Being Home
It's been a fantastic couple of weeks here at home in Ireland. I have finally been able to let loose a little bit after all of those years of training. As I told you before, just after arriving into Ireland from Sochi I headed down to Kerry to celebrate my 21st birthday with all of the family. It was the best welcome home I'll ever receive. The roads were painted, there were some bonfires lit, and uncle Euge even had some fireworks for me outside of Mullally's Pub. It was a little overwhelming, but I had one hell of a night.
The next great experience came when I went to visit some schools around Brandon Bay. I went to primary schools in Cloghane and Castlegregory, and then visited the secondary school in Castlegregory as well. The primary schools were good fun. All of the young kids were so energetic; I didn't have enough time to answer all of their questions. All of my younger cousins go to that school as well, so it was nice to see them there and make them proud! People ask me why I ski all of the time. Of course I ski because I love it, and I ski for my country. However, it's also quite rewarding when you have all of these younger kids looking up to you. There's nothing better than inspiring the younger generation, showing them that anything is possible.
After that short weekend I went been back up to Dublin to see the doctor about my shoulder. Everything is clear, although he said it would take another couple of weeks from the pain within the bone to go away. Once that is all good and healthy it'll be time to get back into the gym in preparation for next season, and just to gain back all of the weight I've lost over the season. I also met the Sochi Chef de Mission Stephen Martin; we were discussing plans for the next couple of years. I've been skiing for so long, but I'm only 21 years of age so there's a lot more to come.
Other than that I've just been visiting friends and experiencing Dublin city. I've gotten to know it over the past couple of months, and it's a great place. I'm trying to work out some things for the summer, so I'll keep you updated on that front. It would be nice to stay here for a little while longer before heading back to college in August.
I'm currently down in Kerry for St. Patrick's weekend. I decided to get out of Dublin as I heard it can be quite messy on Paddy's day! I was able to stop in Limerick to see the other side of the family. It was great to catch up with them, they have been huge supporters over the past couple of weeks. I'm quite lucky to have such a great family, and it should be a great weekend with everyone.
In other news, Ireland are Six Nations Champions! Everyone in Ireland was on their feet last night watching them triumph over France in Paris. They also got on their feet to say goodbye to a rugby legend, and an Irish hero: Brian O'Driscoll. Grown men all over Ireland were seen shedding a tear because of this man. What a way to go out.
I'll leave you all with that picture. What a night to be Irish.
/CL