6 Days ’til el Camino: Time

Pictured: Our lilies!  Last year I spent an hour or two clearing out dead leaves and brush from our lilies, and I wondered why our lilies hadn’t bloomed, while our neighbors’ had.  Well, it looks like the work paid off — a year later.  Yay, for reminders about divine timing!

Wow! It’s been a while since I’ve posted.  And I leave in less than a week!  Last week was a little rough because some fears started creeping in.  And it seemed to be mirrored by my surroundings.  People I would talk to were worrying about my going it alone.

But this week I feel ready.  It’s time.  2 weekends ago I walked 10 miles in a day.  This past weekend I walked 12.  I need to be more consistent when I’m walking, but at least I know I can do it. So far only 2 blisters.  One on my finger from holding a water bottle, and the other from a backpack shoulder strap.  (I think my backpack was a little lopsided from uneven water bottles — gotta figure that out.)  My feet have been great, and my legs feel strong.  Now it’s just about the long haul.

Tonight I go in to check on my Verizon plan to see about communication while in Spain.  One of my last tasks to get ready!  This weekend I will go through my packing list again, make sure everything is washed, and repack my backpack.  I also plan to get another long walk in.

A few people were razzing me about not having a return flight or even knowing where the nearest airport would be, so I finally looked that up today.  There’s one right at the end!  That makes it easier.  I’d like to walk the extra last bit to the ocean before I go, but we’ll see.

I have a few odds and ends to clean up: I’ve been unsubscribing from e-mails so that I don’t have a big mess when I get home.  I’ve also got to return all of my library books and set up away messages on my e-mail, Facebook, voicemail, etc.  It’s coming, my friends!  It’s coming!

17 Days ’til el Camino: Ready to Go

I’m so ready to go.  Often when something big is coming, or a “baby” is being birthed for me, I start to push against it.  So, I just want to get it over with — I want to go now!  But be careful what you wish for, right?  I strategically planned this trip to leave when I am.  I squeezed it between Brian’s Shaklee conference and my last planned workshop (a Vision Workshop in Spanish!)

I’m so looking forward to this trip now.  Part of me is afraid something will come up that will try to prevent me from going.  But I know the danger of entertaining those thoughts.  I will not put my attention on it.  I will put my attention on the journey.

Tonight I finish up plans for Vision Workshop: Part 2 — the first of 3 back-to-back Saturday workshops.  I’m pretty excited about these.  I’m going out with a bang!  (Time to change some lives!)  I also had 2 group Vision Workshops come up for June (1 on a webinar), and I feel incredibly blessed to be able to share my talents in this way.

Down in the dumps today.  The difference was tangible because I have a tutoring student who I absolutely love working with, and I was completely drained for her and was struggling to motivate myself for the lesson.  I think my drop is a combination of all the current stress with everything happening right now: a new, semi-unmotivated student, upping my walking regime in the increasing heat and with an increasing backpack size, and challenging circumstances in the household with my fiancee and I making transitions into new jobs with changing financial situations.

Through it all — no matter what happens — I am grateful that I am consciously working on some serious life lessons.  I’m developing self-empowerment and acceptance.  I’m already learning how to release judgement and accept the beauty of what is.  I know el Camino will help me further with this, but I am transforming wherever and whenever I am!

Life is beautiful.  Thank you all for your support. ❤

Much love, many blessings.

18 Days ’til el Camino: The Last Stretch

2 1/2 weeks left.  Crazy!  Once I hit June, my mental state shifted.  I became pretty nervous!  The worry-wart/ perfectionist popped in and started getting all fussy about things.  I decided this week to put my main attention on el Camino and to get some “last-minute” things accomplished this minute, so that I might feel a little calmer.  And it worked.  I feel much better already.

I have all of my supplies now except for some of my blister kit, some shower shoes, and plastic bags to protect my belongings in case of moisture.  I’ve contacted my credit and debit card companies, and they are set to go except that I’m waiting to get confirmation of my pin.  I looked into my flight and first night, and I see that my stopover isn’t nearly as long as I’d thought (just a few hours), and I’ll be arriving in France in the afternoon of the 27th.  I also looked into first night stays and joined a few Facebook groups, including “American Pilgrims on the Camino.”  They gave me great advice about a possible hostel (or albergue  for Spain or gite for France).  I just applied for a reservation, and it sounds inexpensive and lovely, so I’m hoping I’ll get accepted.  As far as transportation from the airport to my first place of stay, I’m looking into Express Bourricot.  The only thing is it could be a bit pricey if it’s just me: Price /1 person= 84,00 €      2 people =  42,00   3 people = € 28,00 4 people = € 21,00. They try to group people together, though, so I’m going to put my attention on there being at least one other person who joins me.  As soon as I have a confirmed place of stay, I’ll book the transportation as well.

I’ve gotten off the horse as far as physical prep, but I got back on this morning.  I walked 2 hours with my sister (5-6 miles).  My mom gave me an extra pedometer that she had, and with the 2-hour walk today plus regular movement, I am currently at 19, 250 steps for the day!  One of the Facebook group members was talking about prep and said to walk 2 long days back-to-back at a time, with a days rest in between.  It suggested walking at least 6 miles a day.  Well, my “long” days have been 6 miles, so it’s time to up my game again.  I plan to walk at least an hour every day for the last 18 days, and this Sunday I will be walking for 5 hours (nearly how long I’ll be walking daily on el Camino).

I had a wonderful “mini-Camino” this past weekend.  I took a road trip down to Texas to be at the wedding of two people who I love very, very much.  I road down with a very good friend who I got to reconnect with on the way.  She shared some of her favorite recordings, including Abraham Hicks and a few interviews with Robert Schwartz.  The learnings, the conversations, and a beautiful reunion all caused a shift in me.  I began to get the feeling that this weekend was maybe the “mini-Camino” I was needing.  It’s all about the journey, right?

I look forward to all of the little and “big” journeys ahead, and I wish you wonderful journeys as well!

Much love, many blessings. ❤

32 Days ’til el Camino: 1 month left!

Well, it’s pretty much one month left now!  It’s been another wild week, including some funky dreams and great content from Andy Shaw.

I walked a few times in the past week, between 45 minutes and 2 hours with the backpack on. Today I added some new items when I walked, the new orders that I mentioned in the last post.  Something that is noticeably missing from my backpack is a guidebook I ordered a month ago that never arrived.  I looked up tracking and discovered it had been delivered to Cincinnati, Ohio.  No help to me there!  Amazon is checking into it, and thankfully, my mom gifted me another guide book that I may just be able to use in its place.

I’m starting to redevelop some good daily habits.  I’ve been exercising more, taking my vitamins more regularly, eating fairly healthily, got back into the yoga challenge, am journaling, and have started writing my vision out daily.  I’m also indulging and reading more, which is such a pleasure!

I’m looking forward to my dreams tomorrow morning!  This morning I had a few dreams  in auditoriums.  This could have to do with imagination or literally me and auditoriums.  Either way, it’s fantastic!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Much love, many blessings. ❤

40 Days ’til el Camino: Pluggin’ Along

I’m ready to go NOW!  Well, not really.  But my mind feels that way.  I keep thinking it’s time to go already, but I still have over a month to go.  Maybe it’s because all of my students are finishing up their school years; it feels like my time is finishing up, too.

I slowed down a bit the last few days.  Saturday and Sunday I got two good walks in, but I walked barely at all the last 3 days and also lost my morning routine.  It shall return!

I just ordered my travel insurance, and today one of my tutoring mom recommended that I bring another pair of shoes!  Someone from her family just went last year and advised a second pair to give the feet a break, since there tend to be particular friction spots in each pair of shoes that can get rubbed a little raw after a few days!  I was reluctant to add more weight to my backpack, but she showed me a pair that she had that was super light.  I will need to look into this.

I ordered more of my supplies Monday night, including a plug adapter, 3 thin, quick dry inner socks, a pair of quick-dry undies, and a quick dry towel and wash cloth.  I just found the quick dry towel I bought for Europe 12 years ago, and it is dreadful.  I don’t feel like I’m drying myself at all.  Hopefully this new one will be better.  I’m pretty close on everything.  I may purchase a blister kit, and I have a few other small items I can purchase locally (besides the backup shoes).

In other news: my skin has cleared up quite a bit.  I’m not sure if it’s the diet, the GLA, or mental shifts.  Maybe all of the above!  Also, I continue to go through emotional rollercoasters in life in general, but my coach says this is a good thing. 😀  Pluggin’ Along!

Have a good one, everyone!  Much love, many blessings. ❤

44 Days ’til el Camino: Diet

A domino effect? Sometimes when one thing changes. . .  it all changes.  Changing my exercise is affecting my diet!

I’ve been bothered by my diet for quite some time.  Though I probably eat healthier food that in the typical U.S. diet,  my eating times were erratic, and often I would not eat enough. Sometimes a lack of food sooner would lead to unhealthy binges later.

I’m finally starting to implement a plan.  Breakfast is eggs and potatoes.  Morning snack is a Shaklee shake.  Lunch is either a large salad or hummus and cheese sandwich (with spinach and using gluten-free bread).  Snack is nuts/peanut butter/cheese — not sure what else yet.  Dinner is either bean tacos, chicken (on wing night), spaghetti, or a dinner mixing some of these ingredients: cous cous, rice, beans, and lentils. That’s the plan to start.

My most recent intuitive health analysis said the following about my physical health and food:

“We see optimal health within the physical body. We see there is an understanding that this one has in regards to how to feed the body and what to feed the body.  This one is balanced in this regard, and we do not see much change needed there.”

It went on to suggest just more iron and iodine. So, I have since been more consistently taking my supplements and looking for ways to add more iron to a mostly vegetarian diet.

Yesterday I noticed a few other things related to diet.  I had been marveling that I hadn’t had any stomach cramping/gas for some time, and then . . . soon after I did!  I reflected back on what I’d eaten differently and concluded it must have been some chocolate I’d eaten.  I’d had similar stomach rumblings in response to chocolate in the past.  Bummer!  Less or no chocolate, then.  Then, my bank was having an anniversary celebration, and I had one mini cupcake and an Oreo cookie.  20 minutes later I felt an energy drop in my system.  Yikes!  Was it the sugar?  The breading?  Probably both.

Will this mean an end to sweets for me?  Probably not.  But I will be mindful of my choices, aware of the possible consequences of my decisions.  Maybe if I cut back on sugar I will finally embrace and eat the fruits I keep buying and not eating! 

A healthy diet has also been in my vision since last year.  Some things just take more time, I guess!  It gives me hope to keep the faith in my dreams.

Ending thought: While listening back to my last intuitive report, I came across a part that I realize I’ve been neglecting, and I thought it might help you as well.  It matches what’s been on my mind a lot this week, as I continue to reflect on judgement, acceptance, and neutrality. I was given these affirmations, advised to repeat them daily for a period of 3 months:

“Everything that occurs is for my benefit.  Every experience, every person, every interaction is here for my good.   I am fortunate to receive experiences that bring me joy.”

Much love, many blessings. ❤

45 Days ‘Til el Camino: In the Chrysalis

The good thing about setting lofty goals is you still accomplish quite a bit if you fall a little short!

It’s been a good week.  I haven’t walked quite the distance I was hoping for, but I did get in a long walk and a few short-medium ones, and I continue to walk the dogs.

I’ve also slowly started picking up a yoga practice.  I’ve been wanting to for a while, but now that others have recommended yoga for el Camino to strengthen the core, I have more motivation  I picked up 30 Days of Yoga with Adriene again, and I play whichever day matches the date.  For example, I started on May 7th, so I looked up her “Day 7” video.  The first day or two I just watched a bit.  Then, I missed a few days. But Wednesday, Thursday, and today I actually did the whole video for the day, and I’m really enjoying it again.

I’m continuing to go through changes inside and out.  Some of them are still not feeling great, but I had a fantastic accountability call with my mastermind partner for the month — she has such great images — and she told me I’m in my chrysalis!  What a beautiful analogy! She says I’m in the darkness before I BURST out into my butterfly form. She described how caterpillars will shake in that chrysalis for a week! And I’ve heard that if you cut a butterfly out of the chrysalis to “help it out”, it’s wings will not be strong enough, and it will soon die.  If that’s the case, I’m ready to take this chrysalis on! Let’s make some change happen, baby!  I can be strong!

Whether you are in your chrysalis or flying high, have a great rest of your week, everyone!

Much love, many blessings. ❤