Hey everybody! It has been awhile since I have seen or talked to a lot you and I wanted to take the opportunity to let you all know what is going on with me these days. I am in the second semester of my junior year at HopeCollege in Holland, Michigan, where I am pursuing a double major in Economics and Business Management with a minor in Communications. In addition to my full course load, I also am very active in my fraternity on campus (The Fraternal Society - OKE) and I am a three year member of Hope’s Men’s Varsity Soccer team. I am also active in the Holland community by coaching a local High School JV Lacrosse team and working at both on campus and off campus jobs.
I have a girlfriend named Lauren who I will have been dating for 2 years in April. She is a tall, skinny blonde, but my sisters have forgiven her for that and seem to have given their stamp of approval. This is a picture of us during homecoming last year. She is also a junior at Hope and her family is from Grand Rapids, which is only about 30 minutes from Holland. Her brother and father were both members of the same fraternity that I am in right now at Hope, which has served as a nice connection.
Every five years the men’s soccer team travels to Europe to experience the roots of the game that has been such a large part of my life. This summer the team will be traveling to Ireland and will spend 10 days touring around the sites and experiencing the Irish culture, playing in and watching several friendly soccer matches, as well as doing some community service at an Irish community center. I will try to post a copy of our trip’s proposed itinerary and I have include a few picture of me from this last season. Everyone around here is getting very excited because we will be using the trip as a spring board into our fall training.
This past season I worked to secure a starting spot on the team and ended up being voted as a captain for next year’s 2009 season. This trip is going to be a once in a lifetime experience for me and it is important for the team that I be a part of the trip because of my leadership role for next year. This is not a cheap trip and, although Hope is covering a portion of each student’s/player’s trip, it is up to me to cover $2,000 in order to pay for airfare, lodging and transportation for the 10 days that we are over there. I am trying to get as much out of my college experience as possible, and I wanted to ask for your help to make this dream of mine become a reality.
I realize that many of you visited Ireland and Wales a few years ago and that you had a fantastic trip.If you have any advice/information for me about the area or if you would like to make any financial contributions to help make this trip possible, I would be extremely appreciative. Please feel free to send me an email (john.herbert@hope.edu) or give me a call sometime (574-339-6114) and we can catch up. Hopefully I’ll talk to a lot of you soon.
Here is our itinerary for when we are over there. It didn't copy and paste very well, so if you want an easier to read copy, let me know and I will email it to you.
HOPE MEN’S SOCCER *PROPOSED ITINERARY – IRELAND
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 • 6:50pm – Depart from Chicago O’Hare Airport on Aer Lingus flight #122.
Thursday, July 30, 2009 • 8:30am – Arrive at Dublin Airport. • Upon arrival in Ireland you will be met by an Excel International Sports Manager. • Transfer by Deluxe Coach to hotel (Approximately a two hour ride). • Check-in to accommodations in Ballinasloe, in the county of Galway. • Free time to relax and settle in. • Mid-afternoon practice session. • Take a short orientation tour of Ballinasloe, a busy market town and location of the oldest horse fair in Europe. See St. John’s Church, wander in the market square and wonder in the beauty that is pure Ireland. • Evening Dinner.
Friday, July 31, 2009 • Breakfast. • Morning practice session. • Depart on a Deluxe Coach to Galway (Approximately an hour ride). • Afternoon sightseeing in Galway. Visit the Galway Cathedral, Thoor Ballylee Tower, Lynch’s Castle, Eyre Square (shopping area), Salthill Promenade and the Spanish Arch. In 2008, Galway was ranked the 2nd best tourist destination in Ireland, so you know there is much to see and do. • Dinner. • In the evening, first international friendly game vs. an Irish side.
Saturday, August 1, 2009 • Breakfast. • Second International friendly game vs. and Irish side in the morning. • Afternoon visit to a professional soccer game. • Dinner. • Free time for social activities.
Sunday, August 2, 2009 • Breakfast. • Morning Church visit. • Depart for Tuam on a Deluxe Coach (Approximately an hour ride). • Visit to Tuam, a major ecclesiastical center for 1500 years. Associated with Turlough O’Connor, who became High King of Ireland in 1118 and made this town his capital. • Turning south to the medieval town of Loughrea (Approximately a one hour ride), we pause to visit St. Brendan’s Cathedral, a showcase for the Celtic Arts and Crafts revival. • Return to the hotel (Approximately a half and hour ride). • Dinner.
Monday, August 3, 2009 • Breakfast. • Depart Galway area for Dublin (Approximately a two hour ride). • Stop en-route for lunch and sightseeing. • Afternoon arrival in Dublin and check into the hotel. • Evening practice session. • Dinner. • Evening free for social activity.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009 • Breakfast. • Light morning practice session. • Free day for sightseeing in Dublin. Take a walk thru O’Connell Street and visit Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. Perhaps visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral or if you are a literature buff visit the Dublin Writer’s Musuem. Visit Christ Church Cathedral or St. Michan’s Church. There is also Malahide Castle, Drimnagh Castle, or Rathfarnham Castle, take your pick! • Dinner. • In the evening, third international friendly game vs. an Irish side.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009 • Breakfast. • Free morning in Dublin. • Depart to Newgrange on Deluxe Coach (Approximately an hour ride). • Afternoon visit to Newgrange, a prehistoric site over 5,000 years old! It is the most visited archaeological monument in Ireland. This neolitic tomb is covered in beautiful megalithic art. • Light evening practice session. • Dinner.
Thursday, August 6, 2009 • Breakfast. • Morning city tour of Dublin includes a visit to historic Kilmainham Jail, which covers some of the most tragic and heroic events in Irish history. • Depart for Skerries by Deluxe Coach (Approximately a half an hour ride). • Community Service Opportunity in Skerries. • Dinner. • In the evening, fourth international friendly game vs. an Irish side.
Friday, August 7, 2009 • Final training session. • Depart for Wicklow Mountains on a Deluxe Coach (Approximately an hour ride). • Late morning visit to the Wicklow Mountains, enjoy the beautiful Glendalough park and the Monoastic City. • Free afternoon to explore Dublin on own & final shopping. • Evening Dinner.
Saturday, August 8, 2009 • Breakfast. • Transfer to Dublin airport via Deluxe Coach. • 10:00am – Depart Dublin Airport on Aer Lingus flight #127. • 1:45pm – Arrive at Chicago O’Hare Airport.
captain for next year’s 2009 season. This trip is going to be a once in a lifetime experience for me and it is important for the team that I be a part of the trip because of my leadership role for next year. This is not a cheap trip and, although Hope is covering a portion of each student’s/player’s trip, it is up to me to cover $2,000 in order to pay for airfare, lodging and transportation for the 10 days that we are over there. I am trying to get as much out of my college experience as possible, and I wanted to ask for your help to make this dream of mine become a reality.
2 comments:
Here is our itinerary for when we are over there. It didn't copy and paste very well, so if you want an easier to read copy, let me know and I will email it to you.
HOPE MEN’S SOCCER
*PROPOSED ITINERARY – IRELAND
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
• 6:50pm – Depart from Chicago O’Hare Airport on Aer Lingus flight #122.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
• 8:30am – Arrive at Dublin Airport.
• Upon arrival in Ireland you will be met by an Excel International Sports Manager.
• Transfer by Deluxe Coach to hotel (Approximately a two hour ride).
• Check-in to accommodations in Ballinasloe, in the county of Galway.
• Free time to relax and settle in.
• Mid-afternoon practice session.
• Take a short orientation tour of Ballinasloe, a busy market town and location of the oldest horse fair in Europe. See St. John’s Church, wander in the market square and wonder in the beauty that is pure Ireland.
• Evening Dinner.
Friday, July 31, 2009
• Breakfast.
• Morning practice session.
• Depart on a Deluxe Coach to Galway (Approximately an hour ride).
• Afternoon sightseeing in Galway. Visit the Galway Cathedral, Thoor Ballylee Tower, Lynch’s Castle, Eyre Square (shopping area), Salthill Promenade and the Spanish Arch. In 2008, Galway was ranked the 2nd best tourist destination in Ireland, so you know there is much to see and do.
• Dinner.
• In the evening, first international friendly game vs. an Irish side.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
• Breakfast.
• Second International friendly game vs. and Irish side in the morning.
• Afternoon visit to a professional soccer game.
• Dinner.
• Free time for social activities.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
• Breakfast.
• Morning Church visit.
• Depart for Tuam on a Deluxe Coach (Approximately an hour ride).
• Visit to Tuam, a major ecclesiastical center for 1500 years. Associated with Turlough O’Connor, who became High King of Ireland in 1118 and made this town his capital.
• Turning south to the medieval town of Loughrea (Approximately a one hour ride), we pause to visit St. Brendan’s Cathedral, a showcase for the Celtic Arts and Crafts revival.
• Return to the hotel (Approximately a half and hour ride).
• Dinner.
Monday, August 3, 2009
• Breakfast.
• Depart Galway area for Dublin (Approximately a two hour ride).
• Stop en-route for lunch and sightseeing.
• Afternoon arrival in Dublin and check into the hotel.
• Evening practice session.
• Dinner.
• Evening free for social activity.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
• Breakfast.
• Light morning practice session.
• Free day for sightseeing in Dublin. Take a walk thru O’Connell Street and visit Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. Perhaps visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral or if you are a literature buff visit the Dublin Writer’s Musuem. Visit Christ Church Cathedral or St. Michan’s Church. There is also Malahide Castle, Drimnagh Castle, or Rathfarnham Castle, take your pick!
• Dinner.
• In the evening, third international friendly game vs. an Irish side.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
• Breakfast.
• Free morning in Dublin.
• Depart to Newgrange on Deluxe Coach (Approximately an hour ride).
• Afternoon visit to Newgrange, a prehistoric site over 5,000 years old! It is the most visited archaeological monument in Ireland. This neolitic tomb is covered in beautiful megalithic art.
• Light evening practice session.
• Dinner.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
• Breakfast.
• Morning city tour of Dublin includes a visit to historic Kilmainham Jail, which covers some of the most tragic and heroic events in Irish history.
• Depart for Skerries by Deluxe Coach (Approximately a half an hour ride).
• Community Service Opportunity in Skerries.
• Dinner.
• In the evening, fourth international friendly game vs. an Irish side.
Friday, August 7, 2009
• Final training session.
• Depart for Wicklow Mountains on a Deluxe Coach (Approximately an hour ride).
• Late morning visit to the Wicklow Mountains, enjoy the beautiful Glendalough park and the Monoastic City.
• Free afternoon to explore Dublin on own & final shopping.
• Evening Dinner.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
• Breakfast.
• Transfer to Dublin airport via Deluxe Coach.
• 10:00am – Depart Dublin Airport on Aer Lingus flight #127.
• 1:45pm – Arrive at Chicago O’Hare Airport.
Great post and pictures -- and thanks for sharing your itinerary -- I might be just a little bit jealous! ;>
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