The scenery was better than the vivid images found in each pilgrims brain, as we touched down on the brisk Monday morning. The Cliffs of Moher beckoned each pilgrim to explore with curiosity as they unloaded themselves and their gear off the bus and onto the path leading to the great scenery of unexplored nature before them. Sleep had been little over the past two days and each pilgrim slowly nodded off while riding the teal blue bus on the way to an adventure we would never forget. As Isabella and Isabelle donned professional cameras with bright smiles and trigger happy fingers, all ran off the bus to greet the cliffs as close as we could come without falling off. Father Bob's words rang clear in our ears as we remember that "a place will pass through a pilgrim" rather than a tourist simply passing through a place. Each pilgrim shared a smile as all became shoulder to shoulder while the mentors held four different cameras trying to obtain the perfect group shot.
But the first day on the faith deepening exploration was not simply about the amount of pictures that were taken, or who had ventured the farthest on the Cliffs of Moher. It was the beginning of an unbreakable bond between fellow pilgrims and mentors as all carried their tired bodies with ever strong enthusiasm and little sleep to perform and experience opportunities that simply can not be experienced alone. This day was the beginning of the enlightening of our spiritual lives together, through faith under the direction of Father Bob and the wonderful mentors, patient enough to listen to our collective giggles in the early hours of the morning.
~Lily Burroughs