Why am I writing blog?
I took the idea last week, on my down time I would put my phone away or turn of fortnite for 30mins and write down my 'honest' thoughts on what's happening and I thought now would be a good time to start. My aim is to keep it short and sweet, nothing like reading a book but you will get to see my insights on things. Just naming things off the top of my head. I'm also not great at my English and I also thought this would be a good way to improve, so if my English teacher reads this, I'm trying!
I will title a question that people ask me and then finish with my thoughts. I'm not really sure how it works, do I just attach something to my social media or do I make a website, who knows? I hope to make one every week. 222 people could read this or 2 people could, its more for me to look back and reflect.
I'm moving to France
It’s the big day! I'm sat here on a flight to Barcelona writing this. I had an early start with leaving the house at 3:30AM to make it to Dublin Airport for my 8AM flight. I will fly into Barcelona and then get a changeover which will take me into Marseille. It will be a long day of travelling but It has to happen. The airports and planes are really strange with the Covid pandemic, everything is just a lot more 'spaced' if that makes sense? I got my own row of seats and so has everyone else, I'm not complaining!
So why am I moving to France?
I am moving to France to 'start' my cycling career. I think France is a great opportunity for me as it will suit me a lot better as it has a little more hilly terrain. It will give me the chance to make it as a professional cyclist as I hope some day will come true. France is also a beautiful place, an especially Marseille where I will be based with the team.
I love Northern Ireland, especially the glens of Antrim. Nobody understands how lucky you are to live there. It is great for cycling as you have the mountains and then the coast if you fancy a flat day, it got everything really! But as you know the weather isn't always in your favour but it makes the good days seem better I think.
Marseille will be great as I will have the weather in my favour but I hope I don’t turn soft! A friend told me I am not going to be the same as he knows me as a 'hardy bas*ard'!
Am I going to miss home?
Yes, of course I will! Saying goodbye to my family and friends was hard for sure but its best to try not think about it but I will always have in the back of my mind, "what's mum doing", "I wonder did I miss anything" "how tall is Annie Rose now?"
But yes its going to be hard at the start but I will get used to it, facetime will be my most used app and trying to tell granny you can take the phone away from your ear!
What is the team situation?
2021 I will be riding for AVC AIX en Provence which is a team based is AIX en Provence, France. But I will be living with Team Delko. I have my first team camp on the 8th which is a 3 week training camp with Delko and seeing where my legs are at before I begin my season. That’s it really.
My thoughts.
I'm nervous, more for the feeling of being away from home in a foreign language. I have lived in Sierra Nevada for 5 months but that was with 3 of my good friends that speak English, well Adam spoke Omagh which is a different language again. But they were the best 5 months of my life. I hope I can learn the language pretty well, enough to get me round anyway. Duolingo has been helping me a lot so far! But for sure I am excited for what's to come this year with some of the biggest races on the calendar, Lavaneir is for sure my goal in mind as it’s a race I dream to win!