming to Ireland for over 30 years and each time, stay at the castle in Cong. My experience at the 5-star resort entailed a glorious hospitality accommodation, 5 course meals, with hand and foot service from the moment I arrived off of the train in Galway. The staff was absolutely exceptional and as cheesy as it sounds, after living the life of a student-athlete-coach-Victory Scholar-vagabond- for two months, being treated like a  princess was nothing short of incredible, and I loved every minute. So, quick shout out to my aunt Loretta and Uncle Jim for the amazing weekend, it’ll definitely be a birthday I won’t forget! Love you both.

But, my return home off of the bus was humble reminder that my role as a Victory Scholar is not to live the life of a valued guest at Ashford Castle… It’s about identifying the life behind the luxury and the reality behind the rolling hills. It’s realizing we are here not to be served, but, to serve… and hopefully if done well,  make meaningful impact while raising aspirations along the way.

“You know, we all lose ourselves, sometimes…”

Rebecca O Donovan, classmate

So I think the Irish slang is pretty funny… like “craic” means fun and “brilliant” or “sound” would be like saying good or thanks to end a conversation. But Irish people thing American slang is even funnier… like “bread” meaning money.

So my mom came to visit for a day… yup just one haha. Instead of shipping the rest of my things (because obviously two suitcases wasn’t enough) she decided to get one a plane and bring my clothes and of course some good ole’ American seasoning. So what did we do in just one day… the most tourist things you can do in Limerick, we headed to King Johns Castle and then the Locke Bar.

Although King Johns Castle was very cool, I have to admit the thing I was most intrigued by was the fact that King John had the castle built and not only ever lived there, but never even saw it. I mean who has that much money? Well I guess Kings haha. I don’t plan on being a queen or anything in my near future… I mean if I became one that’d be pretty cool though… Victory Scholar turned Queen… thats some headline! But if I ever built a castle there’s no chance I’m not living in it with all my lads! But seriously, as we’d say in America… King John must’ve had mad bread!

Oh yeah… my mom never got to see me off on my first day of college any of the four years, but ironically enough she saw me off on my first day of grad school!

I hope by the title of this post, before the person reads this they’ll know it’s dedicated to them. But for those of you reading from the outside this post is dedicated to my assistant coach at Manhattan College Sahar Nusseibeh. A quick background to the title… my senior year I randomly started saying “hey girl” to Coach Sahar and she thought it was the funniest thing, it always caught her off guard and it took a little for her to get used to it and truthfully I don’t even know if she’s fully used to it haha but it stuck and became our thing whenever we would communicate with each other.

I’ve had a lot of coaches in my life, but Coach Sahar hold a dear place in my heart. She has taught me countless lessons in just the two short years she coached me. The most important lessons I’ve learned from her haven’t come from the court, but rather my personal life. There was a period of time where I lost myself as a player and that was a miserable time for me. For me personally my performance on the court often times reflected in my personal life as well and vice versa. I’d lost all confidence and was afraid to make a mistake and playing scared or nervous translates to awful performance. So she often became an outlet for me to just let out how I was feeling about life, basketball and my differences with my head coach at the time. Before every game she would write a quote or a personal focus for me for that game on a index card. And often times it actually helped and if I achieved that game goal it would build my confidence back up as a player. At the time I didn’t realize how important those cards would be, but I decided to save every card… I didn’t know why at the time but I knew I’d need them at some point. I’m now furthering my basketball career in Ireland, and of all the things, what did I make sure to pack? The index cards. Before every game I pick a card at random and read it and aim to achieve that goal. So how is that not a basketball lesson? What I learned from her is to never give up on myself and to control what I can control. In life you may think something is unfair or you may not life the way somethings going, but instead of complaining about it reflect on your own actions and see what you can change to get the outcome you want.

Coach Sahar always told me I was bad ass, she even got me a button that says it when you push it and everyday I push it to remind myself what I am capable of. She told me I’d do amazing things in life and when she found out I was coming to Ireland she told me to have an amazing time and that’s exactly what I’m doing. One of her hobbies is running (I still have yet to find the joy in that but I’m trying to understand haha) and enjoying the beauty of nature. Before coming to Ireland I never particularly noticed the beauty of mountains or oceans, but something about this place has given me a new appreciation for nature. Whenever I visit places like the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare or Banna Strand in Tralee I think of my girl Coach Sahar and of course she always messages me when she sees something on my insta story. But 3,000 miles and a time zone away and she’s still teaching me lessons! So don’t worry Coach… I AM HAVING AN AMAZING TIME!

Banna Strand:

 

Cliffs of Moher:

So my dad’s a pilot and he used to fly to Ireland often… he actually would fly into Shannon and they’d put him up in the Strand Hotel in Limerick. I think it’s pretty amazing that I now get to experience Limerick…

My dad came to visit me for a couple days (literally two days) and as I’m showing him around Limerick City Centre of course he’s telling me he’s an expert and telling me what in Limerick he’s seen. To know my dad is to know that if he’s been to a place once he automatically claims he’s from there… for example where is my dad “from”? He’d tell you where exactly he grew up UNTIL you’re somewhere or you say something and it’s all of a sudden convenient for him to be from Brooklyn, the Caribbean, Ireland… I mean the possibility of answers you may get from him are endless haha. None the less, I was determined to take my dad somewhere he hadn’t been before. So where did this journey take us? Well he cut one roundabout short and drove on the wrong side of the road and then we went around a round about twice because he missed the motorway entrance (don’t tell the Garda). But we finally ended up at Bunratty Castle!

Bunratty Castle is hands down the coolest thing I’ve seen so far in my time in Ireland. The replication of the medieval and victorian village is unreal, you literally feel like you were there. I think it’s pretty cool how as you’re walking through the village you could just have random chickens chilling walking next to you completely unbothered. The design of the castle was pretty amazing as well… I must admit I do feel sorry for those that lived there though… I mean to have to walk up all those stairs in such a narrow space, I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated elevators and escalators so much. And of course once I closed the ring on my apple watch we had to reward the 9,000+ steps we walked with a pint and soup from Durty Nelly’s in front of the castle. Seafood chowder highly recommended!

So I think it’s safe to say my dad and I had an amazing day, but the thing that stuck with me the most was right before he left we were sitting on the couches in my house in Limerick and he told me he was envious of me. And even a day later after he’s gone I’m still thinking about that. He told me he was envious of me because I got the opportunity to travel to a foreign country I’d never even thought about visiting before and live on my own, play basketball, get my masters and teach the game I love to others. My dad is my biggest hero and I don’t think he truly knows how much I admire him… I mean I attribute ALL of my success to my him. So if you’re envious of me I’d say I’m doing a pretty good job making you proud big fella!

When he first put a basketball in my hands I told him he only wanted me to play because he did… I mean I DID NOT want to play by any means. But I grew to love the game and look at where that round ball has brought me… to one of your favorite city’s. So.. thank you dad and not welcome, but welcome BACK to Limerick!

When I first thought about my blog, I was sure my second post would be dedicated to my dad… but here I am, writing to two of my best friends.

I’m currently 4,463 miles away from home and 3,079 miles away from them and I wouldn’t be able to get through this experience without them. When I got accepted into this program they were some of the first people I told and I remember both of them said don’t go. Albert even called me selfish for leaving New York lol. Friendships take a considerable amount of nurturing and upkeep and when you’re 3,079 miles apart it’s even harder for a friendship to stay the same. Not a week goes by that we don’t facetime… sometimes even multiple times in a week and I’m so thankful to have been blessed with two of the most amazing friends.

I’ve been in Limerick for a little over a month and although this city is amazing, I’ve started to miss home and all of my friends in New York. Anyone who knows me knows that I suffer from severe FOMO (fear of missing out).

On Sundays Matt, Drew & I go to Clare to coach young ballers and I love seeing the expression on the kids faces when they do something right or make a basket. My favorite ballers are the one or two odd ones that are a little more competitive than everyone else… seeing them race to the trash or to go grab a bib because it reminds me of myself, making any little thing a competition. After I was done coaching I was just hanging around the house with Matt talking about how I miss Sunday brunches with my friends and he misses Sunday dinners with his family.

The following Sunday I get a facetime call from Mikki while she’s at brunch with two of our old college teammates and what does my best friend do? Props the phone on the table so it’s like I’m at brunch with them. Whenever I travel to a new place or something happens here the first people I call to tell are Mikki and Albert. Without the unconditional love and support from them this would be a long year spent away from home.

So thank you for the check ins, care packages filled with siracha, ramen and fake eye lashes lol! Thank you for being two of my biggest supporters and embracing this new journey with me. I can’t wait to travel Europe with you guys!

When you graduate from college the big question that lingers is WHAT’S NEXT. I may even go as far as to say that question taunts you. You go through four years where you’re supposed to be figuring out who you are as a person and begin planning for your future. When I graduated on May 18th I was bombarded with so many emotions. I mean graduating college debt free and having played Division 1 basketball on a full scholarship you’d think I’d be ecstatic… but let me tell you, I don’t think I’d ever experienced such sadness before in my life. My four years of college, I learned so many life lessons, made some of the most amazing friends, made memories that will last a lifetime, and most importantly I grew so much as a person. I had a love hate relationship with Manhattan College but I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE! I had no idea what was next for me and that was a scary space to be in. I hadn’t heard back from any Graduate Assistant positions I’d applied to nor the Sport Changes Life Program.

But I was determined to stay in New York and not go back home to Texas, so I do what any recent college graduate would do… babysit! HAHA

On Monday, June 25, 2018 I was doing what I normally did… making the seven year old girl I babysat, Pauline some mac & cheese when I received a text followed by a facetime call from none other than Deirdre. She’d called to give me the great news that I’d been accepted to be apart of the 2019 class of Victory Scholars. I’d be coaching and mentoring in Limerick, Ireland, while attending Limerick Institute of Technology.

Receiving the news later than normal wasn’t ideal or apart of the plan I’d mapped out, but none of that mattered because in that moment I finally knew WHAT WAS NEXT! I couldn’t feel anything other than pure and genuine excitement. Of course the first people I wanted to call and share my great news with were my parents, but ironically the first person I celebrated with was the seven year old girl Pauline I was babysitting at the time and I don’t think I’ll ever have a bowl of mac & cheese as memorable or satisfying as that one.

I thought I’d had everything figured out now, but the crazy thing is I’ve learned that space of uncertainty isn’t so scary. There’s always a WHAT’S NEXT that lingers but instead of being afraid or letting it taunt me, I now embrace it. So… LIMERICK WHAT’S NEXT?

One of the things, among many, that drew me to spending a year in Ireland was that it is English speaking. There is no way I could spend this much time in a place where I had no idea what everyone was saying. The funny thing is, I didn’t realize that there would still be a language barrier at first…

“Sam do you have your boots?”

“Well, uh..yes, but they are back in my room.” I can see they are a bit confused. “Like booties you mean?”

Laughing at me, “noooo like basketball boots.. sneakers!”  Since when are basketball sneakers referred to as boots?! When I think of boots, I think of cute boots that I will wear with a pair of jeans and a fall sweater, and those certainly would not do in an athletic setting. Apparently they are all considered boots!

Boots were the least of my troubles. Suddenly in stories, people are always referring to someone as my man. “I asked your man…,” “when I talked to your man…” “well, your man on the Killester team…” While confusing and slightly concerning at first, considering I do have ‘a man’ back at home, this one always cracks me up. I find myself repeating what people say and giggling when they say it. “Your man” is pretty much just a slang way of saying whoever the specific person is that they are referring to.

Another simple one that threw me off in passing was “How are ya’ gettin’ on?” This is otherwise known as “How are you?” Of course I got flustered and halfway answered the question before saying “wait, like how am I?” By that point, we were walking by each other and a quick, nice greeting turned into an awkward sort of jumble of words and gestures. This is similar to being asked “What’s the story?” I leaned in, intrigued, because in my mind, that’s like asking what the gossip is. I waited for the other person with me to answer because I wanted to know the story! Of course I was wrong, and it’s really just another way to say “What’s up?”

More laughable moments generated by yours truly!

There are plenty more stories I could tell, but I will end with the biggest struggle of all of them, which is the different accents. This might come as a shock and really blow some minds, but it’s not only in the States that accents change from place to place…yup, you’re reading correctly! They have different accents here as well!

Okay, I’m being a little facetious, but I honestly always pigeon-holed Irish speakers as having the same classic accent and saying “Top of the mornin’ to ya’!” But come on, I’m definitely not alone in that! In reality, they don’t all sound the same… and they definitely do not use that phrase!

The Northern Irish accent is absolutely the hardest for me to hear. I have a classmate in my group for the semester that can’t get through a sentence without me saying “sorry, what?” Luckily, she is beyond nice and thinks it is funny, and our whole group has a laugh about it. But basically, they talk super fast and slur everything together. I hear about one word per every five words. I like to think I’m getting much better now though as I get used to it! My group would probably disagree 😉

Although I’ve had my moments and mishaps, I’m very grateful that they are considerably minor, and I’m loving every second of messing up the phrases!

~Cheers lads!

 

I wrote about my mom’s visit in a different blog… but what I didn’t share was a moment of #victory that my mom experienced at my game.

As a victory scholar of the Sport Changes Life program our mission is to promote victory. What is #victory? Most people associate VICTORY with winning. We believe that people can achieve victory in every aspect of life. You may have seen some of my fellow scholars describe what victory means in short videos. They mentioned words like commitment, honesty, hard work, passion, sportsmanship, positivity, and so on.

As mentioned in another blog, some of my North Kildare players attended my game against the UL Huskies, when my mom was visiting. Most of the girls and their parents sat next to or around my mom during the match. The reason I say that is because there was a moment in my game where my one of the young girls made a comment to her mom, who then shared it with my mom.

 

In my mom’s perspective:

First, the little girls from North Kildare were so excited when Jamie entered the gym during their game. In fact half of the girls on the bench ran over to Jamie (during their game) to greet her with lots of hugs and excitement. It seem they had a celebrity in their midst. At the end of their contest, which they did not win they were still so excited to be able to stay and watch Jamie play. During warm ups the girls held up homemade signs for Jamie and gave her notes with hand drawn pictures of their training sessions with Jamie. They also hovered around me telling me how much they love her (always fun for a mom to hear). I sat next to the girls’ parents who were so nice to stay and watch the Portlaoise game. At one point in the game a player from the opposing team was knocked to the floor and Jamie went to her and helped her up. One of the North Kildare girls was so impressed with this simple act of sportsmanship. She said to her mother, “mum Jamie is everything, did you see her help that girl up”.

After my mom told me this I immediately thought of victory. This little girl was more impressed that I helped an opposing player off the floor, than winning the game. This is why I am here. This is what victory means. I am thrilled that I have this unbelievable opportunity to be able to compete but also inspire these girls at the same time. It is great that I am able to exercise and develop their basketball skills, but it is much bigger than that. As a victory scholar I am a role model for these kids, I can have such a positive impact on them, just something simple as sportsmanship.

October 20th! Mom takes Ireland.

Day 1, first stop Portlaoise.

Peter and Sinead took my mom and me to a café for breakfast. I showed her around the lovely town of Portlaoise and then next thing you know it was time to head to the sports hall for my game. Earlier in the day a few teams from the club I coach, North Kildare basketball, had games at St. Mary’s hall so many of the girls stayed around after to watch my game. (Check out my ‘Victory in Action’ blog to read more about my game and my little supporters cheering me on).

Day 2, next stop Westport (check it out on google maps… its beautiful).

Sunday morning my mom and I caught a train heading to Westport to begin our tour of Ireland. Westport was everything and more! This quant little town was a perfect setting for my mom and me to spend quality time together… we walked up and down the narrow streets, window shopped, and of course stopped in few delicious cafes. In the evening we enjoyed some traditional Irish music and some old school country music as well. We stayed in the cutest inn called the Wyatt Hotel, which was right in the center of the town.

Day 3, Galway

Lugging our suitcases to the bus stop we were ready for our next venture, Galway. Galway was really an adventure. The first day we arrived we decided to just walk around to pop in and out of the shops and cafes down Quay street. Even though it was a little too cold for ice cream, Murphy’s ice cream was calling our name. I had the butterscotch ice cream while my mom had mint chip, both delicious and highly recommended. That evening we went to check out the famous Kings Head, a 3-story pub that offers some great food and awesome live Irish music.

Day 4, Cliffs of Moher

This day went down as one of the best days I have had in Ireland. We did a Burren Day bus tour, which took us to a handful of different locations in the west of Ireland. Our first stop was the Allowee Cave, then Cliffs of Moher, then Doolin, ending with a visit to the Dunguaire Castle. The Cliffs of Moher blew us away… they were absolutely unbelievable! Then there was Doolin. The bus stopped at Fitzpatrick pub in Doolin, where we had an amazing lunch and chatted with an explorer from Australia. We enjoyed our sesame chicken, vegetables, soup, and of course potatoes and brown bread. On our way back to Galway, the bus tour drove along the Wild Atlantic Way, so we admired beautiful views of the coast on the way back.

Day 5, Maynooth

Maynooth is a little town in the midlands that has great restaurants and of course an awesome university. My university! My mom loved the area. She was able to explore part of my town while I was coaching and attending classes for a couple days.

Day 6, Back to Portlaoise

Spent most of the day in Maynooth then traveled to Portlaoise to attend my training session.

Day 7, Dublin

WE LOVE DUBLIN! Our first day in Dublin we did a 3-hour walking tour. We had an amazing tour guide giving us all the history of the city and showing us all the best spots, like Temple Bar area, Dublin Castle, Patrick Cathedral, Trinity College, and so much more. After the tour, we did our own little tour walking around until the evening where we found ourselves in Quays Restaurant. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND, if anyone of you reading this visit Dublin, you should make sure you have dinner at Quays Restaurant. The food was the best food I have had here so far! After our dinner we stopped in a few pubs to listen to some Irish music in the Temple Bar area.

Day 8, Dublin part 2

This day was all about the Guinness Storehouse. We walked in and were blown away. This place is like an amusement park… there is so much to do. We spent almost five hours in the Storehouse as we enjoyed listening and reading about the making of a pint of Guinness. We of course had to eat lunch there to have some Guinness flavored food. Right before the top level where you can see all of Ireland there was a restaurant area where a band was singing Irish music and some pop songs. To say the least we had an awesome experience and recommend anyone to go, even if you don’t like Guinness, it is a great time!

Day 9,

It was a sad day, because it was the day my mom was leaving. BUT we couldn’t get over how we had the greatest week together!

Our trip was amazing and we just had the greatest time! I want to thank Jim and my coach Peter for giving me some time to be with my mom and explore this beautiful country with her! And also thank you to my roommates and friends to telling me all the right places to visit!

My community advisor, Jim gave me the opportunity to help coach an under 17 Midlands girl’s team who would be competing in the BIPPS tournament. I had one tryout session with them, then only a few trainings together before the tournament. Most of these girls play on different club teams and are not familiar with each other on the basketball court, nor were they familiar with me.

These girls were truly remarkable. This was my first real coaching experience in Ireland so I was a bit nervous but they accepted me right away and responded to me really well. During the training sessions, they allowed me to motivate them and challenge them to get better individually and as a team.

The BIPPS tournament consisted of four teams, covering different areas of Ireland; South, South West, East, and Midlands. We had eight schools represented on our Midlands team for the tournament. First game was good, second game was better, third game was GREAT! I could see a significant difference in the girl’s development and the team’s chemistry after each game. They not only developed as players, but I could see their confidence building. I look forward to working with this group again! As the Midlands area is where I am living for a year, I want to continue to work these girls and more girls in this area to build their confidence, motivate, and inspire them as young female athletes.

I have always wanted to be a coach. My passion is coaching and teaching. I have been coaching since I was a pre-teen; I love it. As I grow up, I have come to realize that coaching is more than making substitutions, or drawing up plays. I have had some outstanding coaches in my life. These coaches have inspired me to not only be a coach, but a mentoring figure as well.

I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to experience more coaching…. IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. As a Maynooth scholar, I am a coach for the North Kildare Basketball Club, Maynooth Post-Primary School basketball program, Maynooth Basketball Academy, and local schools in Maynooth. Each specific program requires me to get out of my comfort zone and work with girls and boys with all different experiences and backgrounds of playing basketball.

I plan to improve their basketball skills and teach them the rules of the game. But that is not my main focus. Basketball involves more than just skills, practices, and games. This sport can bring positive energy to a child’s life, and it can also bring people together. My main goal from this experience is I want these young kids to see me as an inspiration, as I did in my coaches. I want to teach them about respect, working with others, and the many things that sport can offer. I have been working with these programs for about a month now and I can already see the impact I am able to make each week with the kids.

This weekend the Trinity Meteors hosted a tournament. My team, Portlaoise Panthers was scheduled to have three games. I was so anxious! The last time I put on a jersey for a competition was in March. When my college team lost in the conference tournament, I didn’t think I would have the opportunity to compete again. Well this weekend was the weekend… back at it again! At the tournament I was able to see some other scholars, and I even had the chance to play against them too. I played against, Simone & Rebecca from Trinity, and Jenna & Kolyns from Ulster. It is hard to describe the feeling I had while warming up for the first game of the tournament. For four years I played for the same team, wore the same uniform, and had the same routine each and every game. While those years flew by so fast, it felt odd not having my routine… (for example, braiding my teammates hair before the game).

Saturday against the Meteors was the first time our team played together. We did well. I love my teammates. It is not easy being the new kid on the squad, but these girls don’t’ let me feel like I am the newbie, they have welcomed me into their Portlaoise family more than I ever expected. Along with my teammates is my coach, Peter. Peter and, wife Sinead, have been extremely kind to me and make me feel at home. I had all sorts of emotions before my first game… but it was very helpful to have the support of my teammates and coach to make it a better experience. Overall the weekend went pretty well. Although our record didn’t show it, our team got better after each game. I am really looking forward to playing under a new coach and with new girls. Our first game is October 6th in St. Mary’s Hall at 7.30 pm!! I am counting down the days. I am back at it! Back to playing, back to having team laughs, back to having 2 hour practices, back to the routine that I have lived by for the past eight years or so. I am so fortunate and cannot thank Sport Changes Life enough for giving me this opportunity. I am back and so excited for this upcoming year!

Flashback two weeks from this day, I was meeting 33 young people wearing the same golf shirt in different colors. Just like me, these people were accepted into the Sport Changes Life program as Victory Scholars. 

Thirty-four strangers jumped on a bus, sat down and were taken to Hartford Connecticut to begin this once in a lifetime experience.

Now flash forward to September 1st, the day I had to say goodbye to my new friends.

When you first read my title you probably suspected it was about my family and friends back home. While I love and miss my family and friends dearly, I knew I was going to have to say those words before traveling to Ireland. BUT, what I did not expect, was having to say a sad goodbye to my fellow scholars on the September 1st.

 

Here is what I wrote on September 1st, on the bus from Belfast to Dublin.

“I am so blessed, but I am sad. Why sad? Because I just met thirty-three amazing people and now we are leaving each other. I am honored to be selected as one of the 34 victory scholars this year. I am a part of something truly fantastic and to have thirty-three people around me that all have the same aspirations and goals as I do makes this experience that much better.

This past week blew my expectations away. To think that I just gained thirty-three close friends in a matter of a week is remarkable. I am thankful for the Sport Changes Life staff for selecting such amazing people to be a part of their mission. This past week the scholars scrimmaged, went to a fundraiser soccer game, met young kids from the St. Peter’s Immaculata Youth Club, worked with young kids in the eHoops program, ate pizza (lots of pizza), and explored downtown Belfast. To say the least the Sport Changes Life staff kept us quite busy. We were forced to get out of our comfort zone and enjoy the quality time we had together. And for that I am grateful, because as I said I connected and became close with these great people.

I AM EXCITED. I am excited because I know I will see these people again. I am excited because I know wherever they are going in Ireland, they will make a difference in that community. We were all selected and placed at each school/ area for a particular reason and I believe every one of my fellow scholars is going to change lives.

As I sit on this bus heading to Dublin I cannot be more appreciative of my life and how sport really changed my life to a path where I not only have been selected to change lives in the communities of Ireland, but I have gained thirty-three friends along the way… and it’s only week one.”

As you can see I was extremely sad to say goodbye to my new friends but excited for our futures. I really cannot thank Sport Changes Life enough for selecting me to join their family, and putting me in the position to meet thirty-three of the greatest people that will forever be close to me.

As most people know I love food! You can always find me eating or pondering when and what my next meal is going to be. Ellen and I are very grateful to have two awesome team sponsors that provide us with free meals. Our first sponsor is Maxol. We are allowed to get one sandwich a day at the deli at Maxol. Our other sponsor is Granville Hotel which offers a buffet style meal to us on the weekends. This meal reminds me of a Thanksgiving dinner! It is just like a home cooked meal so I love it.

Ellen, Dan, and I have tried some of the restaurants in our city center and definitely have a few favorites. One pub, Geoff’s, offers great food and has a cool atmosphere. Another great restaurant is Shiki. This is a sushi and Chinese/Japanese restaurant. Although I am not the biggest fan of sushi the food here was good! My favorite restaurant is a little Italian restaurant. This was recommended to me by one of my teammates that happens to be from Italy so I trusted her judgment! Pizza and pasta are my favorite foods so this will definitely be a place I eat at often. I couldn’t forget about the “Dinky Donuts” cart that is in the city center on Fridays and Saturdays. These are freshly made mini donuts with cinnamon and sugar. I am not a huge fan of sweets but it is always hard to resist from getting these walking by and smelling them.

                             

A few weeks ago, Dan and I had the opportunity to represent our college basketball team, the Waterford Vikings, at a launch event. We had a little photo shoot with some of the other college athletes and then attended an official launch of the Vikings sports. The launch and photo shoot was held at the WIT Arena. The arena is a beautiful, large multi-purpose building. In the arena are 3 basketball courts, many classrooms, a large workout area and many rooms where fitness classes are held. We had our photo shoot outside overlooking all the sports fields outside the arena. Dan and I were sporting the new Vikings basketball uniforms in our pictures. Since we are the Vikings it was only right to have a picture wearing a Viking hat!

After the photo shoot, there was a launch presentation event. All of the athletes were led to sit in the front so we could represent the Vikings sports and show off all of our uniforms. The start of the launch was introductions followed by an awesome video that was created on a drone featuring views of Waterford City and short clips of the various sports at WIT. The rest of the launch, WIT invited three standout athletes to the stage and had a question and answer session with them. The three athletes were athletics, hurling, and soccer. Two of them were in their early 30’s and one was in her early 20’s. It was awesome to learn about their accomplishments as athletes and hear their journeys to success. This was a great event and I am glad Dan and I were invited to attend!

 

 

Hello mates! Two months in Ireland and I’ve found myself to be catching on to the Irish lingo a wee bit. My time in Ireland has flown by so far and I’ve had the opportunity to meet some amazing people while having lots of fun! The first week in Ireland was spent in Belfast with the other 33 scholars learning more about the Sport Changes Life foundation and going through different training sessions to prepare us for the year. It was great to interact with all the scholars throughout the week and hear everyone’s unique story. We had the chance to work with different groups of kids throughout the week and immediately I could see how spending just a small amount of time with these kids can make a huge impact on their lives. Another highlight of the week was traveling to Giant’s Causeway. There is an interesting myth about the causeway that an Irish giant ripped out huge chunks of the cliff and threw them into the sea. He did this to create a sturdy path to Scotland in order to fight a Scottish giant he was in disagreement with. The causeway had some breathtaking views and it was a great day spent there!

It was bittersweet leaving Belfast and saying bye to the other scholars as we all headed off to 13 universities throughout the island. It’s crazy how in just one week we were able to create lasting friendships with each other. Ellen and I headed to Dublin for the weekend to coach the U16 team in a preseason tournament. We coached the team to two wins! Finally on Sunday afternoon we headed down south to Waterford where we are living.

Waterford is a cute little city, a short drive from the coast. There is a city center with pubs, restaurants, and shopping. Ellen and I are living right on our campus at Waterford Institute of Technology, with Dan, another scholar. Classes have been going on since the second week of September along with practice 3-4 nights a week. Fortunately, we have been able to explore a lot of Waterford and the surrounding areas in our free time! Our assistant coach’s dad, John, brought Ellen and me to the beach in Tramore which was beautiful. He also took Dan, Ellen, and me golfing one day at the Waterford Golf Club. Sadly, our basketball skills did not translate very well for us on the links. John was able to give us some great pointers though and we definitely improved throughout the day!

I am really looking forward to the remaining seven months and taking in all that Ireland has to offer while coaching, playing, and earning my master’s degree. Sport Changes Life is an amazing foundation and I am so thankful to be given the opportunity to be a part of their program as a Victory Scholar! I hope you enjoy my blogs throughout the year as I will be sharing my experiences as often as possible! 

                                   

 

“Our Similarities bring us to common ground; Our Differences allow us to be fascinated by each other.”

– Tom Robbins American Novelist

Recently in an Ehoops session, the scholars and the Ehoopers got into a debate about whose food is better. The debate started like every other food related debate I’ve had in Ireland so far, 

“Is it Chips or Fries?” “Jam or Jelly?” 

“Whose Chinese food is better?”

“Whose has better pizza?”

 

 

 

 

 Then one of the Ehoopers changed the course of the argument by asking, “Boojum or Chipotle?” As scholars and Ehoopers debated over whose guacamole is better, I had an epiphany of sorts. See for those who don’t know, Boojum is the Chipotle of Ireland. They are exactly the same in every detail but the name. Same décor, same menu; they let you have all the forks you want and have one to many topless hot sauce bottles to be considered sanitary. See…just like Chipotle!

So as the argument advanced into more controversial territory (Whose tortilla chips have more salt?). I couldn’t help but compare the food we were adamantly fighting for to ourselves. I know you’re probably like, “what are you talking about Kollyns”, but just hear me out! Like Boojum and Chipotle, Irish and American people aren’t so different. We might have different slang or slight cultural differences but at the end of the day we are all just people. People who are proud of where they come from, and willing to argue about food for hours just to prove it.

All around the world people fight over differences as small and insignificant as the differences Boojum shares with Chipotle. If people instead could start embracing and celebrating those differences, the world would be a much happier & safer place. I know I was happy when I found out I could still get my black bean & chicken bowl in Ireland! Everyone just needs to come to the realization that no matter the amount of differences we share, we are still as similar as Boojum is to Chipotle.
Until Next Time,
Kollyns Scarbrough
#IBelieveInVictory

 

“When you play a game of thrones you win or you die.”                                                                                                                                                                         – George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Just kidding … but it was close enough! I’ve always dreamed of flying to L.A. and seeing a real television set. I’ve always wanted to see how a show is put together for the audience on the other side of the screen (you know… the T.V. magic). Who would have thought that my dream would come true while in Northern Ireland!

On one random Sunday morning, I was sitting in my room & binging Netflix while hunched over a bowl of generic Tesco cereal. You probably could predict that I was on my way to a lazy wasted Sunday. Thankfully I received a text from Shay (another scholar) asking if I wanted to go on a tour of where Game of Thrones was shot. I mean… of course I want to go on a tour of the place that produced Game of Thrones, are you kidding me? Game of Thrones, the multi-award winning television series, I would be crazy not to go! So that’s how I found myself squished in the backseat of a car on the way to Winterfell Castle with Shay, Mike (another scholar), and one of their teammates.

It was the perfect day! We were given the full tour and were shown how the Game of Thrones production team worked their magic. It was amazing to see how the production team was able to take Winterfell castle & turn it into what we see on the big screen. They multiplied the castle & actors, added to background and BOOM, Television Magic! We dressed up in the Game of Thrones costumes and shot arrows. I’m not gonna lie I wasn’t the best with arrows, but with some pointers. I started to look like a real-life Katniss Everdeen (or so I thought I did). We ended our tour with a nice bike ride around the castle. It’s been a while since I rode a bike and felt the breeze when riding. We stopped at different viewpoints to soak up some of the breathtaking sites and learn more about how the set was produced. In end, we finished the perfect day with a great lunch at Boojum. My potential wasted Sunday, turned into memories that I’ll have for a lifetime. Got to love some T.V. Magic!

Until Next Time,

Kollyns Scarbrough

#IBelieveInVictory

P.S.  If you want to see my best Katniss impersonation, click the line (IMG_3108)

Whoever said diamonds were a girl’s best friend clearly never took a spin on a 2005 huffy mountain bike, that goes as fast as you can rotate your legs, through the streets of Cork—turns out, this can be pretty slow on a Monday bank holiday of Jazz weekend and can contribute to being just a tad late for practice. Sorry squad—In my defense, I was riding against the wind, and the chain was a bit rusty…

Anyways, a few weeks ago the Foley family generously donated their bike to me. It was late one night and I received a call from Mark telling me that he was outside with his wife with the bike. For me, this call was similar to the news you hear on Christmas morning from one of your siblings saying “SANTA CAME!!!!!” So, naturally, I ran down stairs to see the surprise, and there it was, propped on its kick stand, gleaming in the misting rain and car lights. “Omg, thank you!” I exclaimed, and proceeded to carry the bike into my apartment.

Stickered next to the “Huffy” label on the bike reads freedom, and, ironically enough, it’s exactly this that the bike provides for me. Freedom to have my own sense of autonomy in transport…freedom to go out for a leisurely spin to remove myself from college work…freedom to do what I want, when I want without having to depend on the bus timetable. It’s a companion when you’re stuck riding in the wind and rain and a partner that helps you conquer uphill battles (literally—Cathedral Road is no joke.) The bike is something I can rely on and similarly, has been a symbol of the people I have been able to rely on while living here. From the donation of the bike from the Foley’s, to the provided lock and light vest from the Cronin’s, to the safe place to keep it at Maddy & Linda’s , it all contributes to the network of support and care I’m continuously provided with by the Brunell community, and ultimately, what makes it more than just a bike.

 

So, to all the ladies (and gents) out there who have never battled the streets with your bike—give it a try. And while I’m accepting diamonds at any and all times (inquire further for my mailing address), I’m set with my Huffy for now.

 

 

Don’t have any regrets, just follow your dream. Take the bull by the horns and just do it, no matter how many things are on your to-do list.

-CIT Guest Lecturer Maria GIlsenen