HHH Chapter 28 Through Ireland without hiking.

I have been strangely tired since I was in Ireland. Some of this is definitely physical. I’ve been hiking for a month and the last day in Wales was exhausting. I haven’t felt like this was the complete explanation in any way. I have had a general feeling of unease, a decrease in motivation, and a disinclination to explore.

400km and me.

I estimated I had reached 400km visiting Our Lady Island near Rosslare. I think seeing 400 km written on the stones in front of me was a turning point. It felt like the moment when side A of a vinyl album ends and you have to flip the second side. The problem was that I wasn’t sure what I was changing towards. Wales was finally and satisfactorily complete. It had been a very total experience, being outdoors, being enriched musically, knowing the history of the wells. Now he wasn’t sure what to do next. Are there options to head to another Celtic country, Scotland, or explore more in Ireland or what?

Resting in uncertainty.

After leaving Rossslare I headed to Wicklow. My plans to walk part of the Wicklow Way had failed in practicalities. Accommodation was difficult to find, non-existent or very expensive. The Wicklow Way stages are too long for me with my current strength. I fear being that person who wastes the time of a mountain rescue team that comes to find me because I overstepped my bounds and made bad decisions. So what will I do instead?

Be an intermediary.

I am in a liminal state here in Ireland, a state of betweenness. I don’t actually hike anymore, and while I still walk sometimes, I don’t feel the need to keep track of how far I’ve moved. However, I’m not ready to go straight home either. I need to digest and decide what I take from this journey back to my “normal” life. Also, I can’t imagine a sudden change from walking to being on a train and suddenly being home.

I had breakfast watching the tide drop rapidly under Wicklow Bridge. So now Ireland has become a bridge between coasts, a resting place for my mind. This seemed healthier than worrying. It’s okay not to make a decision right away. Later, I will head north by train to visit two old and dear friends, anticipating that this will be reassuring and comforting.

Plans for the next stage may disappear quietly, but in the back of my mind.

Mount Usher. The trees once again have the answer.

Before heading north, I took a relaxing trip to the famous Mount Usher Gardens. It’s actually more of an arboretum, with incredible trees from all over the world. On both sides of the river there are attractive trails that run quickly over stones, small reservoirs and waterfalls. A great place to sit in the sun and reflect before continuing your journey. I met some Wicklow Way hikers who said they had only managed to get through by paying a tour company to transport them on and off the trail every day, moving their luggage by vehicle every day. I didn’t know that was an option and it was too late to fix it. Maybe it will happen another day. It was relaxing to enjoy the sun, a good coffee at the cafe and just let the plans hang in the air for a moment.

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