Last fall I finally made it to Ireland, a place I’ve wanted to visit for as long as I can remember. But admittedly, I was a little concerned that I built up too much expectation. It’s always a concernt about whether or not a place I’ve long dreamed of visiting can live up to what I’ve imagined (for the most part, the places I’ve visited, do).
Ireland exceeded my expectations.
Let me start with a story to illustrate (how very Irish of me). Among the places I most wanted to see were the famed Cliffs of Moher: a stunning drop of earth and stone into the crashing Atlantic Ocean that look very much like the edge of the world. I’ve seen beautiful photos of the cliffs in sunshine or glowing in the firey setting sun. And as I looked towards my trip, after experiencing rain my first few days in Dublin from an Atlantic storm, it looked like maybe there would be some good weather for the rest of my trip.
Now while I did have decent weather for much of the trip, my visit to the cliffs was a different story. The morning dawned with a chill, mist hugging the ground as we left the hotel to make our way to the cliffs. And when we got there? Well…
What surprised me was that I was not disappointed. Cold, yes. Worried about my mascara in that drizzle, also yes (and with good reason when I had a chance to check). But disappointed? Not in the least.
We started walking through the mists along the path and I could at least see a peek of the cliffs with the ocean waves crashing up against their base. Just a glimpse before the curtain of mists closed once again. Coming back down from around the upper tower, I couldn’t even see the cliffs anymore. They’d vanished.
Those mists were ethereal. I could easily see stories of wandering into that heavy fog and finding oneself in a different place. In a different world. It was no stretch of the imagination to wonder what could lurk behind that damp shield. That morning I understood some of the basis of those otherworldly stories.
While my visit to the cliffs was perhaps an unexpected experience, it was one I knew I’d still be glad to have witnessed. One other takeaway? I would just need to come back to see the cliffs in a literal different light. And I’m okay with that.
