I first came here to Ireland back in 2000. I was a young teenager and was taking my first trip out of the US.  I had no idea of what to expect, but was very excited to see a different part of the world.  My father took me along with him on a business/golf trip and as soon as we arrived I instantly feel in love with Europe and traveling for that matter.  I was blown away by the history and how around every corner there was something more interesting than the last.  It was a trip that really helped me grow as a person and one I will always remember.
I returned two years ago, this time with a bike instead of golf clubs, to race the Tour of Ireland.  Its amazing to look back at that and see where life has taken me.  When I first came here with my dad, I would have never thought that I would get involved in cycling and that this sport would bring me back to the same towns just a few years later.  I came out of that edition of the race with my best result yet in Europe, a 6th overall. That result, along with a few others that year, help me get to where I am today on Team Columbia.

This week I hope to keep building on those great memories I’ve made here in Ireland. The race is a couple days shorter, at only three stages, but it will be just as hard I’m sure.  The weather forecast is calling for “heavy rain” over the weekend and that should make things interesting.  I am sure the rain will make me fully understand what makes this country so beautiful.   It truly is a special place to visit and I’m very happy to be racing my bike here, but I must admit when I was out riding today I was wishing I had brought my golf clubs.