Can You Ever Be Prepared Enough?

The closer the day of departure draws near, the more nervous I become.  Yes, I carefully bought and collected my gear.  I have a To Do list so nothing important goes undone.  And I've trained physically to the best of my ability.  None of this, however, guarantees success.

Yesterday I took my longest walk, with full gear.  I was thoroughly exhausted and my body was so achy and stiff that I had to take Tylenol to sleep.  And that was only 13 (and a bit) miles.  How will I ever go the distances required to keep on pace for the Camino?

Perhaps a little lightheartedness will help.  That's why I'm bringing Paddington--world traveler that he is--and one of the unofficial Briargate mascot ducks.  They will remind me to have fun; and it can't help but make me smile to take photos of them on the journey.  (Just sewing on Paddington's very own pilgrim's shell pushed away the anxiety for a time.)

And for anyone who's wondering, I have thought about it and, no, I don't think this is sacrilegious.  God has a sense of humor.
 

They're what?!

I have a little weight room left over and thought I would throw in a few of these.  Ben and Louisa thought they were, "Too weird, Mom," but I think they look like breast implants for cats.  (They are really laundry detergent sachets.)

A Peaceful Moment

Taking a drink break during a training walk with Jim.

 

Bits and Pieces

Over the weekend, Jim and I hit an REI garage sale (amazing events; we've become avid fans of them).  I found a pair of the convertible pants I currently have (and rave over) in a size smaller.  Since I lost weight training for the Camino, I bought them.  They fit better than the now-baggy 12s, but--yes, there's a but--what are clothes designers thinking?  Do the items we carry shrink proportionally to the size clothes we wear?  Of course not!  The same 20-oz. Gatorade bottle I've been carrying in my size-12 pants just squeaks into the pocket of size 10s.  I don't know about other folks who wear cargo pants, but I use them for the roomy pockets.  Size shouldn't matter.  I don't blame REI--this is a problem with pockets with all sorts of garments, no matter where they are sold.  Jim says it's a fashion thing.  I say cargo hiking pants are meant for functionality, not fashion.  Okay, getting off my soapbox now.

Also at the garage sale, Jim found a GPS "retracing" device.  It's meant to record your route so that, if you get lost, you can retrace your steps to get back on track.  He was also eager to try out his garage-sale hiking boots, safari shirt, and walking poles.  We didn't get the hang of the GPS; Jim will have to go online for the extended user's manual.  I'm not too worried about it (based on our past experiences, we have a whole future ahead of potential adventures in getting lost when we'll use it); I am worried, however, about getting my spare pair of rubber tips back.  Jim has been converted to walking with poles--he has gone with me on my 5-mile route, two days in a row (previously unheard of!).  I suspect I'll have to buy a new spare pair.

Training (started early July) update: As of this post, I have walked 277.7 miles.  A motivational benefit of increased exercise is that, with the calories My Fitness Pal rewards me for it, I can indulge guilt-free in such things as the most fabulous slice of Guinness chocolate cake I've ever tasted.  I would walk the approximately 8 miles it takes to earn enough calories for that cake anytime!

Beth's Introduction

Hello, all!  I am at Mary's for Mike's birthday.  I went out to find a hat and ended up looking at a $50 number, which stayed right on the display rack.  Other preparations include walking various trails and thinking outside the box.  I am looking forward to the trip, but I can't get myself to shape up and move it.  Well, I'll have lots of time to play later.  I plan to illustrate my trip with pencils and watercolors and to tear all the ugly stuff up so no one sees it.  Will keep you informed!

I'm Official

My corrected credencial arrived yesterday.  As Jerri suggested, though, I will bring the second one for all the cool sellos (stamps) I hope to collect.

Jerri's Preparation Observations

Ha! I knew there was a reason for asking Karen along.  Normally, in any venture, I let Louisa (or, alternatively, my mother) do all the worrying and I just forge on.  Clearly, Karen is our designated worrier for this trip.  I focused on completely different things than she did and I did not keep a journal. But I do have my Project Life (picture a day project) photos.  So, here are a few of my observations on getting ready for this trip. 

I started looked for plane fares about 8 months ago (the earliest the airlines will allow you to book ahead) and was discouraged to find no convenient route and certainly nothing economical.  I was resigned to taking an obscure airline to Iceland or the hinterlands and then having multiple connections all over Europe. I finally gave up and decided to go back to the travel agency that booked our around-the world-with-six-people-and-a-wheelchair trip of 1995.

 

Jerri and Eva

The delightful Eva developed a perfect round-trip itinerary on major airlines and the high speed train in France, delivering us exactly to where we need to be at prices way too good to be true, saving us thousands of dollars.  Add in travel insurance that covers just about everything except a nuclear attack and the agency fee (less than one hour’s work for me at the Emergency Department) and we still have enough money to cover 1½ times my estimate of our daily expenses.

 
Speaking of money, I had to special order euros from the bank and they sent me brand new bills.  Even though I know they are real (and a lot of cash) they still look like Monopoly money to me.

I ordered our credencials (pilgrim passports which need to be stamped at least once or twice a day) and was pleased that they arrived promptly and unhappy that they inscribed our names already, listing us all in Ann Arbor, even though I had given all the correct information.  I went back to the Web site and ordered second copies for Karen and Beth and was delighted when Karen sent me an e-mail saying that they contacted her, apologized for the error, and are sending new ones.

 

I didn’t have to buy much new just for this trip–quick drying towel, sleeping bag liner, permethrin (for soaking the liners to prevent bedbugs), and walking sticks.  I was already due for new shoes and socks, rain jacket and hat, and a new camera (since someone-not-to-be-named dropped my old reliable one).  I borrowed a backpack and rain cover.  And I have a variety of hats for Beth to choose from.

 

 

I searched though all our family photos looking for just the right ones to bring along to show fellow peregrinos and ended up with copies of Anni’s and Julia’s weddings, and one from Carol’s funeral (I think the last time we were all together?).  I’m also bringing along photos of our two heavenly “sponsors,” Carol and Dad.

 

Jerri's Family: Ben J., Louisa J., Jerri,

Ian and Annika Squires, Julia J., Rohina J.

 

 

Rohina J., Ben J., Jon and Julia McCready,

Jerri J., Louisa J. Annika Squires

 

The James F. Jenista Family: Jim J., Kathy Davis, Sally J.,

Peter J., Mary Lavery, Beth J., Jerri J., Amy Corrieri, Barb Jensen

James F. Jenista, Jr. and Carol Jenista

I have my Spanish grammar review bouncing around the kitchen and bathroom.  I was surprised to realize I could read the whole book, but it’s clear I am going for vocabulary over grammar.  And we won’t even discuss irregular verbs, pluperfect, past imperfect, and all those weird tenses.  We will just have to “live in the moment” and speak exclusively in the present tense.

 

If there is any part of the preparation that has caused angst, it is definitely the plan for our first two nights in France.  We arrive at the Camino start ing point late at night, having spent thirty or more hours on two or three planes and two trains.  We don’t speak French and this is a very small town.  I spent about two weeks successively e-mailing each albergue (pilgrim hostel) to make a reservation for three, having to Google-translate several of the Web sites. The first ten places were all full (is there something about that date that is so popular?), but I eventually found two who admit to having beds.  However, neither has actually responded with some kind of definite reservation, so we are still at a little bit of a loss there.

All our sources seem to indicate that the first leg of the trip (across the Pyrenees into Spain) is the hardest and we will still be jet-lagged.  We have not yet hiked together, so we decided to split that journey and spend the night in the mountains at the only (and most expensive) albergue.  Luckily, we have a paid, confirmed reservation there after only 5-6 e-mails back and forth.  After that, however, we are on our own each day, waiting to see what comes.

Second Thoughts

Today I am 51.

This is significant because this morning I started reading a book that Jerri recommended about one man's experience of the Camino de Santiago.  He was 36 at the time he made his pilgrimage and the first few chapters are full of pain, gruelling walks, pain, deplorable conditions, and pain. I began to feel fear.

I have decided to read the book when I return from Spain.  Although it is interesting, even humorous at times, I cannot afford to second-guess my preparedness.  I also don't want to read more spoilers about what I will encounter along the way.  I have discovered that, for me, the best experiences were the ones with the least expectations.

The Last (Hopefully!) Big Decision

Anyone who knows my dedication to St. Baldrick's and Locks of Love will understand why the following decision was hard to make.  After much agonizing, weighing my commitment to those organizations against practicality, I got my hair cut this morning--short.

I may have set myself back a year and a half for my hair to grow long enough, but it will be easier to care for--and cooler--on the trip.

All Caught Up

Now that I've reached the current date in my journal, the posts will be briefer.

Today I tried out the last of my gear.  The larger passport wallet is just as comfortable and no more noticeable.  It rained and I got to use the poncho with the carabiners--worked like a dream.  The walking poles made a difference in how my legs and back felt; also, the darned tingling toe that has been plaguing me didn't make a peep.  And the leather gloves prevented any blisters.

For the first time, I felt that I will be fairly well-prepared.

Training

July 4
First walk with training in mind, so I bump up from 5K to 5 miles.  Unfortunately, I do it in my brand-new boots and wind up with three serious blisters.

July 5
Although my feet hurt, I'm determined to walk 5 miles in the boots.  Start listening to Spanish language CDs while walking.

July 6
My plan is to walk every day, no matter how far, no matter how I feel, what the weather is, or anything else.  That's the way it will be when we're on the pilgrimage.  So, despite the pain of my blisters, I take a short walk and try to wear the boots around the house.

July 8
Bob (youngest son) suggests I start a blog about all this.  I had been wondering how to keep in touch and was leaning toward postcards.  Even though I'm technologically challenged, I'm perceptive enough to realize that a blog is more practical and will reach more people.  Something else I need to learn and practice.

July 10
After several days of easing off so my infected toe can heal, I'm able to get my running shoes on and go for a two-mile walk.

July 13
As my feet continue to heal from blisters and infection, I determine to walk between five and ten miles each day...in my running shoes for now so I don't aggravate what's healing.

July 22
First walk in boots since feet have healed, so I keep it short.

July 24
Since I don't have a backpack yet, I fill my small daypack with what comes to 8 pounds.  Time to acclimate my body to carrying extra weight.

July 25
Shins started to bother me last night, so I need to ease back for a couple of days on distance and ice them.

July 27 (Misadventure #3)
I'm ready to start trying out some of the gear I've bought.  Since it looks like rain, I decide to put my rain-resistant cargo pants, hat, and boots to the test.  I bring along my poncho to see how easy/fast it would be to get settled in it.  I also wear one of the new sports bras.

About two miles out, it starts to rain.  The wind has picked up and blows the poncho about as I try to get it on.  I have the sensation of dropping something; I look back and see a blue garage sale poster on the sidewalk.  The short storm does help me evaluate my gear.
     The wind keeps blowing the brim of the hat up and the velcro catches.  I have to keep releasing it.
     However, it keeps me dry, especially my glasses!
     The poncho is whipping around, up in my face, off my back.  (Later I discover loops to draw a
     string through to keep the sides together and down.  I choose two small carabiners for extra
     weight.)
     My boots are rain-resistant.
     When the sun comes out, everything quickly dries as advertised.
     The seamless bra and the cargo pants have absolutely no points of chafing.  Totally comfortable.

When the rain stops and everythng is dry, I start to take off the poncho.  Suddenly, my stomach churns--that sensation of dropping something flashes through my mind.  I check all my pockets and cannot find the poncho's pouch.  I backtrack, adding an hour and 2.5 more miles to my walk in my search for the pouch.  I keep telling myself it's only a silly mesh pouch, while berating myself for not stopping properly at the time.  Remembering how fierce the wind had been, I know that pouch has probably been blown far, far away.  Still, I tell myself, miracles happen.

The whole way home, I keep looking, even though I'm nowhere near where I think I lost the pouch.  At home, I see Jim and break into tears as I blurt out the story.  Then I tramp upstairs to change...and burst into tears again.  The pouch is on the bed, where I had placed it after I took the poncho out to put in my cargo pants pocket.  Miracles do happen.

July 28
The trial run of the sock liners.  My feet slide around inside my wool socks and I feel more friction than I'd ever felt in just the hiking socks.  But I will give them another try to make sure.

Start setting up blog with help from Bob and Jim (oldest son) by phone.  Choose the template and layout. Also download the mobile app for Blogger, which is what I will use overseas.

Tonight I will sleep in the sleeping bag liner on top of our bed to get a feel for it.

July 29
No problem with the bag liner.  I was a bit chilly, but that's because it's not meant to be warm.  If I understand correctly, the albergues have blankets, so I'm not worried.

Second walk with sock liners is no more comfortable.  The other two pairs are going back.  They will be the first thing I return that I do not plan on looking for a substitute for.  It has nothing to do with brand or store, I simply don't like feeling my feet sliding around inside the boots so much.

July 31
First walk with my new backpack, full of gear (14 pounds).  I decide to start gently--see, I did learn something from jumping into the deep end with my boots--and make it a short walk.  My back and shoulders bother me less than a normal 5-hour shift at work.  So far, so good.

August 2
Wear one of the safari shirts on my walk today.  It lives up to its promises of wicking and ventilating.  And no chafing from this garment, either.  I am well-pleased.

August 17
Work on blog some more, adding content and photos.  Play around with camera app on smart phone.

August 18
I walk today with full pack and wear my passport wallet under my shirt. Except for sometimes seeing it in my peripheral vision (it falls right below my waist), I don't even notice it's there.  I also try carrying my water bottle in my pants pocket--rather than in my hand--in anticipation of using my walking poles.

August 19
Besides intending to start using my poles, I also want to start walking with everything I will be taking with me--anything that will be on me, in my pockets, whatever.

Decide to load the passport wallet with everything that will be in there when I travel. It seems stuffed and I worry that, with it all in one unsealed pocket, things could fall out.  I dig out a larger one from an earlier trip abroad.  At first glance, it looks like more than I need; but when I put the necessities in, it's just right.  And pockets are zipped or clipped closed.  I feel more secure about this one.

Filling the Pack

July 2
I collect several packing lists from Web sites related to the Camino.  What I like about two of them is that the writers included addenda of items they jettisoned along the way or didn't bring on return trips.

July 4
While at REI to buy boots, I also purchase a pair of convertible cargo pants, an all-weather hat, a backpack rain poncho, and a super thin, super absorbent camp towel.  I'm reluctant to spend that amount of money, but Jim teaches me an important lesson.  He asks if I will consider each item well worth the price at the end of the six weeks.  Very good way to look at it.

July 6
After more research, this time about backpacks, we head to REI to look at some.  I describe to the salesman what I'll be using the pack for and he suggests I take their Travel Light class before purchasing a backpack.  He says the class will make me rethink what I need to take and how much backpack I will need.  Seems like sound advice to me, so Jim and I sign up for the class on the 26th.

July 10
The Camino Guide I ordered arrives today.  I turn right to the section on preparing for the trip.  You may wonder why I'm concentrating on the preparation aspect of the pilgrimage.  Besides the fact that I need to be prepared, physically and materially, I don't want to know too much about the actual journey.  I got a taste of it from The Way, but I don't want all the details.  I want the journey to be fresh, unexpected, wondrous.

July 17
Talking with my sister and mother, we wind up on the topic of what I've gathered--and still need to gather--for the trip (I'd made my own list from the ones I'd found online).  The discussion leads to sandals (to wear each evening while boots and feet get a rest and air out).  Mom orders me a pair of orthopedically designed sandals that she and my sister swear by.

July 24
In one of the e-mails back and forth between Jerri and me, she mentioned that I'm supposed to bring a rock from home.  From the beginning, I told myself I wasn't going to go specifically rock hunting; I would just wait until--anywhere, anytime--one spoke to me.  Today I spot it, in the landscaping along the sidewalk while walking.  Nestled in the dirt, it looks like a speckled egg.  My immediate thoughts: "something hatching," "something being born," "rebirth."  It seems the perfect representation of my view of this journey as a "pregnant" opportunity.  The weight of it in my pocket makes me think that maybe I'm supposed to carry it on the pilgrimage, just as I would carry the weight of whatever burden I'm supposed to let go of.  Maybe, just maybe, when it's time to do whatever we're supposed to do with our rocks, I'll be ready to let go of the burden.  I take it and add it to the growing pile of items I've gathered so far.

July 26
Make a run to Walmart for some of the more common items on my list: ear plugs, dry bags, sports bras.

Later, Jim and I attend the REI Packing Light class.  The information is very enlightening and some of the "smart" products fit my needs for this trip.  I note the items I would consider buying--things that are lightweight and compact.  I suspect such "smart" products are high-end items.  After the class, as Jim and I check out some of them, I have to keep asking myself if I would consider the money well spent at the end of the journey.  I buy a second pair of convertible cargo pants, replacement rubber tips for my walking poles, a sleeping bag liner, a moisture-wicking, ventilated safari shirt, and an amazing backpack (weight: 1.5 pounds).  Considering that the prevailing recommendation is that your full backpack should weigh 10% of your body weight or 15 pounds, I want my pack to be as little of that weight as possible.  After I pay, I tell myself that, except for the sleeping bag liner, everything I've purchased or will purchase for this trip I will continue to use for the hiking and day trips Jim and I take.  It helps the cost go down easier.

July 28
Jim and I go to REI's garage sale.  I find another safari shirt like the one I bought.  Inside the store, I tick more items off my list: the duffel that folds into its own pocket, sock liners, a bandana, and the compactable jacket we'd seen at the class the night before, which I'd turned down because of the price tag.  I am resigned that there are products that are the perfect fit for my purposes and I will pay for that rightness.

For instance, this insulated, water-resistant jacket--made of recycled fabrics and plastic bottles--weighs 10.5 ounces and rolls up into its pouch.  For comparison's sake, that's a size-6 sandal.














I've brought my backpack so a staff member can show me what all the straps and things are for.  The salesclerk has me try some others so I feel comfortable with the choice I've made.  She's very patient, knowledgeable, and doesn't pressure me in any way.  I decide to stick with the backpack I bought.  She adds weighted pillows to the pack and then teaches me where the weight should sit on me and how to adjust the various straps.

On to Walmart for more basic supplies.

July 29
With almost everything on my list purchased or gathered, I begin to sort them into packable groups.  Then I start experimenting with packing the backpack until I find an order that satisfies me.

July 30
Another trip to Walmart for the last odds and ends.  I'm anxious to have everything so I can start walking with the full pack.  When everything is in or hanging on the bag, it weighs 14 pounds.  I empty the bag, reevaluate each item, discard a few, then add the items I will have to pack at the last minute.  All in all, it still weighs in at 14 pounds.

August 1
Since my smart phone will be the means of taking photos and making posts to the blog, the search for a protective case is on.  I finally find one that even has a carabiner to hang from my backpack.

August 19
After having returned some items and bought alternates, I reweigh my pack--16 pounds!  How did that happen?  Did my alternate purchases make that much of a difference?  Jim helps me go through each item again.  I trade one item for a lighter option.  The next weigh-in--on two different scales--is 13 pounds.  Seems I was mistaking the 10-pound mark for 15.  Phew!

Now, with the backpack just the way it will be when I leave, I make another trip to REI.  I've been dissatisfied with the feel of it during my recent walks.  I'm sure I haven't been adjusting it properly.  Sure enough, the clerk undoes the straps except at my waist, which are fine.  He then takes the time to show me how to work them and then lets me adjust them myself.  I feel the difference right away.  I think it's good to go.

These Boots Were Made for Walking

...Or Misadventure #2
July 2
I begin to research the Camino de Santiago--for now, anything about preparing for the trip, specifically what I would need to bring.  Many sites include packing lists, but almost all of them stress that the most important thing you bring is what you will wear on your feet.  I print out what I feel is the most comprehensive article on what to look for in a good pair of boots.  I also print out several packing lists and start a Camino folder.

July 4
We're going shopping for boots!

At the first sporting goods store, there are no full-grain leather boots.  However, I buy the suggested merino wool hiking socks to wear while trying on boots when we do find them.  Our next stop is REI, where we find an ample selection of the type of boots I'm looking for.  The salesman asked questions and I described what I would be doing.  He brought me three different pairs, which he then let me try on several times each, mix them to compare, and walk around the store.  When I finally chose a pair, I thanked the salesman for his patience.  He insisted that, with such a major investment in footwear, he wanted to make sure I found a pair of boots that I really wanted and suited my purpose.

July 5
Breaking in these boots is going to be a challenge.  They are honking heavy-duty boots.  As comfortable as they are, I can't imagine them soft, supple, shaped to my feet.  And I need to have them ready by early September.

July 7
My enthusiastic (stupid?) plan to break in the boots the hardcore way (regardless of what's happening to my feet) is backfiring.  One of my blisters has become infected.  Paid a visit to an urgent care clinic and have an antibiotic.  Now I can't even wear a regular pair of shoes, let alone the boots.  Thank goodness I have a pair of soft-sided shoes a size too large that I have procrastinated in bringing to Goodwill.  They are the only things I can stand to put on my feet right now.

July 14
I have spent the last several days experimenting with different Band-Aids and tapes.  I think I've come up with the combination/application that feels comfortable and will prevent further blisters.  My feet have recovered enough that today I wore the boots a few hours around the house.  Will continue to do that and slowly build up the length of time they are on my feet.

July 22
Have been wearing the boots to work and as long as possible around the house--they are feeling pretty comfortable.  So today I took my first walk since the infection--only 5K, but a start.

July 30
These boots are beginning to feel natural.  My feet feel nearly naked when I wear anything else!  Still, I'm concerned about the left boot: two of my toes still tingle, the way they do when I break in new running shoes before they loosen and conform to the bridge of my foot.  I'm getting nervous that they won't be ready in time.

I take a trip to REI for some advice.  A very helpful salesclerk asks if I'd gotten them wet yet.  I tell her that I'd walked in the rain once, but the boots are water resistant, as advertised.  No, she means really wet, like soaking them in a basin or wearing them in the shower.  Really?!  Absolutely.  She also invites me to drop the boots off over the weekend and she'll work leather oil into them and put them on their boot stretcher.

At home, I'm willing to try anything, so--yes--I took a shower with my boots on.  It took me several minutes to enter the shower with them on--so unnatural.

August 2
I wore those damp boots for two days.  I can actually feel more of my footprint in each sole, but the uppers are nearly as stiff as the day I bought them.  Jim kids me that I'll probably walk a whole Camino before I leave Colorado and maybe the boots will be broken in then.

I drop the boots off at REI for some tender loving boot care.  Back at home, I get curious as to how far I have actually walked.  Using my journal, I figure that I've walked slightly more than 150 miles (241 km) since I bought the boots.

August 4
REI calls--my boots are ready!  Boy, my feet have missed them.

Laura, the salesclerk who worked on my boots, has me try them on before I leave the store.  They are softer, a bit more supple.  More excellent customer service from REI.

August 20
To date, I've walked approximately 228 miles (367 km).  Although the boots get more and more comfortable, the boots don't look like they have that many miles on them.  The toes are a bit scuffed but that's from kneeling and sitting on the floor at work.  I suppose that if they are broken in on the inside, around my feet, they can look as new as they want on the outside.

Misadventure #1

The next several posts are retroactive, taken from the journal I began immediately, before I even had the notion to create a blog.

July 1
Jim finds me watching a movie in our room when he comes to inform me of Jerri's offer to join her and Beth on a six-week trip to Spain.  As usual, my mind issues objections--How can we afford it?  I don't have enough vacation hours to cover six weeks.  Etc.-- and I tell him that this is an important decision, that I need time to think about it.  But Jim's enthusiasm is overflowing.  He leaves me with a mental picture: "I can see you traveling around Spain, in some café on the Camino Real, sipping coffee and reading a book."

Alone, it takes me about two minutes to listen to the quieter voice inside me that asks when such another unexpected and unique opportunity will arise.  When I go downstairs to tell Jim that there's no way I can't go, he relays the message from Jerri that we have to watch The Way, starring Martin Sheen.  The movie will give me some idea of what we'll be doing in Spain.

Ever since I made the decision, I feel a rightness about it.  In bed, my mind spinning with thoughts, I have the sudden knowledge that God has intervened in my life, making time for me to spend with Him.  I'm not sure why I'm supposed to go, what He has planned for me, but I'm as certain as I can ever be that He wants me to do this.

July 2
Hurray for Netflix!  The Way is available on demand.  After the movie, I just give Jim a look that says, "How much more wrong could you have gotten it?"  No spoilers from me.  It will suffice to note that he meant the Camino de Santiago, and Jerri, Beth, and I will be making a 500-mile (approx.) pilgrimage.

Still, I'm excited about the idea and determined to go.  However, I begin to suspect there is a lot more preparation for a pilgrimage than a touristy visit.

Jerri's Introduction

Jerri here with rambling commentary.  Karen is the writer but Beth and I are piggybacking on her blog to keep our families informed while we are gone.  More background information how we came to be doing this.

Last summer (2011), I went to 5 funerals in 6 weeks.  Most were friends who had not yet “finished” their lives, what they might have liked to have done or accomplished.  One memorial, however, was for my longtime friend Martha Ellen (http://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/annarbor/obituary.aspx?n=martha-ellen-loose&pid=153392995&fhid=5988), who was a nurse at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital at the UM when I was the medical consultant there.  Anyone who knows my attitude about teens and mental health would immediately realize that there had to be some mitigating force to save lives (mine and the patients’), and that was Martha.  Even when I moved on to other positions, little "Martha comments" would pop up into my head and I’d realize (years later), “Oh, that’s what she was talking about!”  Martha lived a full and exciting life simply because she made it happen herself.

So, the funerals made me think of my bucket list, and the prospect of a sixtieth birthday looming made me realize that certainly more than half of my life has gone by and I still have a long list of things to do.  Via Mom, we each inherited a small amount of money from our sister Carol, who died in 2009.  Beth said she was ready and willing to travel and the number one item on my list for many years has been to hike the Great Wall of China.

Enter my favorite institution, the public library.  I went to a presentation about this very topic; two MSU students had hiked 2,000 miles of the Great Wall.  As thrilling as the story was, I soon realized that

·         they are guys

·         they are way younger than me

·         they speak Chinese

·         there are no easily accessible support services in China,

all of which dampened my enthusiasm considerably (at least for a long trek).

I started looking on the Internet and at the library for other outdoor adventures, and almost every list of “long hikes around the world” included the Camino.  Meanwhile, I started negotiating at work to get a block of time off (a story all by itself) and ended up with about 6 weeks in September and October of 2012.  Skip a bit ahead to October, 2011.  Mom was visiting and I was looking for appropriate entertainment.  My Michigan Theater membership sent me two free passes to a movie premier that was advertised to be about adult family relationships.  It sounded reasonable so Mom and I went, not knowing anything else about the film.

The movie was The Way (http://theway-themovie.com) and the program included personal appearances by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez, who made and starred in the film.  They talked about their experiences on the Camino and it helped that there was a wildly enthusiastic full-house audience, most of whom had already traveled the Camino.  The whole experience sounded like the prefect solution.

At that point, everything seemed to coalesce, with multiple factors all pointing in the same direction.  I wanted to do a long trek, I had the "just right" 6 weeks off work, my resources all suggested the Camino, and the movie sort of clinched it.  Add in that Carol, who was very devoutly Catholic, would be paying for the trip and would certainly have approved.  And the full name of the Camino is the Camino de Santiago.  Santiago means "Saint James" and, of course, our dad was equally devout and his name was James.

Beth was a pushover, saying yes without asking any details.  I was planning to ask Karen, but then she was sick for so long that I thought she wouldn’t want to try it.  I casually mentioned my concerns about Karen to my brother (Karen’s husband, also a James) in an e-mail.  He answered in about two minutes, saying she wanted to go no matter what!

You may wonder about us as traveling companions.  Well, luckily we all speak some Spanish and I was an exchange student in this part of Spain in high school.  Karen is detail-oriented (Beth and I are not!), a good writer, introspective and, as the parent of 6 kids (5 boys), can roll with the punches.  Beth has a wicked sense of humor to entertain us, can talk to just about anybody ,and does not whine. And I like traveling but also repetitive, boring tasks (knitting, working in the baby clothes factory), so hiking 500 miles seems like fun to me.

Introduction

Hola and welcome!

I'd like to begin by explaining the existence of this blog.  This fall I will walk the Camino Frances, one of the Camino de Santiago routes, starting from St. Jean Pied de Port in France, reaching the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, then hopefully traveling the additional stretch to Finisterre (Finis Terra: the end of the world) on the northeastern Spanish coast.  I'll be gone six weeks.

Foremost then, this blog is the means of keeping in touch with my family.  My children have had many questions about what I'll be doing and they, along with my husband, are interested in following my journey.  Although the suggestion for a blog came from within my family, interest in it has spread to the extended family, friends, and coworkers.  I hope I do them justice.

Next, introductions.  I am making this journey with my sisters-in-law Jerri and Beth Jenista.  You will meet them through my posts and their own comments.



Karen, Beth, Jerri



Finally, a bit about why I'm undertaking this journey, because everyone is supposed to go on a pilgrimage for a reason.  In fact, according to resources about the Camino, when you reach the Pilgrim Office in Santiago, you must state your reason/s for making the pilgrimage before you can receive your certificate of completion.

Spiritual: For the past two years, I have neglected my personal relationship with God.  In spite of my intentions to return to spiritual direction and daily quiet time, I continued to let the secular aspects of my life dominate my time and energy.  So the Lord intervened, presenting me with an offer of relationship that I could accept or refuse.  I accepted it.  I don't know His purpose, but I know He will transform me or my life in some way.

Physical: This journey will obviously challenge my body, my strength, my endurance.  It has the potential to return--even surpass--the fitness I lost during a recent extended illness.

Mental: The physical dibilitation of that illness undermined my confidence.  Loss of control, non-productivity, and isolation wore me down.  Back on my feet again, I feel a need to prove myself again, to re-earn skills and respect.  Walking mile after mile, day after day, the determination it will take may create a sense of accomplishment that will stay with me beyond the Cathedral. (By the way, this blog itself is an intellectual exercise for technologically challenged me.  And anyone who works in a library knows that the services need to keep up with technology to remain relevant to its patrons.)

Cultural: The experience of being immersed in a foreign country--the people, the customs, the language, the food--is always broadening and enriching.  I look forward to visiting Spanish libraries, too.

Diverse: Not only will I encounter Spanish culture; the Camino draws travelers from all around the world.  This is an opportunity to meet and mix with people of many nationalities, customs, and spiritual inclinations.

In short, this pilgrimage offers a variety of ways to renew, grow, and learn--personally, spiritually, and professionally.  It also offers an opportunity for me to do something I don't do often enough: play, have fun.

So if you've arrived here because you googled "Camino de Santiago," searching for helpful information, I'm sorry to disappoint you.  All you'll find here is one Average Jane's personal account of her experience along The Way.  Any useful information you pick up is purely coincidental.

Hasta luego!