Six weeks out. Like a clanging gong, this phrase puts a period on the discussion. It's totally real. It's almost here. We can barely contain our excitement. Or perhaps we are so overwhelmed with nervousness we continuously giggle, on the verge of insanity, at the overwhelming thoughts of walking well over 500 miles with nothing but relatively small packs, containing what less than a year ago would never have passed for "essentials," and honestly relying to a large extent on THE PHRASE, "Eh, it'll all work out." Do we all catch the significance? This is no ordinary trip folks! It's a Kramer heading off to La La Land trip! This is huge Jerry, huge!
Perhaps though, I should just speak for myself, the non-hiker, the person who until now has never owned anything but a school backpack (my last two years of college), can't stand to carry a purse, and who likes to mentally schedule my day well in advance and then watch MY schedule play out "organically." Yes, my husband is a planner as well. He has diligently lined up all of the plane, train, and bus tickets, plus the few hotel rooms we (hopefully) can count on. In fact just this weekend, that is all finished, with a beautiful bow on top. Yeah, yeah, I know perhaps I speaketh too quickly about that, but give me grace. I need to think those thoughts for at least a brief blissful span of time. My husband though has gone out on the trail many times and made due with little, ON PURPOSE. He has been tried and found more than able. I have not. I'm a child of the (late) '70s, who grew up understanding that those free livin' hippie types for the most part settled down and realized the potential of the 3/2 with a white picket fence, along with the eventual joys of a Blackberry. What am I thinking, taking a crazy trip that goes against every organized, planned out thought I've ever had?
I'll tell you what I'm thinking:
Perhaps though, I should just speak for myself, the non-hiker, the person who until now has never owned anything but a school backpack (my last two years of college), can't stand to carry a purse, and who likes to mentally schedule my day well in advance and then watch MY schedule play out "organically." Yes, my husband is a planner as well. He has diligently lined up all of the plane, train, and bus tickets, plus the few hotel rooms we (hopefully) can count on. In fact just this weekend, that is all finished, with a beautiful bow on top. Yeah, yeah, I know perhaps I speaketh too quickly about that, but give me grace. I need to think those thoughts for at least a brief blissful span of time. My husband though has gone out on the trail many times and made due with little, ON PURPOSE. He has been tried and found more than able. I have not. I'm a child of the (late) '70s, who grew up understanding that those free livin' hippie types for the most part settled down and realized the potential of the 3/2 with a white picket fence, along with the eventual joys of a Blackberry. What am I thinking, taking a crazy trip that goes against every organized, planned out thought I've ever had?
I'll tell you what I'm thinking:
- It's gonna be great to be with the true love of my life
- It's gonna be unique seeing a couple of countries footstep, by footstep
- It's gonna be tough physically, mentally, and emotionally at times
- It's gonna be life-altering, and I'm not sure how
- It's gonna be blessed to give, receive, and just to show some folks love
- It's gonna be fun to know that even if a sparrow, I am not forgotten by God, and though I may not know where and when each day ends, He does, and that's all I need to know for a buen Camino.