The sweetness of a new day!
Believe it or not, after the 23 mile haul of day one, I woke up feeling great. The self-provided foot massage and reiki session worked like magic. I continued to feel pretty good for the first 9 or 10 miles but after that I walked very slowly. It was a hard slog for the rest of the five or so miles. Mostly I had very sore feet, and tight hamstrings-primarily in the area of some arthritis in a toe and on the side where I had a prior hamstring injury. Yep, wear and tear is evident when I compare my body to that of my 26 year old self traversing the Annapurna base camp route in Nepal. That was a challenge too but without the same type of pain.
Part of day two led to some emotional reflection for me. Having completed such a tough day yesterday yet feeling strong early in today’s walk I realized that I am still strong; physically and emotionally. The past few years have been challenging ones with having a few disconcerting health concerns (thyroid, BP issues and hand injuries) and significant losses. The most emotional being the loss of my beloved father and another just recently of my faithful furry family member. Another loss that I suffer, as do so many others, is that of some faith in my fellow humans. I resolve not to truly lose my optimism about the good in the world, but the last year and a half has been a difficult test.
Ultimately though the substance of who I am lies in my optimism and humanistic nature. As I walked on day two I remembered that and I appreciated the challenge of yesterday to allow me to get that message early on during this journey
Revelations today- big and small.
* I am still strong, healthy and optimistic
* Smiling, even during a challenge is helpful for me. I made an effort to smile all day during the difficult climb and I feel better about having mindfully chosen that behavior today.
* Thinking about breathing and reminding myself of some principals from Reiki is a great tool for me.
* After a challenging day/time the next days seems exponentially sweeter.
* A am thinking about writing tips for couples walking the Camino. Tip one. Don’t touch or talk to the slower walker after the 10 mile mark. Get any kisses in early in the day.
* It is helpful to take off your shoes, socks and breathe during the long days of walking.
Pamplona or Bust! Xo