I know I’ve mentioned this in previous posts, but I have a thing for bridges. They have a transitional metaphoric meaning to me. Like those seasons in life where you feel like you are “in between”. In between jobs, in between loves and in between outcomes that you can’t control. Many times those seasons are bridges from what was to what could be and while that reads well, those seasons are difficult. They require faith in your map and faith in yourself to believe that the course you’ve taken leading into what could be, will in fact be, better.
Those “bridges” take many forms. Some are more structurally sound than others, some are higher, some are lower, some bend, some are impacted by the elements and some actually lift for ships, but they all ultimately connect to the other side. That encourages me…always has. So, when I travel I always visit bridges and in Northern Ireland the most famous bridge being the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. Which I visited via the amazing GoT tour!
And true to its name, it’s a rope bridge spanning 20 meters (66 ft) and is 30 meters (98 ft) above the gulch below and connects the mainland to a little island called Carrickarede. It’s believed that the original bridge was built by salmon fishermen that wanted access to the island for their trade. Prior to 1970 this bridge was made of rope with only one “hand rail” and missing slats. My heart raced as I crossed the reinforced wire version of today’s bridge, so I can’t imagine doing an older version.
It was windy when I crossed so the bridge bounced and wiggled with each step. I’m not one to be afraid of heights but I couldn’t look down. I kept my eyes laser focused on the other side with a firm grip on the “rails”. The beauty of this kind of crossing is the sense of conquest through fear that reminds you that “you can”!
Tips: There is a small fee to cross the bridge. You’ll have to walk about 2kms to get to the bridge itself but it’s a gorgeous walk. Be aware that this is a popular spot with a half a million walkers a year so plan accordingly. Oh…and understand, you will cross this bridge twice! It’s the only means on and off the little island once you get there. Yes, you can!