“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” ~ Mary Oliver
Today was absolutely amazing. The body feels good. The views were stunning. The animals were friendly and my head is very clear after yesterday’s deep dive. I was so full of gratitude for everything and everyone. The coffee tasted amazing, the smell of the ocean and the waves crashing on the rocks were mesmerizing, and the sunshine on my face felt divine. I was humming.
We started about 7am and took off for the coastal route. The coastline was rugged and difficult to climb in sections but the views made it totally worth it. We exerted a ton of energy for not making it very far down the road.
Bonus points, we walked through a field of cattle with no fence so I got to say “hello,” up close and personal. Not sure the cows were as thrilled about this as I was.
While I was walking, I thought about how truly lucky I am to be at this point in my life. I’m at ground zero. The only way is up, baby! I frequently blow up my life to start over. I love the challenge and the uncertainty. I thrive in the uncomfortable. For someone who has trouble letting go (which is really only in my head and heart) I move around a fair amount, I have changed jobs many times, I’ve bought and sold cars and my house. I’m sure to the general observer it seems like I can’t stick to anything but it’s quite the opposite. I became a hospice volunteer at 26 for about 5-6 years while I worked for the Kansas City Royals and Sprint Center (now T-Mobile Center). Those lovely folks taught me a lot about living while they were dying. They were wonderful and I hope I was just as much a blessing to them as they were to me. We had real conversations about the meat and potatoes of what life is all about. They shared all the secrets they had learned. What a gift they gave me. I’m not sure I repaid them during our short time together. They encouraged me to be curious and try new things. To never settle and follow the things that would “light me up”. And to never stay too long in a place if I got too comfortable and outgrew it…be it relationships, jobs, cities, etc. Sage advice for a wanderer like me. So that’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve been exploring and trying to figure out what works best for me…and probably more important, what doesn’t. So today I was thinking about how this point is the most exciting time for me in the cycle of my exploration. A clean sheet of paper to write my next chapter. A blank canvas to paint a new picture. It’s all so exciting to me. I have no idea who I’m going to date next, what project I’m going to work on or what city I’m going to live in, etc. It all felt very refreshing. I’m very happy doing what I’m doing now, but I’m also excited and curious to see the next chapter unfold. I also realize this life is not for everyone. My best friend, Squint, of 21 years would absolutely hate my life. Her idea of “outdoorsy” is drinking cocktails in a comfy chair in a screened-in patio. She hates bugs and sleeping in bunkbeds. We’ve even joked about it. She always says, “you’d find my life so boring.” And I probably would…but it’s not my life. And I’m sure my life would fill her with anxiety. She has an awesome life that is perfect for her. It’s very stable compared to mine. She is married and a mom to the cutest little 4 year old girl and is a big time executive with a Dominos Franchisee. She loves routine and is a nester. My favorite thing about our friendship is, I could show up at her house in a swimsuit and she’d have clothes and shoes for me to wear. All the hair products I could ever need. She’d prepare an amazing meal, with wine to sip as I watched her cook. AND there are Kleenex boxes in every room so you never have to look for a tissue. I mean she has it all together. And she never once criticizes my choice to be a nomad and minimalist. What the hospice folks taught me was, it is all about living a life that is authentic to our truest selves.
Anyhoo, back to the hike. It was a really nice stretch of scenery today. At one point I came around a corner on a gravel path and saw this amazing beach view. I even said “Wow” out loud. When I worked for the Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets, HR used to have a “surprise and delight” cart they’d bring around on Fridays with snacks, team swag and fun stuff for the staff. This was definitely a surprise and delight treat from Mother Earth.
Later in the day, I saw guy, Gonzalo, who was picking avocados in his backyard. So I asked if I could watch and video him. We had a lovely conversation about the tree – it is over 25 years old. He mentioned California and how they grow them in the US. He even knew where Kansas was on the map and could name the states around it. I was impressed. Then he gave me one of the avocados – he chose what he considered the best in the bag. It weighs as much as the clothes I sent home. He said it wouldn’t be ready to eat for 10-15 days. I joked that I would probably be in Santiago by then. He laughed. So now I’m back to the original weight in my backpack because I’m hauling around a damn avocado the size of the Spain. The bartender in the café next to his house made a joke that the police will come and arrest me because they will think I stole it because these are worth so much. Then he made us the biggest bocadillo (sandwich) I’ve ever seen. I had to wrap half of it up for later and carry it in my bag. The pounds in the pack keep adding up.
Tonight, Dora, Stephen, two other pilgrims, Pablo (29 from Spain), Gideon (24 from Israel) and I had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Don’t ask. It was Gideon’s first time EVER eating Mexican food. First, I had him order a Negra Modelo to set the tone. Then Pablo ordered for the table. The meal was delicious. We split chips and guacamole, tacos and cheese enchiladas. It was a great group and we spent the entire dinner laughing and discussing our lives and cultures. Man, I love the Camino. I’m including a photo even though Stephen cut off my face. Typical. First he gets my name wrong and now my face is cut off. I’m slowly disappearing. Ha!
Music can be a big motivator on the Camino. You sometimes need it to get motivated in the morning, push you up over a hill or keep going when you want to quit.
My first Camino, the theme song was Rise Up by Andra Day. I was about 15 days into the hike and felt like I was never going to make it to Santiago. It was really hot (about 100° F) that day, sun beating down, no shade, out of water and about 3km (1.86 miles) to the next town. I wanted to give up and this song came on my phone. It was a game changer and ultimately became the song I played every morning.
On my second Camino, my hiking buddy Luca and I were each working through some childhood stuff and Turn The Page organically became the theme song. We played it at Cruz de Ferro – where you leave a stone from home. Most pilgrims reach it about 25 days into the hike on the Frances Camino. He liked the Metallica version while I was more in favor of Bob Seger but lyrics are the same. It was definitely time to Turn The Page.
So far this Camino doesn’t have a song yet for me but Stephen plays the same three songs at least once a day, without headphones for all of us to hear (whether we want to or not) and I just have to laugh. He’s a 62 year old Australian man who loves Dolly, Tina and Cher. I mean who is this dude?
– Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers.
– Simply the Best by Tina Turner. He swears she wrote this song about him.
– If I Could Turn Back Time by Cher
Funny moment: First off, you never know what you’re actually ordering because every place serves food a little differently but the language barrier, even with Google translate, can make for an interesting meal. At breakfast Stephen ordered what he thought was toast with fresh slices of tomato and olive oil. Instead it was tomato paste. In true Champ form he ate it with no complaints.
I hugged a tree. I’m a tree hugger.
I saw a baby lamb. First one on my Camino.
There are two Frenchmen over 60 in my room tonight who have been walking for 58 days. They started in their hometown of Paimpol, France. Look it up. It ain’t an afternoon stroll.
Quote of the day: While at the Mexican restaurant (don’t ask) Pablo says, “oh they have margaritas!” Gideon replies, “pizza?” And he’s not even Italian.
2nd Quote of the day: Gideon has a tattoo of a compass on his back. He continues to get lost and forget the places he has been…like restaurants. Dora said, “your compass doesn’t work very well.” She is so snarky…I love it.
Hope you all had a good day too.
La Franc – Llanes – 22.2km
Goodnight and much love from Spain.
