"I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life."
- Henry David Thoreau
Today on the Camino, I traveled from Porto Marin to Melide. I walked 39.3 km, 24.4 miles, and 54,888 steps. The weather was brutal today in Galicia, with lots of rain, cold temperatures, wind, and slippery/muddy terrain. I'm now understanding why this part of Spain is so green. The mountain ranges I'm hiking through are really the first barriers to storms that have been building for some 5,000 km across the Atlantic. With less than 100 km remaining when I started out this morning, I literally felt like the Camino threw everything at me today to hamper my progress. I was slipping and sliding all over the place, and I fell to the ground on two occasions. It felt good to finally reach my hostal late this afternoon. I splurged tonight and spent 25 euros to get my own room in Melide. The little inn is right off the Camino Trail, and near the downtown area of this little city. I plan on getting an early start tomorrow, especially since the forecast is calling for steady rain in this region of Spain over the next several days.
Yesterday, I cast my second stone into the river on the Camino, and I have one left to get rid of. My second stone represented the "self-doubt" baggage that I've carried around for way too long in my life. The idea that I'm not good enough, worthy enough, smart enough, etc... has plagued me for quite some time. I went through a lot of my failures and short-comings in life, and came to the conclusion that these thoughts/perceptions have been like an anchor, just weighing me down. I let go of it all...determined to move beyond these kinds of self-limiting beliefs.
Finally, one of the most liberating things about being on this journey for me has been the absence of "stuff" in my life. There is a Pilgrim Camino saying that goes like this..."The road is my job, the bag is my home, and the Pilgrims are my family." The backpack that I carry out here everyday really is my home. It contains everything that I need to survive out here on the Camino. It is easy to keep track of and take care of. Part of what I struggle with in the states is how messed up the work/life balance is in our society, and how there is such a focus on consumerism (stuff), materialism (big stuff), and labor (working to buy stuff). What I've observed out here on the Camino (and a number of Europeans have brought it to my attention as well) is that most of the Americans on the trail are either college students on some type of school sponsored trip, or retirees who don't have to rush through the Camino experience. There aren't a whole lot of Americans in their 30's, 40's, and 50's out on the trail because we have one of the worst vacation/leave policies in the world, and many Americans are too busy working so they can buy more "stuff." I have lived with lots of stuff like a nice home, 2 family cars, toys in the basement and garage, and I have lived with no stuff. When I was 10 years old, my families home burned to the ground, and we essentially lost everything that we owned (all our stuff). It was a scary day, but our family survived, and it didn't take us long to get a new house, and a lot of donated and brand new stuff. I ultimately believe that stuff will come and go in and out of our lives, but our families and friends are the only stuff that matters.
Problems with posting pics again. Hopefully, I can get some up tomorrow.
Lights out.
- Henry David Thoreau
Today on the Camino, I traveled from Porto Marin to Melide. I walked 39.3 km, 24.4 miles, and 54,888 steps. The weather was brutal today in Galicia, with lots of rain, cold temperatures, wind, and slippery/muddy terrain. I'm now understanding why this part of Spain is so green. The mountain ranges I'm hiking through are really the first barriers to storms that have been building for some 5,000 km across the Atlantic. With less than 100 km remaining when I started out this morning, I literally felt like the Camino threw everything at me today to hamper my progress. I was slipping and sliding all over the place, and I fell to the ground on two occasions. It felt good to finally reach my hostal late this afternoon. I splurged tonight and spent 25 euros to get my own room in Melide. The little inn is right off the Camino Trail, and near the downtown area of this little city. I plan on getting an early start tomorrow, especially since the forecast is calling for steady rain in this region of Spain over the next several days.
Yesterday, I cast my second stone into the river on the Camino, and I have one left to get rid of. My second stone represented the "self-doubt" baggage that I've carried around for way too long in my life. The idea that I'm not good enough, worthy enough, smart enough, etc... has plagued me for quite some time. I went through a lot of my failures and short-comings in life, and came to the conclusion that these thoughts/perceptions have been like an anchor, just weighing me down. I let go of it all...determined to move beyond these kinds of self-limiting beliefs.
Finally, one of the most liberating things about being on this journey for me has been the absence of "stuff" in my life. There is a Pilgrim Camino saying that goes like this..."The road is my job, the bag is my home, and the Pilgrims are my family." The backpack that I carry out here everyday really is my home. It contains everything that I need to survive out here on the Camino. It is easy to keep track of and take care of. Part of what I struggle with in the states is how messed up the work/life balance is in our society, and how there is such a focus on consumerism (stuff), materialism (big stuff), and labor (working to buy stuff). What I've observed out here on the Camino (and a number of Europeans have brought it to my attention as well) is that most of the Americans on the trail are either college students on some type of school sponsored trip, or retirees who don't have to rush through the Camino experience. There aren't a whole lot of Americans in their 30's, 40's, and 50's out on the trail because we have one of the worst vacation/leave policies in the world, and many Americans are too busy working so they can buy more "stuff." I have lived with lots of stuff like a nice home, 2 family cars, toys in the basement and garage, and I have lived with no stuff. When I was 10 years old, my families home burned to the ground, and we essentially lost everything that we owned (all our stuff). It was a scary day, but our family survived, and it didn't take us long to get a new house, and a lot of donated and brand new stuff. I ultimately believe that stuff will come and go in and out of our lives, but our families and friends are the only stuff that matters.
Problems with posting pics again. Hopefully, I can get some up tomorrow.
Lights out.
I wanted to live deep
and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartanlike
as to put to rout all that was not life.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_david_thoreau_4.html
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_david_thoreau_4.html
I wanted to live deep
and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartanlike
as to put to rout all that was not life.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_david_thoreau_4.html
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_david_thoreau_4.html
I wanted to live deep
and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartanlike
as to put to rout all that was not life.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_david_thoreau_4.html
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_david_thoreau_4.html
I wanted to live deep
and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartanlike
as to put to rout all that was not life.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_david_thoreau_4.html
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_david_thoreau_4.html
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