Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Camino: Gratitudes on The Way

Back home, there are so many things I feel grateful for. My wonderful & loving husband; witty, caring & dependable friends; my health; the beautiful nature that surrounds me; an abundance of opportunity to grow & learn; a life rich with travel & experiences. The list goes on & on. I know & recognize- I am truly blessed.

On the Camino, when your daily activities & rituals are peeled back to basics, your priorities

often change. It's Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. When you are just trying to meet your physiological and safety needs, you really aren't focusing on self-actualization.

I can't tell you how many little things brought a smile to my lips or an honest-to-goodness cheer. This list was the brainchild of Marie, a member of my "Camino Family." It's not extensive or complete & I'm always "grateful" for ideas & new items. Marie, sadly, had to cut her Camino short due to illness. I know she will be back to make this list more robust...

On this Camino I've been grateful for:

  • Rooms near the stairs or on the first floor
  • Olive oil for bread
  • Laundry service or machines
  • Shoes with lots of toe room
  • Early breakfast
  • My drugs of choice- cafe con leche & zumo de naranja naturale
  • Local town markets
  • Stores open during siesta
  • Hot showers (& a hook or shelf for your stuff)
  • Pilgrim masses
  • happy "Buen Caminos" directed my way all day
  • Plugs by your bed/bunk
  • Decent & free weefee
  • People who smiled as I butchered the Spanish language
  • working ATMs that didn't eat my card
  • Comfortable shoes
  • Voltaren, Aquafor, Injingi toe socks & New Skin in my footcare arsenal
  • good weather
  • dark chocolate
  • O'Cebreiro cheese & honey
  • Hearing someone speak English (so I don't have to think for a bit)
  • Tree tunnels on the trail
  • Settling into your own pace, rhythm & footcare regimen (that works!)
  • Cold pools & rivers from soaking feet
  • Courtyards with real grass for yoga & stretching
  • Vino tinto that you can somehow drink all night and NOT get a headache
  • Red poppies
  • Fun & unexpected food trucks/ surprises along the trail
  • A sign for a cafe/bar on a long hot portion of the trail
  • The crunching sound the stones make under your feet when you walk
  • A bench to prep feet or adjust boots
  • Aubergues & hostals that take pride in making pilgrim experiences special
  • Hours of interesting conversation with a fellow pilgrim that makes time fly
  • creative sellos with good ink
  • Finding a ladies room with TP & being able to take over the Caballeros room with no line
  • Big drying racks
  • Hearing a half dozen languages at one dinner table
  • Pharmacists that specialize in pilgrim ailments
  • Locals that aleert you when you aren't on the correct path
  • cyclists who use their bells
  • Messages left along the trail by other pilgrims to make you smile
  • Well-marked trails
  • the wonderful variety of shells & different signage used on the Camino by various towns & regions
  • Vast, fertile open countryside
  • WhatsApp & good pilgrim apps
  • Knowing somehow that a person you've only known for a short time will be a part of your life in the distant future
  • KT/Leukotape that somehow sticks in place for days
  • Being able to leave your pack sitting in a brightly colored row on the ground right outside a cafe
  • Seeing so many heartfelt comments from home when you check in- all cheering for you & thanking you for taking them along on this adventure
Keep 'em coming...





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