This morning I woke up at that point where night turns to morning. Out in my yard the frogs of the night before continued croaking. At the same time, the birds of the morning chirped loudly attempting to drown them out. The smell of the dew on the grass sat over the whole scene. It is this time of day that gets my memory churning.
For our honeymoon, Kody and I went to Ireland. Its a trip of a lifetime that I have now done twice; once in college and once with Kody. The Irish city of Galway is the perfect place to enjoy all the culture of Ireland. While the more popular Cliffs of Mohr aren’t far from the city, the better place to go is the Isle of Inishmore. When Kody and I were out in Ireland, one of our planned excursions was to the clifftop fort of Dun Aonghasa.
On the day of the trip, we woke to a stormy morning. We weren’t certain if we’d be able to go out to the Irish cliffs, since the trip involves crossing the bay on a small boat. We went to our tour company to ask if the boat was still running. It was touch and go for a bit, but after an hour the boat took to the sea. What followed was the most insane boat ride I have ever experienced. The little ferry plunged up and down on waves far larger than the boat itself. The rain pounded all around to the point where you could barely see from one wave to the next.
Kody and I sat in complete silence, staring out at the waves. When the boat pitched and dove, he’d squeeze my hand and slow blink at me. (Slow blinking is something that is common with cats, they completely shut their eyes for one second and typically purr at you. Kody and I would use this as a way to say, “I love you” without actually speaking.) There were moments where the boat would dive over the top of a wave and seem to hang in the air before coming down again. Time dragged out on the silent ferry. As we neared the shore of the island, we could see the blue skies over the top of the island. It sat directly in the middle of a calm spot in the storm. The boat slid easily into the calm spot at the dock.
The difference between the crazy boat ride and the sudden beauty of the sunny day at the island was almost jarring. For our first minutes on shore, we both just sat by the water, still silent. Then without even a word exchanged we started up the road. It was crazy how nice the weather on the island was. Even though the dark clouds were visible in the distance, on the island the day was warm.
Up at the Irish cliffs the day was peaceful. We sat at the edge just talking and enjoying the beauty of the day. All around us was the salty smell of the sea and the historic feel of the rock fort. The place is a special one. There is something about the combination of the sea and the sky and the rocks that makes this a uniquely beautiful space.
Looking back now, I am so glad that Kody and I were able to weather the storm and get up to the Irish cliffs that morning. We were able to share in that special place together and experience some moments of real happiness. It was worth the nightmarish boat ride just to be able to enjoy those moments with him.