Day 7

January 10:

Today I drove the Ring of Kerry, a famous circular drive of about 178km, with Maggie, Jess, and Karly. It was quite rainy when we started, but soon cleared to half overcast skies. The first part of the road takes us to a coastal road that meanders through tall cliffs next to the Irish Sea.

We decided to turn off and do the Skellig Ring, a smaller circular drive close to Valencia Island. This drive took us into the mountains, covered with mist and then down to the coast where the sun was breaking through the clouds. We walked on the beach and frolicked with a stray dog for about 20 minutes.

Our next stop was the Cliffs of Kerry, where the mountains fall away into the sea abruptly. Stones knives jut upwards as if stabbing at the sky, but instead of cutting are blunted by the green moss that covers them. In the distance we could see the Skellig Islands. I stopped to help the park owner with his laptop, got it working in about 20 minutes. I should have asked for my entrance fee back!

In Waterville, we stopped for lunch. I had roast beef. We then kept moving toward the East, stopping at the far side of the Killarney National Park. Here we were greeted by the sound of rushing water as it flowed into a calm lake of glass. The reflections on the lake of mountain, clouds, and sky echo still in my mind.

I think, a week in, I’m starting to miss home a bit. The ocean smell reminded me of San Diego and of how much I miss the sun. The sun rarely makes an appearance here; she prefers to remain shrouded in her clouds.

I really have no idea what I’ll be doing tomorrow, but the fab four are splitting, with Jess and Karly moving on to Galway, and Maggie deciding to stay here. I suppose I’ll know what I want later tonight or tomorrow.

I think even more than the beautiful scenery, the people I’ve met on this trip have been not only interesting and classy, but honest, and always have a new and different opinion on things. They have challenged my American way of thinking, and I think it’s for the better. I’ll come home with new ideas and new ways of thinking about things.