Impact of the Camino 2 months out

As my dear friend and mentor, Silvio, is about to embark on the full Camino Frances today, I am in a place of nostalgia and reflection, which of course leads me to want to write. And think about my wonderful trip.

Much has changed in the past two months. I have started my first full time job as a teacher and I love it. I am no longer half student, half teacher, I am the full blown thing, which can be incredibly unnerving. I also have had personal issues in my life that have had an immense impact on all other aspects of my life. I have been brought to my knees many days from a feeling of not knowing what to do. While I love my job, there are some mornings where I don't want to leave my bed just because the day seems too challenging, too insurmountable. The past two months, my kids have kept me at school and kept me coming back everyday.

But this morning, on my way to school, I began thinking about Silvio and the Camino. How there were mornings where I didn't want to get up. I wanted to give up and quit and just take a bus to Santiago. I didn't want to climb mountains or go down through valleys because every part of my body hurt and I had a 30 pound backpack to schlep along with me (my one regret was overpacking). But, much like now, I didn't really have a choice about getting out of bed. I had to get up and continue on my journey. And every day it was worth it. I met new people, saw new things, and had great conversations that left me fulfilled by the end of the long day. I learned over and over that the journey of the day made all of the pain and challenge worth it. I even had the trail marker tattooed on me to remind me of this lesson and yet in 2 months I have forgotten. But thanks to Silvio, I have been reminded again.

I know that for months to come, it will still be hard to get out of bed. I will have really really hard days and pretty good days. But now my goal is to remember that the joy is in the journey, not in the destination. At this point, I am not even really sure what my destination is, I just know that I am ready for what I am dealing with the be over. But the camino helped me learn that that is no way to live your life. The camino is always going to be with me, and for that, I am thankful.

Also, BUEN CAMINO, SILVIO!!!!

Camino by the numbers

The last few days have been filled with a lot of emotion. From the joy of finally arriving in Santiago, the pure exhaustion we both feel still, and being moved to tears at the beauty of the pilgrims' mass today at the cathedral, I've had about all I can handle of the emotions. So I am going to give you the most emotionless post possible by writing about our trip through the numbers. (Author's note- most numbers are a rough estimate. Sorry not sorry.)

300- number of kilometers from Leon to Santiago de Compostela. And we walked every. Damn. One. 

4- number of forms of transportation taken to make this trip possible (train, plane, taxi, walking).

127- approximate number of times I thought about throwing myself to the ground in the hopes of ending the walking part of the journey early. 

128- approximate number of times I told myself walking into Santiago would be much more rewarding than riding in. 

35- number of times people laughed when I told them I learned Spanish in Sevilla, almost always immediately followed by "siempre son de fiesta, los sevillanos." Duh, they're my people. 

13- days of walking. 

6- average number of hours we walked a day. 

2- number of ice creams I had a day... Ok that may be low balling it...

47- number of times I contemplated throwing my bag, shoes, hat, shell, and various other pieces of equipment off the side of a cliff. 

14- number of hostels/albergues/hotels we stayed in and that number will increase before our trip is over. 

1- daily average of times I audibly cursed the terrain/trail we were walking. 

32- number of times dad made me laugh a day. 

27- number of times dad made me roll my eyes a day. 

100- number of people we met and had significant conversations with while on the trail or in a hostel. 

1- the number of cafe con leche needed to function a day, sometimes bumped to two. 

Infinite- the amount of gratitude I have for this trip and for everyone who made it possible, whether through physical or moral support. And thanks to dad for putting up with/encouraging my shenanigans (particularly my drinking habit). This trip would not have been the same without you and I know we have made a lifetime of memories because of it. Love you, pops. 

ONE DAY MOREEEEE

 I hope you are singing Les Mis now, because I was all day today. 

Yesterday we made it to Melide, barely. It was an over 32 km day and by the end of it, I was concerned I would have to drag dad. But we made it to a really nice place to stay. And most importantly about Melide is that I FINALLY got churros con chocolate. I'm sure the lady at the counter was very confused why I did not take her suggestion to move to the patio instead of immediately inhaling them at the bar, but I got tunnel vision and all I could think about was getting them in my belly. 

Today was kind of rough for me because of a pretty bad pain in my foot. It got bad enough that I wanted to find a pilgrim clinic (those exist) but the only thing available at the time was the clinic for the general public and I got scared. So I decided to suck it up for the rest of the day and see how I feel tomorrow. Plus, most likely they would tell me to take a rest and there is no way in hell in doing that when I am one day out from Santiago. We stopped at this really sweet place for the night which is kind of a complex with a restaurant and wading pool, which my feet have loved. And we are washing allllllllll of our clothes praise God. 

Because dad and I have been in alternating days of pain, there hasn't been a lot of time for talking, mostly thinking in solitude. Which has lead me to think a lot about what I have to take away from this experience. I am a firm believer that every experience in life has a purpose, something to talk with you through the rest of your life. I'm sure those of you reading are thinking "Shouldn't she have had a purpose in mind before she went on a pilgrimage 5,000 miles away where she walks 300 kilometers?" Probably, but I didn't really. I started truly planning this journey 9 months ago out of a sense of loss and pain. I needed something to look forward to in order to escape what I was feeling. And while things have improved significantly since that point, I still wanted to go and I still didn't know what I would learn from it. So here are a couple lessons that I think God has taught me specifically for this season of my life. 

Human resilience- I have been overwhelmed by the variety of resilience I have witnessed these two weeks. It varied from seeing people with their entire foot bandaged due to blisters who are continuing on regardless of the pain or the South African who had his entire farm seized by the government with no compensation whatsoever or the French man who fell on his face and had hundreds of stitches only to keep going. All of these stories and more have opened my eyes to just how much the human spirit can take and bounce back from. I think particularly as I go into my first year of teaching, this is something that I am going to need to carry with me. I love my job and my kids more than anything, but that doesn't mean it isn't hard. There are expectations set for myself and my kids by a higher power that sometimes seem impossible. And outside of school, my kids face daily challenges including poverty, tough neighborhoods, discrimination, and relatives being deported to name a few. It's easy to get bogged down in all of this and sometimes feel helpless and inadequate in more ways than one. But being here has opened my eyes to what people are capable of overcoming and has challenged me to keep this mentality in my own life as well as encourage my kids to have this kind of attitude. 

The vastness of the human experience- we have dragged our butts all over the north of Spain. Over mountains, through valleys, through flat farmland, and through every size city and hamlet you can imagine. We have met and had extensive conversations with at least 100 different people in 2 different languages, 3 if you count body language and gesturing. And while I like to consider myself a well travelled person, this walk has opened my eyes to so many different kinds of lifestyles and beliefs that I didn't even know existed anymore. All of that to say, I want my kids (both students and future children) to have their eyes opened through my journey and be inspired to take their own. I don't want my students to think the world revolves around Memphis or to not know what their heritage means because they are separated from it by miles and time. I want to give them a taste of the vastness I have seen and experienced and then say "Now go see it for yourself." And I know this will look different for everyone and that's okay. I only want to plant the seed, to have them just start to open their eyes to the beauty of what God has created around them. 

We have one more day left of walking. One more day until we officially get the piece of paper that says we are pilgrims. But I know my pilgrimage is not finished yet. Mine will continue into every job I have, every relationship I make, and every place I go. My pilgrimage will continue for the rest of my life with God whispering in my ear, "What can you learn from what I'm showing you? And more importantly, how can you share it?" Those are the questions I will always find myself searching for the answers to. 

Holaaaaaaaaa Galicia

After several days of very spotty at best wifi, I'm finally sitting at a bar in the middle of nowhere where T-Swift is playing and I have enough wifi to write. Just go ahead and reread that sentence and take in the absurdity of it all. 

On Friday, we got to Triacastelas, which was a cute little town that had one main road with a lot of bars and hostels. Oh but before that, we climbed ANOTHER mountain and we made it into Galicia, the final province crossing of our trip! It is a beautiful place with a really heavy Celtic influence. As well as a ton of farmland. So in Triacastelas, we had lunch and did lunch and such. Then a group of Spanish women that we had befriended invited me to come see the church with them. All of us fully intended to just go in, look around, and leave. We walked in at around 5:59 and come to find out, mass started at 6... We were kind of committed at this point. One of the women asked me if I had ever been to a mass before and I said no, so she just told me to follow her lead. I was very glad I ended it up there because I figured I should go to at least one mass on a religious pilgrimage. But it was really hard not to laugh at myself because while I was not the only non-Spanish person there, I was the most easily spotted for being almost 6 foot tall and constantly one step behind everyone else. But like I said, valuable cultural experience at least. 

On Saturday, we made it to Sarria, which is the minimum amount you can walk to Santiago in order to be considered a pilgrim. So a lot of people who have limited amounts of resources or time start here, which makes everything from here on more crowded, happily so. Instead of staying in Sarria, we decided to move on to the next pueblo, Bandarelo. Holy smokes, it was tiny but an oasis. There was a pool!!!! Dad and I were there for a very long time needless to say. It was such a funny mix of people there because it was a place for pilgrims, but also it appeared to be an event venue outside of town. So there were all these very well dressed spaniards there for a child's first communion celebration. Dad and I couldn't help but find it amusing. Wifi there was pretty bad and dad was frustrated/sad because he couldn't really communicate with Ginny or the boys and hadn't been able to for a few days. It was sad and sweet at the same time just to see how much he missed them. 

This morning we were some of the last ones to leaves our hostel (CLASSIC) and headed to the next big city. It's funny though because dad and I just walk fast naturally and so we usually end up meeting or passing friends that left significantly earlier than us. We stopped in Portomarin for a lunch break, which is where most people were planning on stopping for the day. But we decided to go a little farther to the next town. And by a little further I mean 7 km mostly uphill and in dorect sunlight... Probably not our best choice, but we are staying in a super sweet hostel, still in the middle of nowhere. 

We are hoping to be in Santiago by Wednesday so that we can take a day trip to the coast too. As of now, we are definitely on track for that. It all seems like it has gone by so fast, especially considering in the beginning we would be walking forever. We have gotten into a groove now and it makes the days go by really quickly. 

A few other various sundry notes- because we are in the heart of Galicia. Farm land, there are poop and flies every where. You can't get away from either, especially the flies. I stepped in horse poop on accident the other day and some Spanish women behind us yelled that it will bring me good luck and money. We shall see. And we have walked through several cow and sheep herdings. Also, any time someone asks me how I learned Spanish, I tell them I studied in Sevilla. Their immediate reaction every time is to laugh and say "Why would you go to Sevilla to learn Spanish?? They speak terrible Spanish there!" It's very amusing, but I also get slightly defensive of my beloved city. 

I'm still working on distilling everything I have learned from this trip, but I still have a few more days/months/years to think on it. 

Stupid mountains

I had a million things I wanted to say in this entry, but my nap has seemed to erased all of those thoughts. Oh well, I will try anyways. 

Yesterday, we decided that we needed to do about 30 km in order to keep on schedule. For those of you doing the math at home, yes, that is about 20 miles. So we started out from Molinaseca pretty early (still not as early as all of the other pilgrims) and made it through Ponferrada (a fairly large city) pretty quickly. We met up with our Barcelona family in a suburb outside of the city. We looked up and saw a young boy sprinting towards us and I immediately knew who it was. He is the only person I have seen running at any point this whole trip. We walked with them for a bit and dad thought he lost me for a second because i stopped to get some ice cream from a convenience store. Obviously if you know me, you are not surprised by this. We left the family in a tiny pueblo about 6 km from where we wanted to stop in Villafranca. At this point dad and I were feeling pretty good still, but the last 6 km were up and down hills, which was rough. When we got to Villafranca finally, it was down in a valley. Dad and I started to disagree about where to go because we both always know where we are going, but we finally made it to our hostel on the complete opposite side of town. To say I was tired of walking would be an understatement. The hostel was very nice and clean and we both immediately showered. I decided it was too late to nap because I wouldn't be able to sleep, so o went exploring because it was a very cute town. And I wanted churros con chocolate. The motivation was mostly the second reason. I passed three beautiful churches and a park with all these gorgeous flowers. I got to the churrería and it was closed!!!!! Heart breaking. So instead, I stopped at a cafe and had some dessert that I am still not quite sure what it was, but it was delicious. We explored a little more and then we had some tapas for dinner, including pulpo (octopus) for dad. Dad has gotten tired of the typical pilgrim meals, so he was happy to mix things up.  We both passed out early last night and pretty much slept through the night for the first time this trip. 

Today was our recovery day (LOL). We walked along the highway for a very long time through a ton of small towns. I was thankful for that because the alternative was straight up and straight down a mountain. However, we got to the last 2 km and those were winding up a hill. I was cursing the mountain the whole way, which probably wasn't very pilgrim-like, but I was so annoyed that the mountain wasn't ending soon enough (irrational, I know). We finally got to the top to this tiny tiny town and are staying in this super hippie albergue. I'm talking vegetarian menu, organic wine, and a porcelain hole that functions as a toilet and a shower. But the people who run it are very nice and it is clean, which is what matters. We wanted to go to the next town up, but we didn't have another 4 km of hills in us. 

I am starting to get used to the pilgrim lifestyle, much more so than I was at first. But I think the thing that has surprised me the most is how challenging switching from albergue to albergue everyday. It would be nice to be able to stay in one place more than one night, however that is not the way of the way. My body hurts, but I am still so thankful to be here. 

Oh and dad keeps talking about bringing the whole family to do this thing. LOL what do you think Kaitlyn??? 

It's all downhill

I woke up this morning in a really bad mood. You're probably thinking, "but Brianna, you are in a beautiful country seeing wonderful things and meeting wonderful people. How could that be??" Well, because of several screaming children outside our window as well as some very vocal farm animals, I did not get a lot of sleep. And for some reason I was feeling lonely, even though I am constantly surrounded by very out going people. So I walked a head of dad for a lot of the day (sorry, dad). 

However, one of the things that made me snap out of it was that we reached the highest point in the Camino today, la Cruz de Ferro. Here you are supposed to put a stone from your country at the base of a cross on a huge wooden pole. I didn't bring a stone from the states for practical reasons, so I found one this morning before we arrived. At first, I was looking for a big one so that people would know I had been there. But the thought occurred to me that I am only one small part of this much larger Camino experience. I am only one small part of the human experience. And more importantly, I need God to help me through it all. For the past 5 days, I have been trying to make it on my own. I've had dad depending on me to a certain extent for translating purposes and I've been carrying my own burdens too. But this morning, when I laid my small stone at the cross, I was reminded that that is what I have to do daily, if not hourly. 

After that, my mood significantly improved and we started to descend from the mountain. Now we are in this sweet little town that has a river that they have dammed into a kind of swimming pool. We swam and laid in the sun with the family from Barcelona for a while this afternoon before showering and naps. And now I am off the explore the town even more. 

The grit and grind days

A lot has happened in the past two days and they have been great, but in terms of the trail, they have been very challenging. It has started to get more hilly than before  and so everything takes longer than it did before. We've had to grind it out every time. It also probably wouldn't be so hard if I didn't have a ~30 pound pack on my back. Although a fellow pilgrim helped me adjust it today and it felt so much better. I have bruises on my collar bones from carrying it, but I like to think of them as cool battle wounds. 

Two nights ago, we stayed in this precious albergue and run by a husband and wife and we had a great time. There were only 4 of us staying there and dad made a new friend with a South African. They enjoyed themselves significantly and entertained the rest of us. 

Yesterday we hiked to the next biggest town called Astorga. It was beautiful old town with a lot to see. I would have like to stay longer, but we had to keep moving. We did stop and look around the palacio de Gaudì and the cathedral and it was so impressive and beautiful. We finally ended one town up that had a sweet bed and breakfast. The señora that wan it was so sweet and took care of everything. She woke up with us this morning and told me "I don't let a pilgrim leave my door without telling them buen Camino." So precious. After we got settled in and cleaned up, we went on a mini bar crawl with our South African friend and discovered that we could buy a bottle of wine at the bar for €3.50 😳 6 bottles of wine and a couple of new friends later, I found myself back in my nice bed and breakfast bed. 

This morning we woke up early (which was my idea before all the wine LOL) and we started our trek. It was roughhhhhhh today. We climbed an entire mountain. When you thought it couldn't get any higher, it did. We made friends on the trail today from all over the place. Now we are at the tip of the mountain at this super hippie hostel that has yoga and vegetarian meals. It's quirky but cute. And of course our two besties from Germany and South Africa are here too! One of the interesting things about the Camino is that even if you go faster or slower than other people, you tend to see the same people. Hopefully you like them!

I've also had several run ins with old Spanish men in the past couple days. The first happened in Astorga when I greeted a group of three old men who were strolling through town and one of them stopped me to tell me to be careful because an American girl on the Camino went missing in April in Astorga and she still hasn't been found. I told him don't worry, I have my dad to protect me hehe. Then at the bar last night, another one gave us recommendations for where to stay in our next few stops, as well as where to get good octopus for dad. I think they like talking to me because they are fascinated by the fact that I can speak Spanish. I also love them because they are so cute and sweet and friendly. 

Finally, tragedy has struck, my friends. My selfie stick broke today. Hopefully we can either fix it or find a replacement. Prayers would be appreciated. I love shamelessly selfie sticking all around Spain. 

The albergue lyfe

A part of the pilgrim experience is staying in hostels called albergues. These are specifically designed for pilgrims in that they are inexpensive and designed for community and conversation. That being said, these can often vary in quality and cleanliness. We have been fortunate enough to stay in very cute and clean places, although quirky in their own ways. For example, the one we stayed at last night had this large above-ground, concrete pool. They also had mattresses out on the patio that people could sleep on (we had a room thankfully). I woke up a couple of times and heard people playing games on their phones and/or snoring (looking at you dad 😝). 

Today we found the CUTEST albergue where the owners make a communal dinner for all the pilgrims and we are in the sweetest town. We also were handed clean sheets when we walked in to get a room THANK GOD. You never realize how much you appreciate those until you have to sleep on a bed that has already been made and it's unclear if the sheets have been washed.  While albergues might be quirky, I'm so thankful for the community that they have helped us build. 

Last night, we spent time with a family of 4 from Barcelona and they were great. 3 kids with their mom doing their fourth leg of the Camino. We walked with them this morning and sang a lot. The kids and I talked in Spanglish a lot, my favorite language, while the mom and my dad and a South African walked behind and talked. I love spending time with dad, but having other people to walk and talk with made time go a lot faster too. We stopped for lunch in a town that has a 13th century bridge that was gorgeous. We lost the family for the time being but the cool thing about the Camino is that you end up finding the same people day after day. 

I felt a lot better today mentally and physically. The cafe con leche I had at breakfast started me off chatty and then it just continued. We passed through so many beautiful towns and pueblos  and have had so much good food. I have missed Spanish food so much. I just feel so thankful to be here. 

All who wander are not lost... Unless you actually are lost.

Today we completed our first 22 km of the Camino and we are now in a little pueblo somewhere in the province of Castillo y Leon. Today we definitely were getting our pilgrim legs underneath us. We got lost probably within 15 minutes of starting our trip, but we figured it out quickly. We got out of Leon and into the country which was gorgeous. We stopped at a cafe and has some bocadillos, which dad loved. He's all about the cured meats. There were several adorable old Spanish men in the bar and I just love hearing them banter back and forth. We kept trekking and ran into some beautiful farm land on a dirt path and it was one of the most gorgeous days I've ever seen. Thankfully the wind was blowing enough to make it not obvious how hot it actually was today. 

At one point we thought we were in a different town than we were, so that took us a while to figure out. We eventually got to our final destination and it is great. Our hostel has a pool (wut) and everyone is super friendly. We actually got a ride to the grocery store from our hostel because the owner was at the bar in our hostel. She was hysterical and we got some delicious meat that is typical of Leon but I can't remember the name. Dad also ventured it on his own to save us a spot at dinner and had a total Spanglish moment. I can't wait to see the the restaurant owner later and hear what she has to say. 

There are quite a few characters on the Camino, including one who is loudly talking about how his gay friends make passes at him all the time. 

This has been hard so far, however I can already tell it will be well worth it. I watched Wild on the plane over here for inspiration and every time my backpack started hurting me, I would tell myself if Reese Witherspoon can carry her backpack, I can carry mine. We will see how long that mentality lasts. 

3 countries and 24 hours later

We made it!!!! Not gonna lie, the trip got off to a bit of a bumpy start. We got so delayed on our first flight that we missed our direct flight to Madrid. Sooooooo we got rerouted through Paris then to Madrid. We also had a super tight connection both times, so on multiple occasions we were pretty sweaty (especially since the Paris airport was crazy massive and didn't appear to have functioning A/C lawlz). As I write this, we are sitting on a train headed to Leon, where we will begin our journey tomorrow. 

A few observations- if you have never flown on AirFrance, I highly recommend it. A lot of food and booze 😍. They know what's up. 

Old Spanish men are so adorable and all Spanish women are gorgeous. I had forgotten that since my last trip here, but quickly remembered when I wanted to hug every old man I saw and stand as far away from the women. 

Translating while traveling is STRESSFUL. Sorry dad, you're a trooper for just following my lead because half the time I just get the information we need and then book it to our next place. My badddddd.

I can't believe we are finally starting our journey tomorrow! This has been a dream for so long and I cannot wait to see what adventures await us when we're on the way!

Brianna and Brad on The Way

Today is the day! For those of you who don't know, dad and I are about to embark on a three week journey taking us throughout the north of Spain. We will be walking part of what is called El Camino de Santiago. We are starting our trip in Leon and will be walking until we make it to the end of the Camino in Santiago de Compostela. 

This is a pilgrimage that is thousands of years old and people do it for a whole host of reasons. At this point, I'm not quite sure if I have any bigger reasons for going, other than an adventure with my dad. I will be updating this blog with our progress and ridiculous stories, as I am sure there will be many between the two of us. Stay tuned!!!