We are on the home stretch of our walk! I have loved having my daughter Sarah walking with me these last 10 days!
The body is truly showing the wear & tear of miles upon miles of walking and pounding. Other pilgrims are in the same boat and many have had to stop to rest or go home. When I fell the other day and bent my knee back, for a moment I was devastated. I’m so thankful I will be able to continue. Then yesterday I got stung or bit by something on the rear! Very humbling to have to go and ask the Pharmacist how to treat it! ? Bottom line… I’m not giving up!
The “Way” has changed drastically since Sarria. This city is where many “tourist Pilgrims” hop on the path. One has to walk 100kilometers to achieve a Compestella or certificate of achievement. These folks are easier to recognize, they walk faster, in big groups, wearing new shoes, and they smell better than the 500k Pilgrims. It is hard not to be judgmental and want to have preferential treatment for being a “real pilgrim”. A beautiful lesson about this whole journey is to be accepting, gracious, and loving towards every person walking “The Way”. Every age, walk of life, nationality, language and gender is represented and we are all in this together!
As I look back over the last 37 days of being on Pilgrimage, I can say with a grateful heart, this has been a life changing experience! My Camino coach says it took him a month to process all he needed to! We have 3 days left of walking and I want to treasure every moment! I am anticipating walking into Santiago on Sunday morning after a short 10k walk! I have heard from our friends who are already there, that they have experienced overwhelming pride and joy, and others have said it was not what they expected! I’m not sure what I will feel but gratitude will be at the top of my list! Gratitude for a family, friends and colleagues whom have supported, encouraged and made possible this journey! I have relied on others to help me succeed! Grateful to Jill (my Camino buddy) who put up with me and all our differences!
Thanks to all of you! You’re a blessing to me!
Sue