Today I choose joy!

Day 12. I finally know that it is Wednesday

I woke up refreshed after my very cold and wet day yesterday. I slept virtually from 7:00 PM to 6:00 AM.

Walking has become easier and the mileage today did not seem difficult so neither of us questioned our ability to get to our destination today. Today’s weather is expected to be even colder than yesterday with 100% chance of rain and snow. The elevation at the top of the expected climb is about 1100 meters (1000 foot elevation gain from the town we are in). That doesn’t seem extreme by Colorado standards but ensures us a wet and cold day again.

For me this journey is not about reaching my destination in a certain way. It is not about proving to myself that I can be tough. (It’s not about that for Colin either). It is about allowing myself freedom to be who I am and to not judge myself. It is also about not caring about what others think of me or my decisions. It is about joyful, interesting moments with Colin and learning about myself along the way.

* Today I (and Colin) have decided to forgo the pending hardship of the day and choose a joyful day. We are going to take a bus to Borgus.
* Today we chose a day where we can enjoy time together and have happy energy to experience the town and see some of the beautiful architecture – rather than sleep off the day after enduring harsh weather.
* Today is about being okay with accepting joy over hardship. For me it feels like a very big move as I tend to tough things out or feel badly if I don’t “succeed”.
* Today deciding that we will have a joyful day together feels like a milestone decision- on the path that I truly want.

As I sit on the warm bus I am happy to see a couple that we met the first day. In fact they were our bunk mates in Roncesvalles and again the next day in Zubiri. They are from Texas (Kimberly and Krestin) and now sit two rows behind us on the bus. It feels that we were meant to meet them again. They were ahead of us for a while, walking faster along the way and I thought I may never get to connect with them (and I was sad I hadn’t thought to exchange our numbers). They update us on the others that were a bit ahead of us; another Texan, Kelly who was traveling alone and Guiermo and Iris from Puerto Rico/Florida. Kelly is ahead of us in Leon as she decided to take a bus and avoid the horrible weather. She may be gone before we get there in about 8 days. Guiermo and Iris may be in Borgus so we might catch up with them at some point.

Our bus today is filled with Peregrinos (pilgrims). Looking out the window at the pictures below is a beautiful thing. The snow is gorgeous and I am warm and happy. The thought of a day of wine, sightseeing and chatting with some old friends (that we met only 12 days ago) is uplifting and joyful.

I chose joy today and it was a fantastic choice. Here are some highlights in photos.