Tag Archives: bonding

Playing Along the Camino Way

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Lazy Days

Lazy Days

Just Playing Around

June 28, 2014

We are in Spain and what are we doing today. Well, after having walked about 9 miles (and that is 9 miles in the rain, up hills and down hills and all around about) in the rain, we came to our destination and parked ourselves. Did our laundry using the machines. We wanted to make sure to get our poo clothes clean and have them dry. Hang drying was just not an option due to the chance of more rain.

We also have hung our other clothes on the end of the bed to dry out. Our walking sandals are drying out. We have no place to go. No need to go out and visit this nice town, Arzua, and so we have parked our bodies on the soft couch. Our feet and legs will not let us move even if we had the desire to do so.

And here we sit. Or lay. Doing nothing. Well…we did watch “Finding Nemo” in Spanish. And we are watching ” Footloose” the hot Kevin Bacon 80’s version ( Abby is laughing at his teenage angst). And we are enjoying using our tech devices. We are lounging on top of each other. We are being productive. We are bonding. Which is what we have been doing this entire month. Yes…we have been out on the road, living out of our backpack a whole month now. WOW…30 days of being together, 24/7. That is something. When we are home, Abby and I don’t see each other this much.

So for some fun stories:

*We just discovered that I lost 1 pair of Abby’s underwear a couple of days ago when I forgot to take all her clothes off the line.

*Abby’s favorite purple pants ripped right down the inside of her leg as she was walking yesterday. This meant that she had to do a wardrobe change on the trail. And I sewed them up later that night by hand.

*We ate octopus. A Galician specialty in Melide. The octopus sits in a hot steamy bath, is taken out, cut up with scissors and fried in hot oil with garlic and seasonings. Tasted pretty good. You have to eat it hot or when allowed to cool down, the texture is like cheese curds on your teeth. And yes…of course you have to play with the tentacles.

And to top off the funny stories:

* I was taking a shower two days ago in an Albergue where the shower door had a three inch gap. Well, unbeknownst to me, the bathroom door didn’t latch all the way and the wind blew it open. An older French man (what is up with me and the French?) was standing in the doorway, admiring either my jelly belly or my tatas. He closed the door when I noticed him. Ahhhh!
For the rest of the day and into the evening he kept smiling at me. He even moved over on the bench outside for me to sit by him so the birds wouldn’t poop on my head as they were going to do if I sat on the other benches. Wasn’t that thoughtful?

All great stories to tell for years to come. Special meaning for Abby and I as we have lived this pilgrimage together. These are the stories that come with living the experience.

Do I Really Need a Reason to Justify Doing the Camino?

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Bonding as we journey

Bonding as we journey

And Your Point Is?

June 11, 2014

I was asked why I’m doing the Camino de Santiago. Was this for a religious reason?
I have many reasons and not just one will suffice.

I like to explore. It can be at home in my own backyard, but I enjoy venturing out and partaking in life. Everyday is an adventure. Going on a pilgrimage, such as this is for me an epic adventure. It is fun. Exciting. Scary. This is outside of my comfort zone. I need to rely on others to help me along the way. This is a humbling experience because usually I am the one who is steering the boat, so to speak.

I believe that I should instill in my children a thirst for attaining knowledge. Traveling broadens their horizons. Going on a pilgrimage with my 19, soon to be 20 year old daughter is a bonding experience. I’m showing her that it is a good thing to challenge oneself and go interact with others in the world. What a great experience to do this together. I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know everything, but I’m willing to ask for help. I believe that by showing my daughter that we can go venture into the unknown, we are empowering ourselves with fortitude, strength and humility. When I’m old, we will look at pictures together of this adventure and tell lots of stories to the next generation. What a great opportunity to do this together when we can, before life becomes more complicated.

We both had a cancer scare. It smacked us up side our heads by surprise. A very eye wakening experience for the two of us. Life can end at any time in any place. Why put off until tomorrow what can be done today. And with this thought in mind, the seed was planted to go and live life now, not wait for some day. We should take glory in the present and rejoice in the life that God has created for us.

What do I hope to gain from this pilgrimage? So many thoughts to that question.

A feeling of freedom. A belief in myself for being able to endure all things, even be able to overcome difficult situations that I don’t haven control over, but that I will have the fortitude to move forward and persevere. That my daughter will witness this and see how we can overcome problems together and not just by ourselves.
We will have a sense of accomplishment. When the going got tough, we kept on going and that it was/is ok to acknowledge that situations do not always go as planned. Change the course and make your own path. Create your own journey.

When we are born, we don’t have a playbook/guidebook/travel guide to follow. We are dependent upon others to mentor us along the way. We make mistakes. We learn from them. We gain more wisdom and knowledge as we grow older. Only through first- hand experience can we obtain these lessons.
This pilgrimage, is a reflection of life’s journey for me. We are on the road discovering sights and sounds that we can’t witness first-hand, sitting at home on the couch, reading about others adventures or watching the travelogue special.

Bottom-line, life is meant to be lived and enjoyed. The world is a beautiful place. The people who populate it are fascinating. By going outside our comfort zone, we are embracing the unknown and welcoming whatever we find on our path. The good, the bad and the ugly. And the best part, we are not alone, doing this by ourself. Just as we mature, we have others to lean on. All we have to do is humble ourselves, open our mouths and ask.

Just like from the beginning of birth, leaving our Heavenly Father’s presence and security of being with him, to come test ourself on Earth and to the end of life when we die to return Home to his presence once again, we are not alone. Guidebooks are full of suggestions, but it is up to each of us to decide how we are going to travel on our own journey. To own it. Buena Camino!