Well, today was our first time getting incredibly lost, and we managed to carve our own route, actually minimizing the expected distance and seeing more of the beautiful countryside than I originally thought. We arrived in Alcanadre and found a free hostel without electricity or heat, the height of luxury! I’ve learned that I enjoy trying new foods and different kinds of coffee and tea! I was a very picky eater back in the states and without the ability to eat seafood, I’ve had to learn to get creative with my meals, try new things as they may be my only option, or starve! We have an incredibly long day of walking ahead of us, roughly 19 miles through pouring rain to Logroño. We’ve planned our route and schedule so that we don’t overdo ourselves like we did last week, leaving ample time for a break midway. It’s a bittersweet feeling making our way to the Camino Francés. Up until this point we haven’t come in contact with a single other pilgrim, and all of a sudden we’re about to meet up with hundreds who have all had an entirely different experience than us. Though we have each other, we’re still in a country full of strangers walking on routes entirely unknown to us, mainly in areas without albergues or where the albergues aren’t open yet. Half of the people in each town try and convince us that this isn’t a route, or that pilgrims don’t come through anymore, even though the pilgrim logs in the few places we’ve found indicate that there may be others a day or two ahead of us. I’m excited to share this experience with others but long periods of solitude have been very revealing to show me what this trip truly means to me. Being surrounded by others often marrs one’s ability to clearly see and address personal strife. I’ve struggled with anxiety for years and having the chance to meditate and spend hours in silence thinking about how it’s affected my life and how I can take control has been a godsend. I am grateful for everything that I’ve learned up until this point, and I can’t wait to see what an entirely different, more touristic (or at least much more populated) route has to offer.