So I have one day left until I hop on a plane and I am getting nervous, nervous about walking a thousand freaking miles! To nervous about leaving all things that bring comfort. What brings me comfort? Well, actually a wide variety of things… hugs, cooking, laughter, meeting friends downtown at my favorite watering hole, to just sitting and visiting and of course laughing oh, and my bed – I love my bed.
Why, did this adventure seem like it would be so easy? And I don’t mean easy in the sense of walking a thousand miles easy because even a dreamer knows that not to be true, but, easy to leave, it seemed like it would be so easy to leave everything…everyone behind – it is not. Whether it is my cute as a button, year and a half old niece (someone said last night – “buttons are not cute”…so to convey her cuteness I don’t know what else to say – someone come up with something and let me know) who is talking (and making sense) and excited about lizards and dirt. To the dear friends/family that have recently lost a family member or the regular things I did that I looked forward to on a regular basis like pottery class or game night?
Maybe this whole thing is to grow a finer appreciation for those wonderful people I have in my life. Is that even possible? From those of you I see on a daily/weekly basis to those of you on not such a regular basis – you all have something that I just love… a sense of humor. Or maybe you can just make me laugh or laugh at yourself which I treasure more than gold.
I recently as in this week have actually learned a lot about myself which is kind of funny at 36. Determined, stubbon and loyal which can all be both a positive and a fault but, maybe that is what will get me through this crazy little adventure. I have always read horoscopes that say Leo’s love the lime light; I never thought that was true of me – I tend to get anxious in the spot light and not feel deserving. But my god you guys have been more than generous and actually to those of you that ended up helping make this happen I don’t think I can express in words how thankful I am. I truly would have had to cancel this whole thing if it wasn’t for you and I am truly appreciative. I keep hearing you would have done it for me – which yes, I would have but I don’t know- it is really hard to be on the receiving end of things.

So I was given these angel cards sometime ago by a dear friend. So the idea is to pull three cards without looking - it is a kind of magic ball-ish, horoscope-ish kind of thing. For months I have been pulling cards with the words of, clarity, communication, purpose, surrender, the other day I remembered them (they used to sit at my desk at work) and I have been pulling the coolest cards the last couple of days like beauty, joy, grace and delight. So these are the words I am going to leave you all with…

Beauty, Joy, Grace, Delight
and I am adding one
Love

Greetings and welcome!

So as most of you may know already, I have decided my life was becoming the same thing day in and day out... My job was slowly killing me, my hair was falling out, my heath deteriorating, sprained ankles and asthma had me down... to say the least .... something had to change. So I decided to do the Camino de Compostela or otherwise known as the Way of St James.... Okay... I know some of you are asking "What the hell is that?" If you have known me for any length of time then you will know I strive and thrive for dreams and the traditional tourist adventure. So now ask what the Hell is this and why am I doing it it... It is a mix of unusual, very unusual and a bit touristy... But frankly it was a cheap way to get out of dodge for an extended amount of time! It is a very long walk, a 940 mile walk... I am starting in Le Puy, France and walking to Santiago, Spain. I leave on the the 26th and hope start walking on the 28th. No, this is not a tour - no guy in a van with water will be behind me in case I am tired and don't want to walk anymore. I am not going with anyone - I am basically walking by myself for 6 weeks ...what the hell was I thinking? I feel the need for a little soul searching... granted by the time I'm 2 weeks into it I feel I will have had enough soul searching but I will trek on!

Originally I had planned to return home to my comfortable life on the central coast... Little did I know when I first started planning this journey that my world would be shaken, turned upside down and drenched with a hose. In the last two weeks, I have lost my job, had to find a place to live (put an amazing amount of my belongings in storage) and over come pneumonia and bronchitis! I was told that people who commit to "sacred travel" have to go through a death of one life to begin the next. I think that about sums it up!

So if I get to start over... with a new life that is... I better be married to one hunk of a man with dark hair, dark skin and a sexual appetite of a rabbit! Or be someones muse! HEE HEE! No seriously... What is in store for someone who is doing a trip like this... Of course it will have some life changing experiences... What kind of challenges and treasures do I face? I guess we'll find out!

If you are visiting this blog than you must be curious to how this "lil adventure" is going. I will be attempting to update this blog along the way... Keep in mind... I do not speak a lick of French or Spanish and will be in remote areas of the countries... I'll try to keep it interesting! HA!