Called to be Challenged: The Cliffs of Moher

Inconceivable!

You can see the Cliffs of Moher from the top, or you can catch the Doolin Ferry from Doolin Pier to see them from below.  We receive no compensation to recommend Doolin Ferry.  The tour was great for the price and the views were just as stunning from below. 

Cliffs of Moher

Doolin Ferry

The classic line came to mind as we were able to reflect on our time at the Cliffs of Moher in Clare, County, Ireland.  We returned to Ireland this year specifically to see them, as our plans did not allow for time on our last trip.  Sometimes, places call to you and ask you to return.  The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland is one of them. 

Driving ourselves to the cliffs, late in the day, we found the roads to be narrow and busy with buses leaving.  However, the parking lot was full (it does cost about 12 euro to enter) and people were still finding their way to the edge to catch a glimpse of the sights.  The visitor center had plenty of information as well as a bathroom.  A short walk from the visitor center, and you get your first look across the edge of Ireland as it meets the Atlantic.

And at first, they were a little underwhelming.  Having walked the Dover cliffs the year before, the Cliffs of Moher had a more formal feel to them.  O'Brian tower is well renovated and provides historical insight to the cliffs draw.  Between warriors and travelers for both a weekend and afar, the cliffs have been calling people to them for years.  But why?

So we began to hike.  We followed the paved path across the visitor center, and then stepped onto the costal hiking trail that asks you to leave the visitor center behind.  And as we hiked, the vast landscape spread out before us.  The cliffs began to take shape across the Atlantic, with different points providing a different view.  

Inconceivable.

It's really the best word to describe it.  The hike is challenging, with steps and slopes that are easier to go down then to return back up.  The trail becomes narrow in places, with the edge of the cliff directly to your side.  There are postings for which trails to stay on, and which to not enter.  Anyone that hikes you assume your own risk, so please manage accordingly.  It's challenging, both mentally and physically, and breathtakingly beautiful the more you accept the challenge.

As you journey through your own life, you're going to encounter moments like these.  Like starting at the visitor center, where you are in life may feel like just another site, another day, day in and day out.  Yet when we continue to walk, and embrace the challenges that come before us, with easy downhills and difficult uphills, we begin to see our own life in it's own vast reality.  Our lives are cliffs and valleys, highs, and lows, with edges that are sharp and some that gently roll.  Life continues to mold and shape us, much like the Atlantic along the edge of Ireland.  Shaping us and molding us into our own breathtakingly beautiful life.

And you may not see it in the moment, as you experience it.  Yet as you reflect, as we did, you'll find that what you encounter was meant to be.  Life called you there, much like traveling calls us across the world, to experience it's wonder and awe and let it transform you.  So, wherever you are in life, take it in.  Make a plan forward.  Reflect on where you've been and what you've seen and continue to let it form you.

In reality, it really all is Inconceivable!

Hopefully, the Cliffs of Moher call to you and you're able to go.  We highly recommend really great walking shoes.  The ones below I cannot recommend enough.  They were brand new, out of the box, and did over 12 miles of walking within the first 36 hours with no issue.  Also, we highly recommend a great rain jacket.  Both can be found below.  We are Amazon Associates and receive a small compensation for qualifying purchases so that we may continue to travel and teach about the world as we go. 

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