T-Minus 7 Days
I’ve been studying John Brierly’s classic guidebooks on the Camino Frances (the most popular of all the Camino de Santiago routes) and the extension walks to Finisterre and Muxia. I’ve watched countless hundreds of hours of YouTube tutorials from those who have walked the Caminos many, many times: some practical lessons in packing, walking, hostels, etc.; others purely experiential. (You can find links to three of my favorites within the Links section.) I’ve bought trail runners with a wide toe box (never knew what that was until now), a 34 litre backpack, quick dry this and quick dry that, unprocessed New Zealand lamb’s wool (great for preventing blisters on your feet!), etc. I’ve learned so very much! Yet….
Bag is packed in the main compartment. Is every little thing necessary?
But…let me begin where this all started many months ago.
Being retired for six years and actually remaining busy in various areas of my life (home, family, spiritual community, travel, etc.), I was beginning to feel like something was missing…calling me, tapping me on my heart and asking me to be aware of what was brewing. A couple of months ago, I felt like a “cracked egg” (really, the best way I could describe how I felt). I was emotional, though not sad. I would tear up, but not from grief. The best I could describe it was that something deep inside was asking for my attention; it wanted to engage in a conversation of “What do I do next?”, “Where do I go next?”, “I’m turning 70 next year and I’m not done yet!”. (Yep, simple questions like that.)
And so, after sharing with my nextdoor neighbor about my desire to go “deep” with a meditation retreat or something similarly challenging, he asked if I had ever heard of the Camino de Santiago. Bingo! Something immediately resonated within. At first I thought he had planted the seed of something that would really fit the bill. But after over 6 months of researching and training, I realize now that he had simply watered the camino-seed that was already lying dormant within.
“As you enter into life, feeling the Divine Presence in everything, more and more you will hear a Song of Joy singing at the center of your being. You have only to be still and listen to this Song of Life, for it is always there.”
And so…as I prepare to continue training, ensuring that my legs, ankles and knees are and remain limber, Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hilary has appeared on the horizon and, with torrents of rain and wind, has forced me to bring my training to a standstill. My faith rests in months of training that have prepared me for whatever meteorological hiccups occur.
