Made it to Corcubion!

Tomorrow, Fisterra!

After three days of rest in Santiago, I’m continuing my walk to Fisterra. My body is feeling it today…

Looking forward to the salt, sand, and ocean waves!

Made it to Sigüiero!

Tomorrow we arrive in Santiago…again!!

Today was a particularly challenging day. It was 27km uphill to the small village of Bruma, and the climb felt relentless at times. Jess and I feel the onset of a cold coming on, with a sore throat and extra fatigue, making today a bit harder. The weather was also a bit gloomy- the clouds hung low and it started to rain.

However, when I put on some music to cheer myself up, this song came on just when I needed it. It’s sung by The Cat in the Hat from Seussical the Musical:

“When the news is all bad,
When you’re sour and blue,
When you start to get mad
You should do what I do-

Tell yourself
How lucky you are…

When your life’s going wrong
When the fates are unkind
When you’re limping along
And get kicked from behind
Tell yourself how lucky you are…

So be happy you’re here.
Think of life as a thrill
And if worse comes to worse
(As we all know it will)
Thank your lucky star
You’ve gotten this far…

And tell yourself how lucky you are!”

It was a wonderful message to hear in that moment. It helped me look at my surroundings in a whole new light- the trees seemed greener, the sound of rain more peaceful…I was reminded of how thankful I should be to be here now. What a gift this is, to have nothing to do but to walk, and think, and breathe.

And, before I knew it, right when my feet were demanding a rest, we stumbled across our albergue.

Made it to Betanzos, a very unique and quite stylish city. Today we faced a lot of steep climbs and declines, which really wore us out. My body is not feeling so great, as I don’t have much of an appetite and I started feeling exhausted after the first hill we climbed. My spirits are high, however- I’m in the middle of munching on a delicious novel. Time to climb into bed, massage the feet, and read while listening to the pitter patter of rain.

Currently sitting outside at a bar, enjoying a small bite to eat while a parade of some sort goes on down the street. One can hear the deep rhythm of hand drums and bagpipes.
Jess, Reagan and I enjoyed a short day of walking through a diverse landscape of neighborhoods covered with wild flowers, small patches of eucalyptus forest, some industrial scenes, and a peaceful beach. The weather varied as well- this morning was pleasant and sunny, as I listened to A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, and this afternoon the wind blew in a few rain clouds. So far the Camino Inglés is gorgeous, quiet, and serene. We took our sweet time this Sunday, as it was a short day of 16km. We all enjoyed a good nights sleep in our quiet albergue, which we all really needed! I felt so blissful waking up to the sound of birds chirping outside, light filtering in from the windows, giving early signs of dawn.

I’m thinking of my mother and all the other mothers in my life on this Mother’s Day. I miss my family a lot and wish I could be with my mom. I keep seeing so many sights along the way, wishing I could share this beauty in person with her.

Feeling so thankful for this peaceful day, for my friends, and for this journey!

Tomorrow I arrive in Santiago…