My shadow casts long, tall and thin in the morning, sun at my back. Silence is interrupted by singing birds and the occasional calls of the cuckoos. In the distance the hum of a tractor plowing the fields. The road rises to meet my feet, my gaze always westward.
The Camino represents all of life's terrains; one must keep one's head where one's feet are yet still look at the path ahead. Moments of pause are opportunities for reflection-to look back at where one has come from. Existence is only now.
Everything I need to survive is in my rucksack. The clothes on my body protect me from the elements, my walking sticks give me the support I need to make it through the day. I am luxuriating in unadulterated selfishness. I am obligated to no one but myself; the freedom is exhilarating.
It has taken sixteen days to arrive in this state of peace. Yet my solitude is not a state of aloneness, but is in fact quite the opposite. The love and support I have received from friends, family, and colleagues have given me strength on the Camino. Two people I must thank above all; they are my walking sticks. First, my boss. Upon hearing of my desire to do the Camino he said, "You must do it!" and granted me the time off. Second, my therapist. A brilliant woman who has helped me understand that to Live I must take Risks.
I'm sitting in a bar in Villarmentero drinking cafe con leche (coffee with milk), listening to the most amazing acoustic music, chillaxing on the way to Santiago. I don't think I've ever been this zen in all my life. Who'd have thunk I'd find contentment in a ramshackle bar, in a no-where town in Spain, where Che Guevara and marijuana legalization meet peregrinos with open arms. Ya, okay, it makes sense I'd find it here but in truth I think I found it on The Way and this is just the manifestation of my current reality in this moment.
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Carrion is a nice town. I managed to buy a converter and a pair of pants ;-)! Woot!
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