Freedom & Friendship

I have been known to make a few life decisions rather impulsively; re-enlisting after winning a bet, buying a house, moving across the country a few times over, just small things like that.  But the night I bought my plane ticket to Europe, impulsiveness changed to rapid strategic and tactical planning.  I was now committed to undertaking this grand adventure, and, once the excitement plateaued, the reality of having virtually no backpacking experience and flying to a foreign country to walk 500 miles solo turned into fear and anxiety rather quickly.

The best way to combat fear is to face it, straight on, so I started by asking for help; a lot of help, from a lot of people.  Day by day, my anxiety and fear dissipated as I researched equipment, sought expertise and guidance from those who've done this sort of thing before, and invested a few dollars in high quality gear.  My brother, a true outdoorsman in his own right, always says, "There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear."  After a few lousy motorcycle adventures where I swear I was on the verge of hypothermia, I knew this was a true statement.  The last thing I want to be is a cold, wet, bloody, blistered mess thousands of miles from home in a foreign country.  REI, here I come.

It's a little bit funny and slightly annoying when I tell people that I am doing the Camino this spring because it's often followed up by, "Oh, have you seen Wild?"  I understand the connection people are trying to make but the timing is coincidental.  Ironically, "Wild" resides unread in my backpack as part of the weight that I'm using for training.   I'll probably read it when I get back, but I will point out, oddly enough, that no one at REI has asked me if I've seen it...

The past couple of weekends have been dedicated to training; testing my gear and hiking with a weighted pack.  Each weekend I've increased my mileage and weight and made note of how my body is feeling.  Sometimes doing things wrong is the best way to learn and my body is the best gauge for that.  The first weekend I went out, my load was unbalanced and my pack was too low on my back.  Though I only hiked eight miles, my body was screaming two days later.  The next weekend, I used my Camelbak instead of a water bottle to even my load, and thanks to a few of my military friends, I learned how to adjust my pack properly, and voila, no more soreness.  Fifteen miles last weekend and no issues, easy peasy.

There are two really great things that have come to pass during these past few weeks.  The first is the great sense of freedom that I am starting to feel in doing this on my own; this is completely my own adventure, sans relationship.  The second is the profound sense of comfort and love that I feel knowing that I am not alone in this; I have an entire of team of friends and loved ones who are cheering me on.  And I am taking each and every one of you with me on this journey; You are the reason that I am writing this blog.