The bags are ready to go. I mean, sure we will repack them again but we have checked the weight for walking as well as traveling on the airplane and all is manageable.

I keep checking the weather and I think things will have cooled slightly for our time along the Way. And whatever comes we will enjoy…

I have been following Camino forums and listening to the stories of fellow pilgrims especially those who are currently on the Way right now. It seems that because of Covid and vacation season in Europe the Way is busy and people are having difficulty finding places to sleep. There aren’t as many pilgrims on the Way as in non-Covid years but because some albergues have closed permanently and others are closed temporarily and others are at limited capacity has made navigating the Camino slightly more challenging. It just means approaching the Camino differently.

As we dat in the garden this morning having our cup of coffee and talking about our last preparations and are initial days I got emotional. It won’t be the last time the tears well up. So excited to share this journey with you all.

We planned to hike today and at the last minute asked Noël’s brother and sister-in-law to come along. They agreed and even introduced us to a route they use (a little longer because we wanted to get in 20-25kms). They made the hike fun and interesting. Patrick (Noël’s brother) walks fast and at one point I thought we had signed up for trail running.

Today marks 32 days until we start our Camino. We have been training throughout the year; adding kilometers each week, going for one to two long hikes a week and adding our packs into the mix. We are so excited.

The weather was well, interesting. Cloudy, windy, rainy, sunny. Every time you thought you could take off your rain jacket, you needed to put it back on. It got to be funny. I started singing every rain song I could think of: “here comes the rain” “it’s raining again” “rainy days and sundays…” “raindrops keep falling on my head” “singing in the rain” with that one we all started dancing. It was fun!! Then Sabine (sister-in-law) started singing some Dutch rain songs.

And then the sun came out and all the sun and sunshine songs started including “blue skies”. It was a really beautiful day.

One of my observations is that the changes in weather: sunny, windy, rainy, sunny, rainy, windy etc. reminded me of life. Some days everything is going right and the sky is the limit. Other days the rain and hard wind challenge us and make us want to hunker down and hide. That’s my observation. My question is what is your approach to these sorts of day? Including beautiful, difficult, dreary and/or challenging? Ours was to embrace the moment and enjoy the experience.

I am excited about sharing our journey as well as our observations and questions. Please interact with us. And share with us. We are interested in your journey too.

Every journey begins with a first step … ours begins in a month. Watch for updates starting 6 August. Buen Camino!

What an amazing, fun day. It’s started off stormy and there were lots of puddles (read obstacles) along the way, and the climb up to Alto de Perdon as well as the climb down Alto de Perdon was difficult the day was great!

But truth be told there was a point going up the “hill” I was feeling defeated. I thought it would be so nice to say I’ve done this twice before and just quit and see other things in Spain. But I felt this incredible sense of courage. It wasn’t completely my own courage but rather the courage that comes from others cheering you on; the courage that comes from past experiences of challenge and difficulty; the courage that comes from overcoming; the courage that come from perseverance; it’s the courage we do have within ourselves that is en-courage-d by friends,loved ones, and family.

I had a note from a friend that reminded me of this kind of courage.

“Thank you for sharing your journey with us, Debbie. Sometimes as I read your posts, I think, “I could never be that brave”. Then I realize that perhaps I AM that brave, just in different ways. So reading your posts has become a sort of self-discovery for me 😊. Take care, be careful and stay brave!”

I hope that you find the courage within yourself. And that you stay brave!!

Buen Camino!!