The Draw of Nature’s Spectacle

by Srinivas Rao
on April 27th, 2011
1 Comment

Back in the Spring of ’08, my then-fiancée Jenny and I took a month-long European vacation. Many firsts happened on that trip: Neither of us had been to Europe before, and this was also the first test of our ability to be around each other 24/7 for any length of time. Over the month we hit a few cities and towns in Italy, Paris for a week, London, stayed with friends in Oxford, then wrapped it up with a couple of days in Ireland. By the last day, both of us were pretty tired and had planned to tool around along the boardwalk in a little suburb just outside of Dublin where we were staying.

But then I saw a travel brochure with pictures of the Cliffs of Moher. These sheer, incredibly high (700ft at the highest) seaside bluffs of green-spotted shale and sandstone stretch for miles along the western Irish seaboard. Looking at the pictures, I felt a rare certainty inside. I was captivated. I knew I had to go and experience these cliffs. Jenny heavily resisted me on the point and we argued back and forth. This is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity, I said. But the Cliffs were all the way across the country, she said, and she didn’t want to spend our last day driving. I finally told her, in the gentlest way I could, that she could feel free to stay back while I went. Thankfully she relented and decided to come along.

Follow Your Bliss

The drive actually turned out to be kind of treacherous. I wasn’t used to driving on the left, and the roads were twisty and narrow and lined with stone embankments that I was constantly afraid I would hit. The roads got so skinny that sometimes I had to stop and back up to let a passerby through. It took longer than I thought to get there, and the whole way I was questioning whether I made the right choice.

We finally arrived and made our way out to the cliff, and it was FREAKING AMAZING! The flat unending expanse of gray sea sprawled out before us as forceful winds pushed thick rainclouds hovering off the coastline. We peered over the edge off the bluff and felt the thrill of vertigo, looking down at waves crashing against craggy black boulders far below. Jenny noticed a bird’s nest perched several feet down along an outcropping, with mama standing by. We walked along the edge, past a sign saying “PLEASE DO NOT GO BEYOND THIS POINT,” and along a narrow, unprotected path just inches away from a fatal fall, and eventually eight kilometers out to an old ruined castle turret at the cliff’s head. Absolutely one of the peak experiences of my life.

The Next Spectacle

In case you were wondering, Jenny and I had an amazing time in Europe and passed the 24/7 test. Our second wedding anniversary is coming up next month, and to celebrate we’re headed to Belize. Now I’ve seen pictures of this Great Blue Hole, a giant sinkhole (984ft in diameter) in the ocean, 70 kilometers out from Belize City. I have that same feeling of captivation and certainty, and this time Jenny is onboard and we’re building it into our plans. I firmly believe in the rule of not having too many expectations, but I can’t help it! I hope this giant sink hole is an amazing experience! Stay tuned for my follow up sometime after we get back in a few weeks.

And of course (the obligatory moral of the story?), if anything else interesting and unplanned catches our attention while we’re there, you can bet I’ll argue we go for it.

Jason Cabassi hosts The Walking Dead ‘Cast, a podcast dedicated to AMC’s hit show The Walking Dead.

Srinivas Rao

Srinivas is an avid surfer and personal development blogger at The Skool of Life. He's also the host and co-founder of BlogcastFM, a podcast for bloggers.