A walk through Glendalough

8:15 a.m.-Stumble into kitchen to make bagged lunch, put on too much mayonnaise, climb onto tour bus, fall asleep again.

9:45-Wake up at place called “Glendalough”, put on lots of rain gear, make funny faces at little kids before tour starts.

10:30-Half-listen to tour guide, half-mindedly take pictures of high crosses, round towers, and St. Kevin’s “Kitchen”.

11:15-Take lots of pictures in front of glorious lake and majestic mountains, drink hot chocolate, put on more rain gear.

11:45-Begin a “fun and exhilarating” hike with 19 people, stop to take pictures at St. Kevin’s cave, eat a snack bar.

12:30 p.m.-Stop for lunch at old ruins, watch mountain goats play on rocks, get soaked because of lack of rain gear.

1:15-Put on any rain gear not already on, climb up rocks, stop to take pictures at neat waterfall.

1:50-Reach the top of the hike, cross very scary bridge over waterfall, take a few more pictures, lose feeling in toes.

2:20-Try not to fall off a path that is the width of two railroad ties and has little staples in it to increase grip, try really hard not to fall off path when the person behind you grabs your backpack to keep their balance.

2:55-Stop to take more pictures, battle epic wind and rain, get a little muddy when the path isn’t where it should be, lose feeling in fingers.

3:20-Try to figure out what’s going on with the weather, rain and sunshine, repeat, take off rain gear because it is sunny…nevermind, it started raining again.

3:35-Witness the hand of God painting a brilliant rainbow in the brightest sky, send up a prayer of thanks, take more pictures, take off rain gear.

3:50-Start thinking about how you can invent “breathable rain gear”, start descent into forest down 200+ steps, lose feeling in whatever hadn’t already lost feeling.

4:15-Back in parking lot, holding a cup of the best hot chocolate ever, hearing stories from everyone else about sights and sounds seen and heard.

4:35-Climb onto bus, get as comfortable as possible in wet clothes and muddy shoes, fall asleep within minutes.

Proof of a day well lived.


Written by Erin Flathers