My Threshold Pilgrimage - Part 2

The Burren hills and the Ballyvaughan valley

   The Burren, County Clare, Ireland...the first leg of my Threshold Pilgrimage this year.  As I mentioned in my last post, this is where I had to begin.  The Ballyvaughan valley on the edge of Galway Bay is, in many ways, my hearts home.

   Of course, there are a lot of lovely inns and B&B's here but I wanted to stay in "John's house".   After all, it was a passage of his that got the idea of a threshold pilgrimage fermenting in my mind in the first place.  It seem only right I would start here.

    Although inquiries amongst friends and family turned up empty, I trusted that if  Ballyvaughan is where I needed to be then something would turn up...and it did, in the most unusual way.

   I attended an art show opening with a friend.  She wandered off as I chatted with acquaintances.  When I went to find her to leave, she was talking with a man who had come to the show on a whim.  He wasn't from the area but was staying the weekend and saw an announcement for the show.  My friend introduced us and before long we were talking about Ireland and my trip next year.  Long story short, he and his wife said they would share the house in Ballyvaughan if we could find one more couple.  What luck, some would say.  But I knew better.  I was meant to return to John's house and synchronicity was at work.

Corcomroe Abbey and Galway Bay

   A week later, the other couple appeared.  Friends, who had initially said they couldn't go, called to say that they had come into a bit of unexpected money and they were in!  Luck again?  No, I don't think so.  Both couples had never been to Ireland before and wanted very much to go.  Their desire simply linked with mine and the first leg of my journey was set.  I would be staying again in "John's house" and, again, I was receiving what I needed when I needed it!

   In my next post I will talk about how, as I planned out the rest of my trip, synchronicity continued to play a part.  The trip seemed to take on a life of its own and I was, quite frankly, happy to let it have its way.