Thus Far: The Players Part III

The Players: I just want to give a shout-out to some of the people who have helped to make this journey so incredible.

Karen and Steve; I met Karen and Steve my first morning on the Way and we spent the next two nights in the hostels together. We lost each other along the trail but reconnected yesterday in Killarney. We had breakfast together one last time while we spoke fondly of our journey. It was nice to see them once again as we had started out together what seemed like so very long ago.

Brian; I met Brian at the Sleepy Camel on my third day out. He came into the hostel the day Steve and Karen left and I had decided to stay an extra day. Now Brian was a card. He was 75 years old and sewn together with leather and nails. We sat together that evening in the sitting room of the Sleepy Camel, where he drank Jameson and regaled me with stories of his past. As the Jameson in his bottle got shorter his tales got bigger, his somewhat prominent nose got redder, and my laughter grew louder. I met and/or traveled with Brian for the next two days until we lost track of each other in Waterville. He caught up with me again in Killarney two days ago where we reminisced and said a final goodbye as he left on the bus yesterday morning for New Castle.

Glen and Molly: Now this had to be one of my favorite evenings thus far. I met Glen and Molly in a little town called Carsiveen. They were working at a Hostel called the Sive in exchange for room and board. They were disenchanted with the expectations and confines of life in the real world and decided to make and create their own path in life and good for them. We spent the evening sitting by a fire that Glen had built in the hearth of the sitting room, talking about the earth, about kids these days, about expectations of society, and about dreams that were meant to be chased. Loved those kids and I hope they follow their dreams to their fruition. 

The folks at Neptune’s in Killarney; All total I spent four nights at Neptune’s in Killarney. So I have to give props to; Kinga, Juliet, Michael, and Peter, who was the nicest guy I have ever met. Side Note: thanks for the chocolate Peter! To the rest of the people who worked at Neptune’s Thank you for all the love and warmth and laughter. That hostel became like a second home to me. Love you guys.

Ian; I met Ian as I was walking through Caherdaniel and as he was sitting on a stone wall having just come off the trail and was, as was I, tired of hiking. I was doing a day hike at the time so I crossed the street to speak with him and find out what he was up to, to if he was hiking the Way, and if so to see what I had missed on that particular section. He was trying to hitch a ride into Sneem as I would do several days later. We spoke for a few moments and eventually parted ways. I was heading south into the park and he was hopeful to catch a ride north, to Sneem. When I arrived back at Neptune’s a few days later the first one to greet me was Ian who just happened to be sitting on the couch in the lobby when I arrived. It was great to see him and unknown to us at the time that would be the beginning of what my friend Ben would later refer to as “the perfect storm.”