Day 84

Look at those days ticking by so quickly. The big trip just keeps getting closer. I feel like I'm still on schedule. Right where I should be. Although to be honest, I could work a little harder. Prepare a little more. Be a little more diligent in my efforts. But this is a journey of no judgments and no fear. What will be, will be. In the end I will have become a different person. A better person. I will have learned a lot and experienced even more. It will change me forever. I look forward to that.

Today I went back to the beginning and started marking the 1st of each month with the day number, from 1 to 366, so I can keep better track of where I am in the big picture. I have also begun checking into flights and trains and the other details needed to get to the start of the Camino and then home after it's over. It looks like the best plan is to fly round-trip to Madrid then take a train to St. Jean Pied-du-Port, then back to Madrid by train from Santiago de Campostela. That news brought tears to my eyes. I've always wanted to see Madrid, so I couldn't be more excited. My walk will also take me through some other major cities such as Pamplona, Burgos and Leon and through some stunning countrysides. Beautiful art and architecture feed my soul like nothing else and I'm excited to find the same connection with nature.

I found a comprehensive website which will help me immensely. Even if it doesn't answer all of my questions, it will at least give me an idea about what questions to ask. If you're interested in learning more about what this is all about, it's at Camino de Santiago - The pilgrimage routes. The website shows you the different routes available. I plan to take the main route - the Camino Frances - although that may change if I decide to avoid the major climb through the Pyrenees on my very first day. There are some amazing pictures and a suggested 31-day timeline. I don't intend to push myself hard enough to complete this in 31 days. I have set a target of 60 days with some of those days being "days off" to explore and sightsee. Oh and maybe to rest. Maybe.

For now, I'm still trudging along at 5 miles a day. Soon I plan to take a day and do 10 miles. After that, I'll need to start doing some mountainous hiking trails and adding weight in a backpack.

"No matter how dark the dark, it can never extinguish the light of even the tiniest candle." ~A message given to me during meditation