Heather Payne arrived at the Castleknock Hotel on Tuesday morning to complete the final part of another long journey.
Studying in the US and playing for college team Florida State Seminoles, Payne took her usual route back to Ireland ahead of Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Sweden: from Tallahassee to Atlanta, Atlanta to Dublin. Then, the little hop from Dublin Airport to Castleknock.
She'd have been entitled to plonk herself on the bed once check-in at the team hotel was done but Payne was straight upstairs for media duties ahead of afternoon training.
It's a gruelling routine, but if anyone has the energy required to make light of that it's the player Niamh Fahey once described as "half horse, half human". Payne may be slight in stature, but her appetite and aptitude for sustained, hard running makes her crucial to her team's hopes of plundering something from Gothenburg.
"It's a long route," the 22-year-old said. "Usually I'd have three flights: Tallahassee to Atlanta, and then I'd have to go from Atlanta to Amsterdam, and then Amsterdam to Dublin. That's been the route my whole time that I've been in Florida. It's about 20-plus hours' traveling.
"But luckily a couple of weeks ago they opened up a new route that goes Atlanta to Dublin, which I just came from (on Monday) so that's after making my journey so much easier: two flights, Tallahassee to Atlanta and then about an eight-hour flight from Atlanta to Dublin. It's much better."
Payne probably won't have to make that trans-Atlantic journey for too much longer. She has one more year of college to go and would have no shortage of suitors if she opts to move to England or Europe, which is the plan.
Last summer the Roscommon native spent time training with Liverpool, with whom Leanne Kiernan, Fahey, and Megan Campbell have just won the Championship title.
"I finish my third year this April, and I'm there for one more year. So I have one more season left. I graduate in spring 2023.
"I went there originally to get my degree, and Florida State is a really good soccer university. So I'm enjoying my time there. I think I've come on loads since I've been there, and of course, getting my education at the same time, I couldn't ask for a better environment.
"I did my pre-season back in July. I was [at Liverpool] for the month. Of course, a lot of players there were new so I nearly felt like I was part of the team for that month. I was really happy to see them get promoted.
"And honestly, when I was there, over in Liverpool, the team from the get-go had such a tight group and they all seem to get along really well. So I had a good feeling, even though I was only there for a month.
"I'm not surprised at all that they got promoted, and I'm delighted for Leanne, Niamh and Megan.
"That's the plan, I think, to go back to England once I finish in college, or somewhere in Europe. I don't know - whoever wants to take me! But yeah, that is the plan; to go and play professionally. Of course England is closer to home, a lot of the girls on this team play in England so it would be nice to go over there."
Payne missed the 11-0 thumping of Georgia in November due to college commitments but was back in camp for February's Pinatar Cup. She's a shoo-in to play up top on her own against the Swedes, and though Payne is braced for a slog, she also stressed the importance of being clever in how she chases down possession.
"We believe in ourselves a lot more than we used to and I think we can attribute that to Vera."
"Sweden are going to have most of the ball. And, of course, whenever I'm playing up front, it's very hard to just keep chasing down ball.
"I think the more I've played in that role, the more I've understood that. I need to be wise about the runs I make and when to make those runs. If it's a good ball, to follow up, and if it's not, maybe reserve my energy.
"It's also difficult with the likes of Sweden and Germany, they've big strong centre-backs so I was trying to work on my strength a bit. But playing those teams has helped me understand what I need to do to be clever on the pitch, to reserve my energy and then use it the best that I can."
The dietetics student will have her usual pre-match fuel on game day: porridge ("the most important macronutrient you can eat"), bread some sweet potato, and then she'll prepare for battle.
Payne has started almost every game of the Vera Pauw era but still plays like someone with everything to prove.
"You're never going into camp saying, 'I'm expecting to start or whatever'," she added. "I kind of take one game at a time. Vera chooses the team and I trust what she chooses and who she chooses. I just go into every camp trying to do my best.
"Vera has developed the team a lot since she's come in and she's put her trust in me, which obviously I appreciate a lot. We were unlucky to miss out on the Euros so I think this campaign is a huge one for us and for her as well.
"We believe in ourselves a lot more than we used to and I think we can attribute that to Vera."
Republic of Ireland squad
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton & Hove Albion), Eve Badana (DLR Waves)
Defenders: Harriet Scott (Birmingham City), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Claire Walsh (Glasgow City), Chloe Mustaki (Shelbourne), Claire O'Riordan (MSV Duisburg), Éabha O'Mahony (Boston College), Megan Campbell (Liverpool), Áine O'Gorman (Peamount United)
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O'Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City), Ciara Grant (Rangers), Jess Ziu (Shelbourne), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Isibeal Atkinson (Celtic)
Forwards: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Kyra Carusa (HB Hoge), Amber Barrett (FC Koln), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Ellen Molloy (Wexford Youths), Abbie Larkin (Shelbourne)
Watch Sweden v Republic of Ireland (Tuesday 12 April, 5.30pm), live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, with live blog on RTÉ News app and RTE.ie/Sport
