Connecting the Dots: Luck of the Irish

The dreary clouds that had been slowly shielding the sun for the past hour opened and a collective sigh of sadness engulfed the bus. We were ten minutes from the Cliffs of Moher (within eyesight) when we stopped for lunch an hour earlier. The 75-year old tour guide, in his nearly incomprehensible Irish accent, apologized for the common, but rarely enjoyed rain.

As we pilled out of the coach like school children on a field trip to the zoo (we were dismissed for nearly two hours), the majority of the group turned right and headed for the shelter of the visitor center to watch movies indoors. I had other plans. I turned left, directly toward the oncoming rain (it was a light shower at that point) and ocean spray that was causing most to scamper for cover. While the rain over the ocean looked viscous, the clouds simply hovered about half a mile off the coast and eventually disappeared—I did not get wet after about ten minutes.

While walking along the cliffs, my mood shifted in accordance with the shift in weather. I no longer simply wanted a dry day; rather, I hoped a rainbow would appear out of the empty, bluish-grey canvas in front of me. I continued to walk, at times mere feet from the edge of the cliff, consistently scanning the sky for any indication that an exclamation point would fall on such a special place. After an hour of continuous walking away from the park entrance, I stopped on a compacted dirt mound that acted looked like a balcony seat at a Broadway musical. A hundred yards from the cliffs, a rainbow was beginning to sprout from the nothingness. My heart skipped a beat and I could not prevent a smile. The best possible scenario was materializing; being constructed right in front of my eyes.

Over the next six to seven minutes, the rainbow slowly unraveled like the final act of mystery movie. Those precious minutes provided enough time for a few photographs, a video and an opportunity to simply admire the beauty of Earth. The rainbow dissipated far quicker than it appeared, leaving only the hazy ocean spray and several distant clouds. While the spectrum of colors may have left the picture, this unexpected experience reinforced to me the blessing that is our planet. Certain natural phenomenons will leave you in awe, inspired and happy that life placed you in that exact spot at that exact moment. Watching a rainbow appear from the ocean while standing on the Cliffs of Moher is one of those experiences I will never forget.