Finding my Way

It is September 8th already. Ten more days until I fly to Paris and on to St. Jean Pied-de-Port in southern France, where the Camino Frances starts its 800km route to Santiago. In the last ten days, I've packed up my whole world and moved it to Regina, Saskatchewan, my hometown that I haven't lived in for 10 years. That is a lot of 8's and 10's. If anyone knows anything about numerology, please tell me that I'm in for the trip of a lifetime, okay? Not that I'm doubting it, but I guess I've got pre-800km-trek jitters. Will I make it over the Pyrenees? Will I have enough moleskin and foot ointment to survive 5 weeks of continuous walking? Will I convert to Catholicism during such an epic pilgrimage of seeking out the bones of Saint James? (Kidding on the last one, but the first two are legitimate concerns!)

How thoughtful!

I've been reading a few books by other trekkers, and the sheer physical struggle is usually glossed over with tales of new friends, beautiful vistas and free pilgrimage wine fountains (no joke!). I've also been told that many people lose a lot of weight on this trip. I guess walking 20 to 30km a day for 5 weeks can do that to a person. I have to admit, that is a welcome side-effect after the comfortable life I've been living (and by comfortable, I mostly mean lazy). And I have heard tales of blistered and throbbing feet, hurt tendons and aggravated injuries from the sheer amount of walking. Am I really up for this physically? Oh, and that's not even mentioning that at my last garage sale I tripped down the stairs and sprained my ankle. The timing couldn't have been worse, but all said, it was a fairly gentle reminder that anything can happen at any time and I need to be more careful. It makes me a little nervous to start such a long walking trip right now, before it has fully healed. Do I have the stamina to do this journey? And where might I get it, if I find along the way that I'm lacking?

I guess that is the challenge. And I know I'm up for it! Right now, I am in full planning mode. I'm buying the last of my "necessary" supplies, and next week I will pack my bag and try it out. I'll go for a long walk with it and see how I fare. (Living right across the street from almost open prairie, I'll avoid the strange looks from passersby I would have gotten in downtown Victoria.) And I will test out the new walking poles I bought to see if they help support my poor ankle with all the weight bearing down.

My backpack won't be quite this full!

Physical ailments and nerves aside, I've never been more mentally prepared for anything in my life. I've been thinking about this trek for more than six months now, and I believe that I have everything I'll need to enjoy it. I'm focused on taking my time and making the journey my own. I've heard of people hiking it for exercise or for personal training, sprinting through it to prove they can walk it in less than a month, or worse, forcing themselves to fit it into a holiday time period--yikes! I don't think there would be anything worse than plowing through it just to say I'd done it. I really want to experience it at my own pace, not only for my ankle, but also for mi alma, my soul. This is meant to be a life-changing experience, and I don't want that change to be coming home crippled from too much unnecessary exertion. I want to come home with a new perspective on my life and on the world around me, with a healthy new appreciation for daily exercise. There are so many ways to experience a journey like this: the physical trek; the historical path; a spiritual journey; an artistic endeavor; a culinary exploration. As fellow blogger Nancy Frey says in her blogpost, The Way: A Love Letter to Spain and Galicia, "It’s not how you do the pilgrimage that’s important but how you carry it in your heart...Everyone must find their own Camino." There is no right way to walk this path, only your own way.

For my own journey, I want to put in the time and effort, and feel like I've accomplished a small miracle in my own life. The Camino began as a spiritual path more than 1000 years ago, and the reasons to walk it have changed over time. I'm not sure what to expect on the way, but I want my spirit, as well as my body and mind, to benefit from each step I take.
  

There are as many ways as Pilgrims.