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. ❤

46 Days ‘Til el Camino: The Valleys

There is definitely something to be said for taking decisive action.  For me it was buying that plane ticket.  I knew that cemented things for me.  And that’s so important to me now, as the honeymoon period of a brand-new, beautiful idea is petering out.  Do I still want to walk el Camino?  Absolutely.  Do I still plan to?  Definitely. But without that plane ticket, I may have been tempted to hedge a bit this week.

It was one of those weeks for me.  More easily agitated.  A little less motivated.  Thank goodness I still walked, though. I felt much better once I’d started.  I was a bit sore Monday evening and then Tuesday day after that 3-hour walk on Monday.  It’s good to know the muscles are changing.  Wednesday and today I took one-hour walks with a half-packed backpack, and this weekend I intend to walk another 3-hour walk with an even fuller backpack. (Tomorrow I swim.)

I’m changing.  Some of it feels good, and some of it doesn’t.  My self-confidence has definitely improved (although this week it dipped back down a bit).  I feel like I’m also becoming more assertive and less flexible.  I’m not sure how I feel about that.  But it has meant that my resentment levels have dropped, and that definitely feels better.  I’m more focused, more directed . . .  and more stubborn. 🙂  It’s all a learning process, right?

So much I could say, but this is good for today.

Much love, many blessings. ❤

49 Days ‘Til El Camino: Are We There Yet?

Why does 49 seem like so much less than 50??

Today I walked 3 hours, as planned.  And nearly died.  That’s not true.  I did very well but was very tuckered out by the end.  I actually walked 2.75 hours, and then took the dogs out for their mile walk, and they were dragging me along for the first half.  I’m really glad I decided to up my game.  I plan to walk at least 1 3-hour walk per week, and my next walk will be with a full backpack.  (Today I walked with my empty backpack, except for a water bottle.)

I’m so, so grateful that I walked twice this past weekend.  I can see now how valuable physical preparation can be!  And my wonderful friend read my blog and offered to go for a walk with me!  She’s a yoga instructor, too, and offered to teach me some good foot stretches!  The universe is very good to me! ❤

I need to make sure I get my last orders in by the end of this week or next week at the latest.  There will be plenty of stores in Spain, but I don’t want to mess around with things like trying to find an adapter.  I need my phone to work!

In the past few weeks I’ve started talking aloud to myself.  I find it very therapeutic.  It’s very amusing to me because that’s the supposed to be the definition of “crazy”, right?  Well, I already knew I was crazy.  I guess this just confirms it. . .  I found myself talking to myself often during the walk today.  It was nice.  At one point I actually got tired of hearing myself talk and was quiet for a bit, but soon I picked it up again!

I’ve really come to see how I’m already walking “el Camino”.  I started walking it the day I decided to go.  That’s what we are all called to do: walk our own “Caminos”.  There is a dream inside of each of us, and only we can decide for it because it is ours, and ours alone.  Once we do decide for it . . .  we are on our way!  The journey has begun; the lessons and learnings commence.

Today I felt so grateful.  So incredibly, incredibly grateful.  Because things feel right again.  I laugh at myself when I see how blind I was, even a few weeks ago!  I’ve known since college how important travel is to me, ever since I took off and lived a semester in Mexico.  But I shoved down my dream and decided it wasn’t important.  Why?  There are plenty of excuses I could use to explain it away.  And often many of us do.  But not anymore. Not me.  What about you?

I’m back on track, and it’s an exhilarating (and sometimes scary!) ride.  Here’s to the journey.  Here’s to our lives!

Much love and many blessings. ❤