Unfortunately there’s only so much more I can write about this adventure as it’s coming to a close way too quickly. However, if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that my life’s adventures are only just reigniting and the coals will burn even hotter in coming months.

Ladies and gentlemen, the incredible, beautiful, dangerous Cliffs of Moher:

The most awe-inspiring things I have seen in this life are both beautiful and dangerous. They make your blood boil and your adrenaline pump, and they make you crave the adventure and taboo of pushing the envelope just a little bit more.

I remember the cliffs as a nine-year-old. My aunts, uncles and cousins were all over in Ireland for my Aunt Kimmy’s wedding and we took a family trip to Co. Clare to see this magical place. I remember my older cousins army crawling to the edge of the unprotected cliff edge and, with their heads over the edge, looking straight down to the icy waters below. The same fall that has claimed the lives of so many desperate and stupid souls. Of course at age nine I was going no where near the edge. I did get to climb to the top of the tower, though. I don’t think you can anymore and so I’m glad I can say I did it when.

In our twenties, Jenny, Jaye and I felt adventurous and stable enough to walk beyond the slate barriers. The danger and the beauty of the cliffs burrowed into our souls and we descended cliff edges for photo-ops.

As breezy and tourist-laden this place was, it was worth the trip ten times over.

From here, we got into our tiny rental car and drove north to Galway City along the coast. The drive had no shortage of sprawling Irish countryside…or hairpin turns:

Our trip into Galway was probably a bit unorthodox as Paddy’s Day weekend was already well underway, as was Six Nations Rugby. We walked the streets a bit and stumbled into a pub for some easy eats and a pint. When we realized we had a front row seat in a great Irish pub for the Ireland vs. France rugby game, we decided that the inside of this pub was going to be all we saw of the city.

I know, there’s so much more to do and see in Galway, but remember how I said tourists get too wrapped up in “seeing the sights” that they don’t actually see anything? This was a pub full of Irish people watching their country play for a title. Boys and girls, this was authentic Ireland. So we stayed; we watched rugby; we made friends; and we left. So long, Galway, you gorgeous girl.

Out to Killimor we went. I took Jenny and Jaye to my aunt’s house for the evening where we unwound, drank some wine and visited with Kimmy. I woke up early to write and, still filled with nostalgia and longing, to run. Being here, however magical, is intensely emotional. I only wish my Dad could have been beside me for it. Maybe he has been.

I ran a couple miles near my aunt’s farm and encountered no car or person on that Sunday morning. I found some cows though. Ok, a lot of cows. With a cleared head and a nose full of farmland, I ran back to my friends and family. Here’s Kimmy’s house:

And a door that makes me certain the Secret Garden exists:

After I accidentally poisoned Jenny (full story at end) I drove us out to Co. Meath on the opposite side of the country. Yes, people, I DROVE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD. For two straight hours. And only once did I steer us into a ditch. The girls will tell you though that it was a completely legitimate slip up with a big truck speeding up a small two lane bridge with a ditch pulling into our side. All passengers and the vehicle made it out without a scratch.

Ok, so here’s what I’ve been wanting to share. I haven’t paid for accommodation on this trip at all, with the exception of a very drunk night in Dublin on Saint Patrick’s Day. To Jenny, Ti, Kimmy, Sean, Kate and Mike, thank you from the bottom of my heart for accommodating me, and sometimes my friends as well.

We met the caretaker of our next place to stay in a “bigger” town called Kingscourt in Co. Navan. She led us to the cottage in Meath Hill, Co. Meath and showed us around. My jaw literally dropped as I walked through this gorgeous house at our free and friendly accommodation. Here are a few reasons why:

Yeah. I’m currently laying in a big bed among exposed stone walls, facing a stunning stone mantle and fireplace with lofted ceilings. Again, from the bottom of all our hearts, thank you Kate and Mike for sharing this gorgeous home with us.

That night we went down to the local for some beverages. It’s the only establishment in walking distance. The only one. We met up with Mike’s niece, Elizabeth, and her two friends who shared the cottage with us that night. After some good “craic” with the locals, we went home to rest up for the next day in Dublin. Paddy’s.

(How I poisoned Jenny : The short version is that Jenny wasn’t feeling well so I gave her some medicine that always helps me. I had no clue she was allergic to Aspirin. She stuffed up in her nose and her lungs and basically sucked on her inhaler for two hours straight. Had she not felt better by 4pm, we would have had to take her to the hospital. Yup, I poisoned one of my best babes.)