Paris and beyond

Yikes it's been over a week! I was doing so well keeping up with this thing. Since I last wrote I have been really busy and bouncing all over the place. While in Rome, I did some more awesome tours of the crypts and catacombs, the colosseum and Roman forum, and a day trip to Assisi. All of them were fabulous and incredible to experience. I think the bone crypt in the monastery and the town of Assisi, home of St. Francis and St. Clare, were my favorites. I absolutely loved my time in Rome, but it was time to move on.

I took the train to Milan, Italy to Nice, France, and then to Paris. Is was a looooong travel day/night but I'm happy to report it's the last travel day on my EURail pass and I am DONE. WITH. TRAINS. I have been staying with a friend I made on the Camino and her husband in Paris. They were so kind to take me in for almost a week and let me use their apartment as a base while I go out and explore Paris each day. I have seen everything I wanted to see- Eiffel tower, Notre Dame, Louvre, Moulin Rouge, Arch de Triumph, and all of that good stuff. I have mastered the Paris metro and bus system and really am enjoying my time here in France.

I think the highlight of my time in Paris hasn't really been Paris itself even though I have been having a good time. Spending time with someone who completed the Camino with me, reminiscing, discussing, and sharing stories and experiences has been incredible. It's one of the things I needed before heading back to the States in order to keep the Camino alive and take with me what I have learned and experienced. Since the Camino I have been running wild through Morocco, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. I've done bike tours, bus tours, bout tours, walking tours, camel riding, hiking, site seeing, and experiencing new foods and meeting new people as much as possible. It's been a wild 5 weeks since I finished walking with a lot of memories made. Not to mention Dublin is just around the corner where I will be meeting up with high school and college friends as I cheer on the Irish in the Emerald Isle Classic.

With all of this, it might be easy to look past the way I spent my first month in Europe. But spending these last days with a fellow pilgrim has been just what I needed to keep the lessons I've learned fresh in my mind and ready to be part of daily life when I return to the States.

As the months turned into weeks and now the weeks are turning into days, I am feeling so fortunate and blessed to have experienced all of this. A new school year is under two weeks away which excites me so much, as well as seeing the familiar faces of friends and family. It's an exciting time to say the least- living up the end of my trip as well as preparing for my return. With that said, I'll post again one last time from Dublin.

Kick off is 10 days, 2 hours, 41 minutes, and 3 seconds away in case you were wondering.

HERE COME THE IRISH!

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Vatican and Pompeii

I. Love. Rome. Wow is the first word that comes to mind. I have learned so much, seen so much, and absolutely loved my time here so far. Staying with Tiff has been a luxury- refrigerator, kitchen, washing machine... Amazing! On top of the comforts of her apartment, I have been on two amazing tours and seen so much in just the three days I've been here. My first day here, Tiff took mean a walk around the city. We covered some serious ground and I saw the colosseum, pantheon, trevi fountain, and lots of other cool stuff. Just walking around with her is incredible because she is a wealth of knowledge. It's honestly like a walking textbook and I've been learning so much. The next day was the Vatican tour. It's hard to describe how amazing it was to just be in Vatican City. Growing up Catholic, the Vatican is a big deal. I remember sitting in my principals office in high school, obviously skipping class, when they elected Pope Benedict XVI. Seeing the white smoke on TV was cool, but actually standing in St. Peter's Square was awesome. The church is the biggest in the world, and it doesn't disappoint. Seeing Blessed/Pope John Paul II's grave was really cool especially since he is only one step away from being a Saint. The history, the artifacts, the artwork, and the interesting stories and details made the Vatican tour pretty sweet. Having my friend from college do it and have her giving credit to her St. Mary's education- AWESOME!
Today Tiff set me up on a bus trip down south to Naples to see Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii. I of course knew the story of the volcano and the preservation of Pompeii, but I learned so much hiking up to the top of Vesuvius and having a guided tour of the excavation site of Pompeii. I can't even behind to describe how neat it was to walk down the streets and take in all of this preserved history. You really feel like you are in 79AD right before Vesuvius erupted.
I'm not sure words can do justice for how much I am learning and loving it. I definitely took school for granted and have no problem admitting that. Recently I have noticed how much I enjoy learning new things and researching ideas I'm interested in even though I've been out of school for 3 years. Wth that said, these past couple of weeks could translate into 10 years of schooling. The best part is the living textbook of traveling and seeing everything first hand. I remember vividly the day I learned how to write my whole name in cursive in Mrs. Frain's second grade class. I also remember the day I memorized Sick by Shel Silverstein in Mrs. Bolam's 4th grade class, I successfully solved an equation before anyone else in Mrs. Kennedy's Algebra 2/Trig class in 11th grade, and getting my praxis score and calling my professor Mrs. Vanmeter to make sure that was passing (it was). These memories of my education will now be joined by so many new educational experiences this summer alone. And the best part is... I still have a couple of more days in Rome, as well as Paris and Dublin to explore.

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En Route to Rome

So I'm en route to Rome and these sweet Italian trains have quite the hook up. Literally, I can charge my iPad so I thought I would write. Heading to Rome is pretty exciting for me. I refer to the Pope as my homeboy and here I am getting ready to go see his town. I of course want to see the Pope and the Vatican, but also the colosseum, pantheon, Trevi fountain, Sistine chapel, and on and on and on. Rome offers so much and I am ready to take it on full speed ahead.

Yesterday during my chill out relaxing in my hotel room, first night not on a top bunk in a hot crowded room in quite some time, I was able to be productive actually. Catching up with friends, researching some things, planning some things, it was great! Two of my friends have just returned from Ghana and hearing their stories and updates was amazing. The best was seeing their pictures and seeing how far the school is coming along as well as the bright smiles that still run across the kids faces. I am so thankful to be able to travel like I am and see the world. Europe has always been a destination I wanted to tackle and I really feel like I accomplished my goal this summer. With that said, I miss Ghana so much. Seeing the pictures and hearing the stories only added to that. I am going to need to find a balance between seeing the world and returning to Ghana every summer from now on.

Recently I heard from a student who was returning from a service trip this summer. Talking to her and hearing about her experiences was surprisingly fulfilling for me. Even though I didn't go on a service trip this summer, hearing her stories made me reflect on my own experiences in the past. She told me about her first day of work. She wasn't feeling to connected to it. Of course she was happy to be there but something was missing. After praying a bit she looked up and saw a rainbow across the sky. It was at that moment that she knew she was doing what she was supposed to do.

The Assumption of Mary is this week and I feel that this story from my student goes along with the Assumption perfectly. When the angel appeared and Mary agreed to have Jesus she was doing the work of God. In Luke it says "blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." Doing service work is rewarding in many ways. When my student said she knew this is what she was supposed to be doing, it was a satisfaction that she felt that is unlike anything else. It's as if you're being rewarded by God, without actually being paid or given anything. I personally think this is the blessing Luke was referring to when you 'hear the word of God and observe it'. No one said following Gods word would be easy, but someone DID say you will blessed. Therefore, why not?

......

I've been in Rome for less than 24 hours and I've accomplished so much. I watched Roman Holiday, I did yoga for the first time, I went to church, and I even went to confession. I arrived in Rome and went to my meeting spot to meet up with my friend Tiffany. She was two years ahead of me at St. Mary's, but when I was a freshman her and some other juniors took me under their wing to show me the ropes. I havent seen her since her senior year so over 5 years. It's been really fun reminiscing about college and catching up.

Her job here in Rome is giving tours of the Vatican and other sites. She is totally hooking me up and I will be seeing Rome like few do. Even just walking down the street with her she is explaining things and answering my questions about stuff. I feel bad because during her time away from work she is getting the stupid tourist questions but she claims she doesn't mind. So far I can report that yes she really loves her job, Americans are not the dumbest ones on her tours (I won't say which country is...), and yes she has slipped and said 'poop' instead of 'Pope' before.

I went to church this morning at a beautiful basilica down the street from her apartment. I was a little early so I was just wandering around taking in the statues and paintings and things. I saw priests were doing confessions and when I saw one in English I thought why not. Like I said on Facebook, the Pope is on vacation so now I am in charge. I needed to be in a sinless state for my new title.

The game plan is to stay here for about 5 or 6 days. I will be doing St. Peter's and Vatican tour, the colosseum tour, a tour to Assisi to say what up to St. Francis' hometown, the Pantheon as well as the Roman Forum, and hopefully reenacting a chariot race at some point. The list is long but I am pretty excited about everything.


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Venice and Florence

I haven't written in a couple of days so I thought I should catch up on what I have been up to. Its nothing fancy just some random stories. Salzburg was awesome. The Sound of Music was clearly the highlight, but everything else was pretty cool too. I met lots of nice people and saw some neat things.
I complained a lot about Venice but in reality it wasn't too bad. It was my own fault for getting lost. I didn't really have a map. I just had a mental picture that I was trusting myself to find my way with. I'm not sure what I was thinking actually. Besides that, Italy is just super hot which is expected for August. I think the crowds are frustrating me too. So i think the heat and people got the best of me and I took it out on Venice. In reality, it was pretty cool. There isn't a whole lot to see, but I am glad I got to experience the vibe and flow of the city. I think the most interesting thing was the line to see San Marco was the longest line I have ever seen. When I realized there was a mass at 10 I got to sneak in a side door. There were a million people in line yet only 7 people in the mass in the side chapel. Kinda sad. However, I then walked right into the church without waiting in any line and thanked Jesus for that one!

Overall, Italy is beautiful. The art and architecture is incredible. I've been in Florence for a couple of days and actually got a little burned out. Running around crazy from city to city, arriving in Florence and trying to see the David and Duomo and all of that stuff had me absolutely exhausted. I decided to get a hotel and chill for a day before heading to Rome. It was a good decision and here I am refreshed and ready to meet up with my friend Tiff from Saint Mary's who has been living in Rome for almost 5 years. I'm catching a one o'clock train and will be in Rome before 3. Not too bad!


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The Hills Are Alive...

I arrived in Salzburg, Austria yesterday with one thing on my mind- The Sound of Music. I think some guy named Mozart is from this town, but let's be honest with ourselves. Salzburg can only have one hero and that is Fräulein Maria. I even watched the movie on the train on the way here to get all siked up. Very similar to the way I watched "Rudy" every day in high school...

Now many of you know after being kicked out of the convent, my grandmother got married and had nine kids. I am not sure if me being able to relate to the story line makes me absolutely love it- or just the fact that the movie is SO GREAT. From the music, to the scenery, to Captain Von Trap looking oh so good, there are so many possible reasons to love this movie. And today, on the Fräulein Maria Bike Tour, I was able to witness first hand where all of the magic took place from the movie. From dancing in the garden, to singing on my bike, and even looking for nuns at the abbey- I was livin' the Sound of Music dream.

It was last Sunday when I was in Munich, I went to church and once again found myself not understanding a single word. It was my first mass in German which was quite entertaining but that's just because I think German sounds funny. After mass I looked up the gospel to fill myself in on what they were talking about. It was a gospel that many of us are probably familiar with- when Jesus fed 5,000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

I like this story a lot because besides the fact it's a miracle, it is also a clear depiction of what to do when we are in a tough spot. You see, Jesus told the disciples to feed the people and all they had was a little bit of food- no where near enough to feed the crowd. So what did they do? They brought what they had to Jesus, a little bread and a couple of fish, and he took care of it. He managed to feed everyone there. Just like the disciples, when we are in a bind, we should take what we have and bring it to Jesus. He will take care of us just as he took care of the huge crowd of people. In fact, he took such good care of them that they even had leftovers.

When I was watching the Sound of Music yesterday, one scene stood out that I don't remember that well. When the Reverened Mother sang CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN, I found myself getting all pumped up very similarly to when I watch Rudy and he gets to play in his first Notre Dame football game. She had such passion and the way she sang that song to Maria inspired me all the way through my iPad. I love the message of both the Sound of Music and Rudy. Even when you work hard you might think you are coming up short. But Maria ended up falling in love and marrying one good looking guy, and Rudy ended up playing for the Irish, both of them thought they were in a bind. But God ending up taking care of them.

Similarly to Maria and Rudy, I found myself struggling to look for a job when I was finishing my year in Ghana. A professor of mine told me to stop worrying about applications and stressing myself out. She told me I was doing Gods work, so give it up to him, and he will take care of me. I thought, "not a bad idea" and totally left it in is hands. I could not have been more blessed to have the amazing job I have now at St. Catherine's. I'd like to say this shows that not only in movies does following the gospel ring true. (But if anyone wants to make a movie about me, I'm all for it!)

If we take what we have, give everything we got, and give it up to God- He will take care of the rest.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
'Till you find your dream.

A dream that will need
All the love you can give,
Every day of your life
For as long as you live.

...

How do you solve a problem like Maria?
Give it up to God.


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Munich and Dachau

I haven't written for awhile so I figured it was about time. I am currently in Munich, Germany and loving it! I didn't know much about Munich, but that is part of the fun. I took a bike tour around the city visiting beer gardens, buildings, parks, monuments, and all of that exciting stuff. Seeing Munich by bike is definitely the way to go. My tour guide, Antonio, was so knowledgable it was incredible. The way he took us around town, told stories, and did so with humor and from a bike was awesome. I think I'm going to start teaching while riding a bike around the classroom.

The kings and princes were interesting to learn about, but it was Hitler and the Third Reich that was absolutely mind blowing. The way we were riding past the exact places and looking at buildings, replicas of the old ones before Munich was bombed, made the history so real. The inside stories and little tidbits of information that no book or movie could teach you or show you made the bike tour one of my favorite things I've done in Europe so far. 

Today I went to Dachau Concentration Camp. I met a tour group at the train station, and off we went about 30 minutes outside of Munich. Dachau is a really old town in Germany that happened to have the first concentration camp on the outskirts of the town. I knew it would be a depressing day, but there was no way to prepare for the experience I had today. 

I remember reading NIGHT by Elie Weisel in high school. It really painted a picture of life in the concentration camps with Weisel's descriptions and personal story. I also remember an interview from my Oprah DVD's when Weisel told Oprah that it wasn't until he took his son to the camp that he understood what his dad had gone through. Even reading his dad's book wouldn't do it justice, but rather, he had to SEE it. After seeing Dachau today, walking through the front gate, the rooms, the gas chamber, the crematorium, and compound as a whole painted a picture all to clear. And I would agree with Elie Wiesel, you have to SEE it.

You learn about the Holocaust in school, you see movies, you read books like NIGHT, but there is nothing like seeing it all first hand. I remember going to the Pentagon after September 11th, and feeling over powered when I saw the chapel built as a memorial when thinking it was exactly here where the plane came through and all those people lost their lives. The same thing at the slave castle in Cape Coast, Ghana where so many people were dehumanized before even getting on the ship. It was exactly here where all those terrible things happened. Not that any tragedy can be compared to another one, but seeing things first hand paints a picture all too clear. Just like my bike tour not only taught me, but showed me the role Munich played in Nazi Germany- there is something to be said for seeing things first hand to get a clearer picture.

I know it's so easy to turn off the TV, not read the newspaper, and just pretend we don't see the injustices happening in our world. The keyword here is pretend. We know its happening but we pretend like its not. By turning off the TV or not opening the newspaper is not stopping the injustice. And I think Elie Wiesel makes a valid point when he says, "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." But who am I to make a difference? Who are we to stop all the injustices in the world? Isn't the Holocaust over? Yes, in 1945 American troops liberated those survivors in Dachau. But there are plenty of injustices right here in our neighborhoods as well as in our world that are being ignored or turned off from our minds.

I'm no Elie Wiesel, and I have never gone through anything even comparable to what he did or those did at Dachau. But all of us have gone through some type of injustice at some point in our lives. It's so easy for us to say "Why God?", "Why me?" or something on those lines. I personally think these are the wrong questions. We can't change what happened, why they happened, or why people have so much hatred. But what we can do, is ask "What now?" In Corinthians it tells us that faith, hope, and love will last forever. Yes, injustices happen. But we should stop asking why, and instead do something about it. And if your actions are through faith, hope, or love I'm pretty sure you're on the right track. When it comes to injustices and other people struggling and hard times please don't ignore them. They won't go away. DO something, or better yet, BE something. 
BE A LAMP; shed light, help someone understand 
BE A LIFEBOAT; save a life, be there in a time of need 
BE A LADDER; help out, reach new heights

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Interlaken

A lot of people were skeptical when I told them I was traveling solo for almost 3 months. I think the main concern was safety, but I just told the doubters I would be carrying a knife. Others thought boredom would be an issue, but traveling throughout Europe is far from boring. For me, the perks outweigh the downfalls by a lot. When I travel solo, I am more inclined to meet new people and I enjoy my experiences so much more. If I mess up or make a bad decision to do something boring or not worth it- I don't feel guilty for ruining someone else's trip. Instead, I challenge myself to turn that mishap into something fun. If I do something awesome or find something super cool to see, I can soak up the glory because the success was my own. When I'm tired, I rest. When I want adventure, I go for it. No questions, no debating, it's just me and my backpack taking on Europe.

With that said, there have been a lot of mishaps and a lot of awesome experiences thus far in my trip. Switzerland has been a breath of fresh air. It's absolutely beautiful and there is so much to do. Most of it is way above my price range, however, the past 2 days have been jam packed with fun and adventure without totally breaking the bank.

My first day in Interlaken I couldn't help but look up constantly. All day long I was just taking in the views. At one point I saw a building on top of the mountain which caught my attention. I asked about it and learned you can hike or take a cable car type contraption up to it for amazing views. When I heard that, it was a done deal- I was going up there.

I chose to take the cable car up and hike down. I was happy with my decision because on the hike down I was thinking there was no way I would have enjoyed this post-camino. When I got on the cable car and we started moving, I thought to myself "these Swiss are some crazy people" because literally they just build tracks and ropes and cables and take trains, cable cars, and other devices up thousands of feet like it's nothing. My initial opinion of the Swiss engineers has only been proven throughout my stay here because I have seen and rode on some wild, crazy, and absolutely incredible rides.

When I got to the top the view was absolutely breath taking. Finally I didn't have to look up but instead I could look straight ahead to the snow capped peaks, or look down to the lush, green landscapes and crystal blue lakes. The hike down was steep but fun. It was about 2 hrs down and reminded me of my camino days. I was happy not to be doing 30k, and the quiet, solo trek was just what I wanted/needed. When I got to the bottom the trail spit me out right along the river. I followed the river walk for a while, stopped for lunch, and headed back to my hostel. I met some cool kids from UVA, Princeton, Duke, and Chicago. We had dinner together and everyone was telling stories of their bungee jumps, skydives, parasailing, canyon jumping, rafting, and things like that. I just sat back and listened. All of these excursions are like 300 bucks. I think I might do one but I want to hear about all of them before I decide. I actually felt old and realized I couldn't keep up with college kids. I held my own for awhile before the grandma in me decided it was time for bed.

When I woke up today the weather was beautiful. It was actually pretty hot and so I thought I would go on the free boat ride on the lake. I went to catch the bus, got on the wrong bus, and ended up at the waterfalls. Not a bad mistake, I just had to laugh at my inability to read a map. I took the bus to a small town in the mountains. From there, I walked about 3 miles through town taking in the mountains and about 5 waterfalls. I kept seeing signs for this waterfall thing and I didn't quite understand. There were waterfalls in every direction why was this one so special? I followed the signs and ended up looking at a mountain with no waterfall. I was really confused until I saw this cave contraption. Once again, the Swiss engineers rock my world. Inside this cave, there is a train car thingy ma bob that takes you up inside the mountain. Once you get out, there are 10 glacier waterfalls inside the mountain that have carved corkscrew slide looking tunnels with water just flowing. It was really mind boggling to take in what I was looking at. How they built this thing I have no idea- but reaping the benefits was something I was happy to do.

This is where the traveling solo thing just took over. I wandered through this town, wound up at a cable car, took it straight up the mountain, took a train across the mountain, then took a cable car back down the mountain. I had no idea what I was doing, where I was going, but it all worked out perfectly. The views of course were stunning, the towns I went through precious, and the people I met who kept pointing me in the right direction were awesome.

Since I missed the boat ride today - that is on the agenda for tomorrowa. I also want to bike and explore this area on two wheels. Besides the hiking and the mountains, the cheese and chocolate are pretty great, too. So far so good Switzerland.
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Bern Baby Bern

What's upppp from Interlaken, Switzerland. It's by far the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my entire life. I think Glacier National Park in Montana held that title until now... But Interlaken for sure wins the prize. Tomorrow I'll be hiking so I'll post some pics of this magical place.

Today's picture is from Bern, Switzerland. Bern is the capital of Switzerland which was new to me (I just assumed it was Zurich). I was in Bern for a night and explored around the city all morning. It was such a cool city. I was a little angry about being there to start things off. I missed a train because the incompetent lady messed up my stuff. I had to cancel my hostel booking and make a new one. It's more complicated than it sounds. The travel day was long and when this happened I was not in a pleasant mood. On top of that, I have been feeling crummy for a couple of days since Morocco. Nothing seemed to be going my way which was putting me down in the dumps.

Arriving in Switzerland in the wrong town turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Bern was one of the coolest cities I have seen. Surrounded by a crystal blue river of glacier water, a bear park, a beautiful clock tower, sweet city streets, and a really cool church that allows you to climb to the top for aerial views of the city- Bern has got it going on!

After a couple of hours exploring Bern - cut short because the Einstein museum was closed when I was looking forward to getting really smart - I headed to the train station to depart for Interlaken. I have mastered looking lost and asking for help when it comes to which platform, what train number, how many stops, do I really need a ticket or can I sneak on (just kidding), and things like that. Trains here are remarkable in how they go everywhere, yet a pain in the butt when they don't translate where we are or where we are going.

From finishing walking 800km on the Camino in Spain, heading south to Morocco, north to Barcelona, East to France, and farther East to Switzerland, I am exhausted. Not only that, I really miss life on the Camino. The strenuous walks may have left battle wounds on my feet and aches in my knee, but it had me in a great place mentally and spiritually. Since then, it's been a headache of trains, planes, languages, and things like that.

When I arrived in interlaken, I took a deep breath, and made it my goal to stay at least a week. I want to find that peace I had on the Camino. I somehow lost it while riding camels, rushing to different platforms to catch trains, and running for the nearest toilet/hole in the ground while sick. It's funny because I know it's there, I just need to find it.

It's in all of us actually. Jesus made us in his image. He lives inside each one of us. But just like any relationship- it takes work. You can't expect him to do all the work. You wouldn't expect a healthy relationship or friendship to flourish when one person is doing all the work. Don't wait for Jesus to come to you. Go to him, find him. I promise if you start talking... He will respond.

When we get caught up in our busy lives its easy to forget about Jesus and our faith. But he doesn't forget about us. He just waits patiently. He has faith in us I think... And I'm not letting him down. He has blessed me with so much. And to be honest, life is so much better when you have a friend in Jesus.

I remember in 8th grade science I learned about dependent and independent variables. I forget which one is which but that's besides the point. When you are doing an experiment you should only change one variable at a time. Otherwise, when you change more than one you won't have control or know what was effecting the outcome. On the Camino, I was doing the same thing day in and day out. Wake up, walk, eat, think, talk, sleep. The only variable that was changing was my prayer and interaction with my faith and things like that. The better days were the days I was walking and talking with Jesus- that's for sure. I may not be Einstein, his museum may have been closed today, but after testing my hypothesis this was my own personal proven outcome. I enjoy life much more when I recognize that Jesus is in me and I acknowledge his presence.

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Camel Trek- Merzouga, Morocco

When I lived in the Convent in Ghana I would always volunteer to ride along with Mr. Danso (the driver) or whoever was doing the drop off or pick up at the airport. The sisters were constantly coming and going and airport runs we're at least a couple of times a month. No one really understood why I would constantly volunteer to go along for the ride when with traffic- the 2 hour round trip could easily be doubled. The answer for me was quite simple: the car had air conditioning. Airport runs were a break from the heat that I looked forward to all the time. Mr. Danso knew my reasoning and he started to bring a sweater with him for the rides- full blast AC was a little too much for him. When I compare the heat in Ghana to Morocco- there is no comparison. Morocco is soooo much hotter.

Morocco has been over 120 degrees everyday I have been here. The desert was like 130. I have my own washcloth/sweat rag that comes with me everywhere I go. I caught on pretty quickly that they are used to tourists and therefore dress code is not really an issue... THANK THE LORD I can wear my Bball shorts and a Tshirt. I think walking around naked might still be a little offensive. And I would do anything to have Mr. Danso to drive me around this country with my full blast air conditioning.

Since I last wrote I have been to the desert and back. It was two nights with no AC too long. However, the camel ride was incredible and well worth the suffering. Part of the draw in coming to Morocco was the fact the Sahara desert and camel riding are here. I've seen pictures, I've read about it in books, I even taught about it, and yes, I think the background to our Gateway 2000 was a picture of the desert for awhile. I saw pictures of my brother riding a camel when he studied Arabic here in Morocco, and therefore, I was going to make this happen.

The picture in my head of the desert was pretty much what I experienced. I arrived to my sand castle hotel really late and therefore couldn't see anything. When I woke up and saw I was surrounded by sand dunes I got a little nervous. I only had one water bottle and the image of me crawling up that dune in search of water but seeing a mirage of my cousins Ella and Charlie holding slurpees from 7-11 was all too clear. The sand castle, hippie, lacking AC and refrigeration hotel was only slightly sketchy. The restless nights dripping with sweat and waking up to a sweat body print on the bed still doesn't explain just how hot it was. Craving cold water and even willing to suffer a brain freeze doesn't begin to describe my uncomfortable stay in the desert. However, there are some things we just have to endure if we want to experience one of the coolest things ever- camel riding in the Sahara.

The ride itself lasted a couple of hours but the memories will last a lifetime I'm sure. Being surrounding by massive dunes in all directions, holding on for my life when going up or down the steep dune and taking in the experience as a whole was amazing. The highlight was probably climbing up the dune myself during one of the pit stops. It was then I realized just how hard it is to make your way through the desert. The camels make it look easy. I sat on top of the dune, catching my breath, and thinking to myself just how crazy it is that I was here. The 9 hr ride to the desert and the 13 hr ride out of the desert seem like nothing for the opportunity to do what I did.

Teaching about the Gold Salt trade was always fascinating to me. I had seen the gold mines in Ghana... Not quite like you would picture. I've seen them collecting salt just outside of Tangier on the train just days before. However, to experience the process of riding a camel in the Sahara gives a WHOLE new meaning to Trans-Saharan trade. I have no idea how they did it. I have no idea how people live there. And I have no idea how I managed to survive for just the 2 days I was there.

While on top of the dune a lovely sand storm came through. It was about 15 minutes of sand blowing in all directions. You couldn't open your eyes, but if you peaked out a little like I did you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. If you were wearing basketball shorts and a Tshirt during the sand storm like I was, you could feel the grains whipping your arms and legs and stinging so badly that you wanted to cry yet you realize for the first time in days you aren't sweating. However, the negative piece was the lovely sand storm broke my camera. I was able to get my pictures off the memory card but the lens won't open. Once I get to a bigger city in Europe I'm hoping to hit up a camera store and see if it can be fixed. If not, Im hoping my mom wants to give me a HALF BIRTHDAY gift...? Or a RAMADAN gift? Or a YOU'RE MY FAVORITE CHILD gift?

I was able to make it down the dune and into the arms of my camel driver. He was holding a blanket to block the sand and I sat under that to wait out the storm. Then I realized it wasn't a blanket but his turban and thought to myself I have GOT TO GET ME ONE OF THOSE.

When the storm ended, back on the camel I went, and back to the sand castle hotel the camel took me. I named my camel "Olivia Newton John" because she was really SANDY! Good one huh? So, Olivia Newton John and I shared a magical experience in the desert together, I sweat my butt off all night, and then I took a bus 13 hours to Marrakech. I didnt have a place lined up to stay so i was a little nervous when the bus was late and we didn't arrive until almost 10. But some girl on the bus told me she was staying in a place with AC. I have found the key to my heart and it starts with an A. and it ends with a C. I'll be here tonight, and exploring all day tomorrow before catching my plane back to Europe to continue the originally planned trip. However, I think I'm changing my order of countries to visit because it's been so hot I really want to go to Switzerland next. I really wish the carpet I bought was a magic one so I could take it to the North Pole. The EURAIL doesn't have the North Pole as an option unfortunately. This will probably be the last post from Morocco so with that- GOODBYEEEE AFRICAAAAA AND HELLLLOOOO EUROPE!

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Fes, Morocco

(Warning: I realize I look like I was sweating in 110+ heat... Because I was)
More pictures on Facebook.

Its been only 3 days since I last wrote but it feels like weeks. Not only that, I am in a totally different world. From a simple life walking the Camino for a month to a sensory overload in Morocco was a huge jump. When people asked me why Morocco next... my answer was because I was so close while in Spain, when will I ever get the chance to go again, or something like that. Once I arrived and was taken captive of Morocco's culture and essence it was clear why I came here. The culture is unlike anything I have ever experienced. The sights, the colors, the smells, the people... It's literally a different world that you have to see, hear, taste, and touch to believe.

But how did I get here is the question. It was no easy feat like I imagined it was going to be. On Friday night I took an overnight train to Madrid from Santiago. You see, Kari from IL. was going to come with me. So Friday am we went to talk to a travel agent to find the best and cheapest option to Morocco. She ended up backing out because it was a big decision and had to be made on the spot which she couldn't do. Me on the other hand... Sign, seal, and lets go! Traveling solo is fun for me and I'm ready for this next adventure so it was okay that she backed out. I ended up ditching the travel agent and walking to the train station to see if my eurail pass would work. It was around noon and I booked a train to Madrid that night and then another one to the south of Spain to a city called Algeciras all on my EURail pass. BAM!

I was on the train to Madrid all night and arrived at 730am. I sat in Starbucks to kill time and 7 hours later ( in order to use their wifi you have to buy something every 45 minutes. I asked what the cheapest thing was since I'm not a huge fan of coffee or tea and water here is so expensive. She pointed to the individually wrapped pieces of gum. I felt like a baseball player because I had a huge wad of gum in my mouth since I was there for so long...) I went back to the train station to get my second train south. After about 24 hours of travel time I was on the southern coast of Spain. When I got to the port to figure out the ferry I wasn't going to arrive to Tangier until after midnight and well without a reservation or any clue about where to go or what to do once in Morocco, I decided to wait on the ferry until the morning.

At 930am the ferry left for Tangier, Morocco. I had no idea what I was doing, where I was going, or any of the details. Literally when I stepped off the boat, back in Africa!, I looked around and saw lots of Arabic, lots of French, and started laughing because at this moment I was totally here. I made it. And the best part was I was clueless as to what I was doing- which was awesome.

I heard Tangier isn't the best of towns, it's a port city, and that Fes and Marrakesh and the desert are where to go. So I took a taxi from the port to the train station, got on a 5 hr train with no AC in about 110 degree heat, and headed for Fes. While on the train I sat across from a 25 yr old college student who spoke awesome English. He was from Fes and writing down places to go, things to see and do, and what to eat for me. When we arrived after a horrible ride that I'm choosing not to reminisce about, I was just going to get a taxi and head where he told me to go. Instead, he got a taxi for me, took me to my hotel, handled the business, had tea (I'll explain later), took me to meet his family, and gave me the best tour of Fes you could ever imagine. I couldn't have planned a better first day in Morocco.

I know this is a long post but I really want to write about what I experienced during more tour. After I dropped my bag in my room (AC and wifi!), Yassin (Friend from train) left to go see his family. I hadn't eaten all day and was exhausted. I had a pastilla, chicken and veggies with cinnemon and sugar. It sounds weird and I stink at explaining it, but it tasted different than anything I have ever had before. It was delicious! After I ate, it was like 5pm and I was going to nap. Next thing you know, Yassin brings his mother to my hotel to meet me. She said she wanted to show me the city. And so together- me, Yassin, and his mom, were off into the Medina. Fes has two parts to the city (I might not be exactly right with these numbers and explanations but I did just arrive). There is the old town (Medina) and new town. The Old Town, or medina, is where I am staying. It's really hard to explain but it's surrounded by a wall, no real buildings, just a bunch of shanty-type structures right up against one another, with 1200 streets without names. It's a maze to say the least and no cars or bikes- only walking. I don't think words can do this labyrinth of streets justice. Donkeys carry goods around, and the houses are in there along with the market. The market is very similar to Ghana's. Therefore, the sights and smells and bartering and hassling was nothing new for me. So, my tour guides took me to the Medina hotspots. I saw mosques, the oldest university in the world, co-ops where they make leather goods (the whole process from animals, to washing, to dying, to artisans), carpets (the most incredible house that makes displays, sells, beautiful rugs), clothes, jewelry, pottery, everythingggg. Now, if I understand this right, all transactions are over tea. Moroccan whiskey as they call it to be exact. No alcohol, just mint tea with lots of sugar. Everywhere we went, I sat down with them, drank tea, talked about everything, before actually getting down to business. I could tell them up front that I wasn't going to buy something, but that didn't matter. I still got the whole show- a tour of the building, how they made the goods, the tea, and usually a trip to the roof to see the view of the city. The book, 3 Cups of Tea, was running through my head all day. I think I had about 7 cups... Anyway, I ended up buying lots of stuff.

I absolutely love bartering. I feel like I'm really good at it... I just like to think that I know I don't NEED anything, I just WANT it. Therefore, if I get my good deal - great, if not - no big deal. With this mindset, however, you need to be careful. These people are trying to make a living and take care of their families. I don't want to rip them off at all, I just don't want to spend too much because I am a tourist. I think I did pretty well because they were laughing at me and calling me BERBER WOMAN, or local woman.

The population here is mostly Berber or Arab- with most people claiming to be both. The Berbers were the first inhabitants of this area, with the Arabs arriving later like the 7th century with the spread of Islam. The Berbers converted to Islam and as far as I know they all just get along. When I go to the desert I will be staying with a traditional Berber family for one night I hope.

My tour guides also took me up to some ruins just outside the medina gate that overlooks the whole city- absolutely amazing view. They introduced me to people they knew, they taught me some words in Arabic, and they explained that they want me to go home and tell people in the US about Morocco. I can honestly say it was a fascinating, exhilarating, and an awesomely-overwhelming (not sure that's a word) day. I couldn't be more happy I chose to come here to experience this country. Like I said, you truly have to come and experience it for yourself because it's too hard to hard to put into words. It's for sure not for everyone, but for a couple of days, it's definitely for me.


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It's Only Just Begun

Well, I made it. I am writing this while sitting outside the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain- the finish line. I arrived here around 11 this morning after starting to walk at 5. But let's go back to the final week.

The last 5 days of the Camino are much different then the first 25. The scenery is always changing so that's not what I mean. But the final 5 days, or 100km, are jam packed crowded. In order to get the certificate you need to start in Sarria- 100km out- basically the last 5 days. That's where things got different because of the amount of people- you are never alone, it's really loud, you're rushing to get to the next stop to make sure you get a bed in the hostels, and with the finish line so close emotions are running through your head in a different way than before. Everything you knew the Camino to be- it isn't any longer.

I was pretty much feeling done with the whole walking thing. However, the excitement, the fulfillment, the accomplishment of the whole thing kept me going. The third and second to last days were fun because I met this mother and daughter from South Africa. They were entertaining and fascinating to talk to. I learned so much and now have a new place I want to visit. Another pilgrim said it best when he said that we may not remember each day's walk, or we may confuse certain towns or cities with others, but the people we meet and the times we share with others will be with us forever. I couldn't agree more with this. The days run together, and the experience becomes a whole not just individual days. But you remember the people for who they are as individuals and you learn from each person and take away so much.

It was yesterday afternoon when I was thinking how it feels like just yesterday I was in France starting this thing. I was remembering perfectly the night before we walked and having dinner with Kari from IL. and Christian from Denmark. I assumed they were a day or maybe two behind me after they spent extra days in Leon. But to my surprise they walked almost three 40k days and we were able to reunite for our final day walking into Santiago.

When Kari and I woke up at 5 our goal was not to rush because after all this was the last day. We wanted to make the pilgrim mass at noon in Santiago so leaving at 5 would allow plenty of time and we would see the sun coming up. With our headlamps we made our way through the eucalyptus trees and before we knew it we were over halfway there at 8am. So we stopped at a cafe for a snack. We ran into Christian here, and that snack turned into a bottle of wine, which turned into 3 bottles of wine by 1030am as we entered the city limits. Walking, laughing, reminiscing, and drinking... It was the most fun walk for reasons you can probably imagine.

The three of us started and finished together which was incredible considering I rarely saw them throughout the rest of the camino. It turns out a lot of people I know finished today as well, and so tonight will be a celebration!

The thought of being able to sleep in and not walk 20mi tomorrow is incredible. I have my own room, and when I arrived here it took me back to my Saint Mary's College days living in my dorm- Lemans Hall. This monastery is way older than Lemans, but the style of rooms is quite similar. And of course staying in a monastery is just like my good old days living in a convent. Needless to say... Home sweet home. Single bed, small room, small bathroom, yet it is everything I could have asked for.
Unloading my backpack was interesting because for the first time I wasn't thinking "this is so heavy I'm carrying so much" but I was thinking "oh no I have nothing how will I survive the next month and a half in Europe..."

I had to stop and reflect on what I have learned on this Camino. It's not about what we carry, it's not about what we wear or what belongings we have, but it's about who we are and knowing who we are. I wore the same shirt every day (yes it's brown now but once it was white), I didn't even have shampoo or soap for my final days (the hotel had a free bar of soap and it was like Christmas finding that sucker), and even with dirty clothes and smelling like the cows I walked by I was happy. I just walked across a country. I pushed myself and believed in myself to accomplish this goal. Knowing that I can do something like this is much more important than smelling good. They say the camino experience is unique and I would have to agree. Alpha and omega, or beginning and end, are reversed. The Camino experience is Omega Ten Alpha. You see the END of the Camino is just the BEGINNING of the rest of your life. Everything you gain for this experience is a part of you from here on out.

The greeting on this walk is "Buen Camino" or good way. You say it to everyone you pass and everyone says it to you. You probably hear it and say it a hundred times a day. No matter your language you know this phrase and you use it. (after the wine we were saying "buen ca-VINO" instead...) The mood today was so happy and encouraging.

As I sit here in Santiago, having just walked 800km, a certificate to prove it, and memories to last a lifetime - I would say that yes, it was a "Buen Camino"... Or yes, I had a good way. But the best is knowing this is just the start. The path I walked is only the beginning. What I experienced and what I learned will be with me forever and will help me find my way in the future.

Next stop.... MOROCCO. Not exactly on the initial itinerary but that's the best part!

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Taking a Break...

Hello all,
I am currently sitting in a coffee shop right next to a huge 12th century templar castle in Ponferrada, Spain. I am down to about a week left on the Camino. I am really pleased with this experience and feel really good about it. It's hard going into something with no expectations. As much as I try to do that, I always have some no matter what. Doing this Camino, at least the first 3/4 of it, has been better than anything I could have expected. I have enjoyed every minute of this Camino- the ups and the downs. Whether those ups and downs were mountains and valleys or the friends I met and the blisters I got. It's been incredible to do this on my own, and I want to enjoy every minute of the end. It's a unique feeling knowing I only have a week left- excitement that the aches and pains will be over with soon, yet it's scary thinking I need to have a game plan about what I am doing next. I have places I want to see and things I want to do but no set itinerary from here on out. When I mentioned Morocco to my mother she wasn't thrilled... And my yodeling lessons in Austria are calling my name. I am going to call it quits for this blog for this last week of the Camino. I am going to limit my Facebook presence as well. I'll be writing just not posting. I'll pick it up once again from my next country... Wherever that may be. Thanks for all the comments on here and on Facebook throughout these past 24 days or so. I'll catch y'all on the flip side!

Katie

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Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July! My day was not the most patriotic... I woke up at 530, started walking at 6, and just finished walking 8 hrs later at 2. I went about 28k today and it was either straight up as we climbed the mountain or straight down. It was one of the most beautiful days out here on the camino... I thought I was going to freeze this morning because up there at 1600ft it was windy and cold. My shorts were not the ideal outfit of choice but what can ya do? I made a couple of videos today on the mountain that I hope to upload. It was during one I realized it was the 4th and got really excited. My apricots, orange, and peanuts didn't really compare to your cook outs and fireworks. But it's okay. I had something better. I had Neil Diamond's "Coming to America" on repeat for a good amount of time. It was the only America song I had, and it was a GREAT one! Even though today I was without any red, white, or blue, or bbqs, or fireworks, or anything independence day-ish... It was a good 4th. I had a good walk with Denmark and made it to the next checkpoint safely. I just remembered I was in Ghana last year and so I have missed 2 in a row. Remind me next year to try and be home to celebrate. All those Pinterest 4th of July recipes you guys are posting on Facebook look delicious! I used to have GOD BLESS AMERICA in my voicemail until enough people made fun of me. However, it is a favorite holiday of mine and I think it's so important to be thankful for living in such an amazing country. Most importantly, we have amazing men and women who keep is safe and serve this wonderful country to be thankful for. Happy 4th of July everyone!

The picture is not the most patriotic... But it's me walking down the mountain about halfway through the day.

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You Only Live Once

I think the most exciting part of the walk today was about 5km into it when I told Denmark I needed a break. I had felt my sock getting really sweaty and that is no good for blisters, so I wanted to change my sock. Well, when we stopped I took my shoe off and HOLY GOOD GOD there was blood everywhere. My sock was covered and it was really gross. I cleaned it up and saw that an old blister on the back of my heal had caused the damage. I cleaned it up, covered it up, and kept on walking. The lovely picture today is my sock. enjoy!

My mom asked me yesterday if I ever thought I could do this. I don't remember what I answered but thinking about it right now... And walking almost 15-20 miles a day... I didn't think about it too much. That was probably a good thing. It was something I wanted to do and so I planned it. If I did think about it, I'm sure I would have realized this is crazy and I'm way too lazy for it. But I think it's good to just go with things. Here I am walking my butt off, meeting tons of people from all over the world, seeing Spain like most people don't see it, and having an awesome time doing it. If I thought about the blisters, the aches and pains, or the mileage I'm sure I would have convinced myself not to do it. Some people might consider it immature or irresponsible, but I think it's just fine to do things this way. If you want something bad enough, just do it. Stop thinking, and do it. If it's out of character, so what. A popular phrase these days is Y.O.L.O. - You Only Live Once. As annoying as it is to hear every teenager saying it 500 times a day- I like it. I'm embracing it. And it's true, you do only live once.

It's on this walk, pilgrimage, journey, 'Wandering', or whatever you want to call it that I'm able to think about not only how to live my life but why live it that way. Why live my life as a follower of Jesus? Why live my life like its the only one I'll get? All the answers are in the bible. Not that I read it as often as I should, but it's all in there. My uncle told me that His word is like a lamp to light my way and guide me. At first I thought he was talking about on this walk, but now I see it's every day of my life. Thanks Frankie D! After all, You Only Live Once.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Or from today...

"Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

My decisions may not always be the best. They might even get me in trouble at times. But when you do something in His name, for His glory and not your own, you are bound for good times. When you only live once, and you live for Him as a believer by his Word, there is no bad decision. Somehow, someway, it all works out. Even the wrong turns can turn into the right way. Let Him guide you, and enjoy the places you go.

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Astorga, Spain

Greetings from Astorga! It is a lovely little city that has a pizza restaurant, therefore I call it lovely. I've only explored a little so far- old buildings, big churches, and everything closed because siesta is my prime time for exploring. I'm writing this from that lovely pizza restaurant after a not so lovely, yet manageable, 32k walk. Yesterday at the hostel I met a new boy from Denmark and a girl from Austin, Texas. This morning the Danish guy was out the door at the same time as me so we walked together. I thought he would be faster than me - but not in my new shoes! Haha just kidding, but he did walk with me all day. The Texan joined us about halfway through or 14km into the walk. We started out next to the road again, which is really annoying. We finally made our way away from it for the second half of the walk. We had a few small climbs preparing us for the mountains that start tomorrow and we will hit the peak on Wednesday... Oh joy!

The 30k was long but manageable. It was a nice break to walk with others and talk to make it go by faster, have someone to complain to, or entertain you with teaching you Danish.

I don't have anything good to say today... Just pretty tired. As for tonight- it's finding a grocery store for breakfast food tomorrow and church at 8 in some church that St. Francis of Asisi was at in the year 1212... I JUST MISSED HIM! Adios!


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Pumped Up Kicks

So THAT is what it is supposed to feel like... Man oh man. I just walked 22k and felt like I could do 22 more. That has NEVER been the case. No sense in pushing it so I stopped at a hostel. No blisters, no pain, only stopped once for water and to dry my socks, and dominated the gravel. It was an ugly walk leaving the city, very industrial. However, I felt like I was flying because my feet felt so good. I won't get too excited but WOOOO HOOOO!!! I honestly felt unstoppable today. My energy is up and I am thrilled despite the fact I'm in the middle of nowhere. Spain plays tonight for the finals in soccer so maybe I'll actually get some sleep. My night in the hotel last night was awesome. After my last post I went to church and walked around the city. At the end of mass the priest called up the pilgrims for a blessing. Once again I had no idea what he was saying, but you can tell when other pilgrims head up to the alter. I need all the prayers I can get so I joined them. He asked where we were all from, and I was the only one representing the US. He said a whole lot of something, but I just smiled. At the end of it he said something at me and I was clueless. He was staring at me, when the Italian woman next to me translated and said he was asking if I understood. I responded "not a word," and she translated that to him. The whole congregation in this huge cathedral started laughing. Turns out that really cool building my hotel overlooked was a church- figures! Anyway, after the blessing when mass ended and some song that sounded really nice was over, the woman I was next to all mass came up to me and started speaking a mile a minute in Spanish. The same Italian lady was near me and she translated. She said, "be safe on your journey and she will be praying for you." That sums up the overall acceptance we get from locals and the respect they show for all those doing the Camino. It's really special and a great feeling that truly does provide motivation for the long walk. Overall, I had a great time in Leon and would for sure go back...

While walking today and loving life I kept thinking of that Footprints Prayer.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I had a dream...
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and Across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; One belonged to me, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of my life flashed before us,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
There was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life
This really bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
You would walk with me all the way;
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, There is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why in times when I needed you the most, you should leave me. The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child. I love you, and I would never,
never leave you during your times of trial and suffering.
When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."

Many times in my life I have questioned where God was when I needed him most. This prayer is so good for those moments. Life might be hard, but just remember you have Jesus to carry you, to lean on, or to walk by your side. I wouldn't necessarily put these past few painful walks in the MOST troublesome points of my life. But I would say it was helpful to have Jesus walking by my side. And today... It felt like I was walking on water! Haha ok ok I'm a little ahead of myself. I am not performing miracles here... I'm just pumped up about my new kicks!

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Livin the Life in Leon

I'm sitting in a restaurant enjoying my pizza and coke like never before. As tempted as I was to go to burger king (another great find after Mickey ds yesterday), I smelled the pizzas coming from the restaurant next to my hotel and couldn't say no. Today was awesome to say the least. I didn't do much, and that's what made it enjoyable. After a bust yesterday because of the festival and stores closed, I went to the convent hostel for church then sleep. I was exhausted and with the snoring people symphony and hot air from so many bodies in one room- I didn't sleep well at all. I was up at 3 contemplating going exploring since I couldn't sleep. I figured my feet needed the rest even if I couldn't. At around 730am I left the hostel with my backpack without a thing to do. I had my list of things to do but hours before stores opened. I felt like a homeless person to be honest- all my belongings on me without a place to go. It was pretty cold this morning and of course I didn't pack anything warm. I hung out in a bar with wifi until around 9. I hadn't showered in about 2 days, my clothes were filthy, and I was exhausted.

When I went back to the sports store I saw yesterday, SANTA CLAUS DEPORTES, I was pleasantly surprised with my options for new shoes. They had my Nikes, for about $150... Ouch. The woman at the store showed me some Solomans, which were exactly what I needed for only $110- we're talking Euros here. So, with our charades of a conversation because my lack of Spanish, I threw out my old shoes and socks and bought new ones. I walked down the street to the farmacia, showed the pharmacist my feet, and literally bought the place out. I ventured to the historic district of town to find a cheap hotel along the Camino route, and found one right across the plaza from a beautiful building (not quite sure what it is- but it looks old and important). I paid about 30euro for my own room, a queen size bed, a full bathroom, real towels and sheets, and the best part- a window which I can open that overlooks the plaza and that really cool old building. I was so siked I passed out and broke in the hotel room with a 3 hour power nap.

When I got up I checked my Facebook and news to me- Kari from Illinois skipped ahead and was in Leon. I messaged her back and came to find out she was throwing up all night after walking 40km in a day... She trained it here to rest up all weekend before continuing the Camino. I went to see her this afternoon and she was not leaving her bed. I'll take the blisters over the vomiting I think.

So here I am enjoying my pizza contemplating my next plan of attack. I have 4 hours of light to see some sights if I'm going to hit the road walking tomorrow. But then there is the possibility of staying another day, meeting up with the young crowd who should be here by then to watch Spain in the EuroCup soccer finals tomorrow night. I think it's going to be a game time decision in the morning. Which will prevail- the comfortable bed or the new shoes I'm dying to try out? If I hit the road and start walking I need to go early. You see, the route is starting to get crowded. That means the hostels are filling up. More pilgrims choose to do the last portion of the walk instead of the whole thing. It should prove to be an interesting final 2 weeks here on the Camino. New shoes, double the pilgrims, more mountains, rainy yet green, and SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (the finish line) in the near future. Goodnight from Leon and hope all is well with each of you. A special shout out to one my roomies from college, Kristin Amram, who is getting married probably as I type this.
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Gravel...

You see, it all started with my near death experience. There were two route options today: I chose the one closest to the road in case I had to hitch hike. Well, the path alongside the road was gravel, and you all know how I feel about gravel. Therefore, I chose to just walk on the shoulder of the road to give my feet the smoothest possible terrain. It would have been fine and dandy if the car didn't try to pass the big truck, but it did. I had to jump off the road and into the side ditch. Yes I fell to the ground, but I still have all my limbs- BONUS! So after I was almost hit by a car- I moved to the gravel path. I started feeling the pain in my feet at this point. It was then the thoughts started rolling.

Over the past few weeks I have been blogging and face booking and receiving the nicest messages and comments ever. You guys really do care, and you show your care and concern with so much love. When I started explaining how badly my feet hurt with my blisters, I can't tell you how many people offered to send care packages to me. The tricky thing is finding a post office along the route that would hold it for me until I got there- not going to happen.

But honestly, from foot care products to candy to even a pair of new shoes- the offers were coming in left and right. The generosity was beyond anything I ever imagined. I can't explain how thankful I am to all of you. But it was while thinking about how kind you guys have been while walking on the gravel that made my head spin.

Rewind about 3 years ago, and picture me riding in a tro-tro in Ghana. My head was probably literally out the window because I was sweating so badly. This is when I noticed the women, with babies on their backs, in the hot sun hammering and chiseling rocks. I couldn't understand why they would sit for hours and hours doing this tedious job- what was it for? When I asked the man next to me he answered, "making stones." In other words, making GRAVEL. This had to be the WORST job ever. They had to fill a big box with chiseled away rock to get paid like 50 cents a day. Hours in the scorching heat hammering away was by far the worst thing I could imagine. Sometimes the truck came to pick it up and pay them, sometimes it didn't show up. No wonder I hate gravel so much...

Fast forward to today on the path, made of gravel, that I was walking on. I thought to myself, I CHOSE to take this trip and walk. I CHOSE to not train and get my feet ready. If I want to quit, I can. If I want to buy new shoes, I can. If I need supplies, I can probably search and find them. What about those women who make gravel every day for a living. They don't really have a choice. They need to work. They need to support their families. What about the men and women in uniform who get blisters MUCH worse than I do. My brother offered his advice to me when he heard I had bad blisters- when he was in Afghanistan they used gauze and duct tape. Are you serious? That is what the people fighting for our freedom are using? Here I am with a thousand options for foot care, and they are the ones keeping us safe yet suffering much more then me.

To those who offered the packages- I appreciate the kindness and generosity more than you know. However, there are other people in this world-Ghanaians, our own men and women in uniform, and so many others that are MUCH MORE deserving then me of care packages. So I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you. I'm very appreciative, just not deserving.

It took me forever to put this into something that made sense. You see, I think about Ghana each morning. When I start off my walk, it's usually dark out. It's not really scary, just lonely. I got into the habit of going through the whole morning assembly routine from Our Lady of Holy Cross School. I recite the "Good morning Sisters, good morning teachers, good morning friends... How are you... We are fine thank you and what about you... Onto the Ghana national anthem, the Ghana pledge, the prayers, and then... THE MARCHING SONGS! I sing as many as I can remember before zoning out. Before I left on this trip, I sewed the school patch onto my backpack. I wanted to keep my students and friends from Ghana on my mind. Of course my other students, friends, and family are on my mind as well. And with the outpouring of support for me, it made me think about what is possible for the outpouring of support of others. That's why I felt unworthy of the overload of generosity from you guys.

I am still in search of my mission on this Camino. I have thoughts and ideas of course... Nothing final or complete. But especially after today, the St. Catherine's motto comes to mind. "What we keep we lose, Only what we give remains our own." I realized today how so many of you live this out... Made visible by your offering to help me. Imagine the possibilities if together we found those truly worthy of this generosity.

With that said, I made it the 20km this morning to catch a bus to Leon. I even saw Christian from Denmark at the bus station! He got off before me in a other town. When I arrived, I got off the bus and was welcomed by a McDonald's. HEAVENNNNN!!! I was thinking very highly of this city until I started walking around. I thought it was just siesta since everything was closed. I came to find out that today and tomorrow are a festival (oh joy). It turns out THAT was why everything was closed. I wandered the city for a good hour following the farmacia signs to be let down at each one. I am hoping tomorrow will have more luck. As for tonight, I am passing on the festivities. I am going to church at the convent I am staying in and going to sleep early. Tomorrow I will be on the search for an open pharmacy and a shoe store. I passed one today called Santa Claus Deportes which looked promising... And I need to find a hotel. Rules of the camino for pilgrims... One night in a hostel before they kick you out to make room for new pilgrims the following day. I'm not complaining, but rather excited to have a room to myself.

*The picture is during my walk. You can see how boring it was, the shoulder I was walking on, the gravel I was forced to walk on after almost dying, and the ditch I fell into haha. If you look closely you can see a church steeple... Also known as a light at the end of a tunnel. I knew I was almost there giving me hope that I could finish the day strong and make the 20km.

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230 Miles Down... Ouch!

I tried my best but I just couldn't go very far today. I went 14km and my feet were so bad I had to stop. I came to this hostel right in the town of Fromista, by the train station. I'm sure I'll regret this later when I'm trying to sleep and the trains come through. However, it was the first hostel I came to and it had wifi. I arrived at like 10:30am, only walked about 4.5 hours including my breakfast break. I now have to entertain myself here all day- so wifi was a must. I want to walk into town to see the church but my feet just can't do it. There is an old guy cruising around on his bike outside... Maybe he will let me borrow that bad boy. We will see.

When I got here the owner came out and asked if I was staying. I didn't know yet because I wanted to see what my feet looked like. I knew how they felt, but I wanted to see. I got a coke because I'm addicted and drank that before I could manage to peel off my shoes and socks. When my socks came off, the sight was not pretty. Blisters the size of half dollars on the bottoms of BOTH of my feet filled with puss and looking like thyme were about to burst. I honestly don't know how they didn't while I was walking. I started crying when I saw them and the guy felt so badly for me it was only slightly awkward. I don't really know why I cried, but I just didn't want to believe my feet were that bad. I wanted to make it at least one more town, I wanted to maybe even rest and then continue on my scheduled journey later today.

With these feet, I don't know what to do. There is a 20km walk tomorrow which will take me to a town where I can catch a bus to Leon- a big city. I think i can make it. If I skip ahead to Leon, I skip about 4 days of walking. If I rest here, I'll be bored out of my mind. I'm hoping Leon will have a store where I can buy some Nikes. I hate hiking boots, I hate hiking shoes, I just want some good old Nikes to finish this walk. I'm sure I'll pay about a million bucks for them, but I don't care. I'm not quitting. I might be skipping a couple of days, but a big city will have a good pharmacy, a good shoe store, and will be interesting enough to take a day off or two and let these blisters heal.

Some people say on the Camino your sins are forgiven through your feet. Well God, if this is true, I think I get the point...

As for my 14km today, it was actually quite a nice walk. I hate the gravel path because when I step on a rock in the right spot on my foot (every 4 steps or so) it hurts so badly. However, there was a canal after about 10km of walking that made everything green around it. If I wasn't focusing on my feet I would have really enjoyed it. I was stopping a lot to take a deep breath and battle through the throbbing... In doing so I was taking pictures of what I was looking at. The picture for this post is before I got to the canal and green part. It was right as the sun was coming up and the gravel was kicking my butt. After about an hour of slow crawling basically, I turned around to see how far I had walked, and this is what I saw.
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Pilgrim?

Between the church bells every half hour and my internal alarm clock, I was up at 4:45am this morning. However, our hostel was awesome and really relaxing after a long day. Instead of the normal 20+ beds in a room, Kari and I had our own room with bunk beds. It was the first night I didn't need my ipod to block out the snoring. When I woke up I was so stiff and sore but knew it was important to beat the heat. The group met outside at 5am (IL., Denmark, VA Beach, VCU, Vancouver, and OH.) in the darkness but with headlamps to light our way. It's so different walking with a group of people instead of solo. The VA Beach boys whipped out the iPod speakers and STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON was blaring as we watched our steps to avoid tripping while walking along the path in the darkness. Oh so different from my previous solo walks... It turned out to be an overcast day which was a huge bonus for me following a day of extreme heat. I stuck with them past ruins, through a small town, behind a shepherd and a flock of sheep blocking the road, up a steep climb with an amazing view, and down into another village. This was 20k into the walk, and even though it wasn't even 11am, I decided to call it quits and say bye to the group. My blister was back in full swing on the bottom of my foot and the pain was too much to ignore for another 10k. As much as I love everyone I was walking with, it is nice to be on my own again. The hostel isn't the best, the village is nothing fancy, but resting and having nothing to do is pretty awesome.

Today, as in everyday, I was referred to as a pilgrim (or peregrino) from hostel owners, locals, waitors, etc. It's funny because I usually just consider myself a tourist. I mean... I'm wearing a backpack, I'm taking pictures, I send postcards, and I stick out pretty clearly. It was today after my walk when I was talking to someone on Facebook when they told me, "you're a true pilgrim..." and this got me thinking. What is a true pilgrim? What's the difference between a tourist and a pilgrim?

I think both of these people set off on trips, or journeys. But the reason behind going is different. A tourist wants to see new things and bring home a souvenir to prove it. A pilgrim wants to experience new things but without a souvenir to prove it. A pilgrim's journey, or experiences, are the souvenir in itself. It may not be a Tshirt, or something concrete. But they do come home with something for sure. They are changed beyond the tourist because they are seeking more than the tourist seeks. You see, for me at least, what you get out of a vacation or pilgrimage is what you put into it. This Camino could definitely be considered a vacation, but it's not. What makes it a pilgrimage, and what makes me a pilgrim instead of a tourist, is what I am putting into it in hopes of getting something out of it.
So now the question is, what am I putting into this trip? It's hard to put into words but it's giving this journey up to God. I believe I'm doing this for a reason, even if that is yet to be determined exactly. Each day I pray for God to be with me and to open my eyes to new things and people and experiences. I try to see God in every one and every thing. I read about the history of this pilgrimage and seeing the sights makes it all come to life. The ancient ruins, the Roman bridges, the old churches, cathedrals, monasteries, and convents are all remarkable to see but even more incredible to think about their past and those who came before. I'm learning, I'm experiencing, I'm on a religious quest, and therefore I'm a pilgrim. Note: I will be getting a Tshirt at the end... But that won't be the only thing I take away...

It's not just on a specific trip that one can be considered a pilgrim or a tourist. Think about it... In our everyday lives we can easily live as tourists or pilgrims. It's important to consider what you are putting into your life and what you want out of it. That will help you see if you are a pilgrim or a tourist. For me, the important thing will be to take what I have learned here and not just bring it home with me. But instead, I need to bring it home AND keep it a part of who I am. It's easy to pray and develop a strong relationship with God when you're in the middle of no where and walking alone for hours. The challenge will be when my life gets crazy again to still be a pilgrim on a quest for God each day of my life.

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Hot...Hot...Hot

My night in Burgos was a lot of fun. It was a really neat city with a lot to do, but the best part was I met a lot of cool people. I reunited with Kari and Christian (IL. and Denmark), ran into the VA boys again, and then I met some really cool people from Florida and Ohio. It's a much younger crowd that who I have been hanging with so that is cool. We went to church together at the cathedral, got some drinks, and then had dinner. The guide book had us walking just 20km today, but these guys wanted to push it and do 30km. I wanted to stay with them because they are fun and so it was 30km for today. I had done 30 before but never in this heat. We are now on what they call the meseta. I don't really understand it, but it's like a big, hot plateau. You have to climb up it, then it's super hot and dry. Needless to say my 30km in scorching heat was not fun. My feet were killing me. Once we passed the 20k mark there was no where to stop so I had to keep going. When we arrived I was thrilled. It was a huge accomplishment for me but I was wiped out. I have a new blister on the bottom of my foot which stinks. I syringed out the puss and will figure out how to dress it for tomorrow. I'm definitely not doing 30k again with the way my feet feel. It will mean saying goodbye to the fun crowd but that's okay. When we finally approached the town it was pretty cool. You couldn't see anything... Just dripping with sweat and desert like landscape in all directions. Then out of nowhere in this valley you could see the steeple to a church... Finally our stopping point for the day! I showered when we finally arrived after our long, hot walk and took a solid 2 hour nap before eating with this new crowd who are all really fun to be around. Overall, it was a long, hot day... but this was in the gospel reading for today- "How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few..." I think the road I traveled down today was just like this. It was tough, it wasn't pretty, but at the end of the day it was a great feeling. How many times in life do we want things to come easy? How many times do we complain and then bite our tongue when the reward is worth it? I always try to remember that if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. And I'm pretty sure it will be worth it in the end. During these tough and difficult 30k hot days, I am thankful for the friendships I have made, the opportunities I've had thus far, and look forward to the rewarding finish of accomplishment and hope for what is possible.

The picture is the VA crowd. The boys are from VA Beach and the girl was at VCU.


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Burgos!

Greetings from Burgos, Spain! It's a cityyyy! Today has been awesome and I'm hoping tonight will be even better. Last night I wasn't feeling too hot, after dinner with my Brazilian and Chilean friends I couldn't really sleep. I was up this morning at 5 before my alarm and decided to just start walking. It wasn't the most enjoyable walk, but when I arrived in Burgos it was awesome. The first thing you see is the massive cathedral and I knew I wanted to get a tour. It was soooo hot and I figured that bad boy would be cool, so I went straight inside. They had a guided tour where you just listened to this thing as you go, and I was all over it. I was obsessed. It was so incredible I can't even describe it. The churches here are all amazing but this one is by far the coolest ever. After my tour I went to check in at the hostel to make sure I got a bed and ran into Kari and Christian from the start of the camino... Illinois and Denmark. I haven't seen them since Pamplona, and I was so excited to see them it was an awesome reunion. Kari and I went out for lunch and drinks before heading back to the hostel to nap. We are at a bar right now getting wifi before heading to church at 7:30 and then out to dinner after. My plan was to stay here two nights, but I am not sure if I will stick to that or head out in the morning. I will see how I feel I guess.

I just wanted to send a special shout out to those who are commenting on here, commenting or posting on Facebook, emailing, or iMessaging. It is so nice to hear from you, whether it's a comment about what I've posted or just a simple hello- it means so much. I'm at such a great place in my life right now and that is because of all of you. I've mentioned before how blessed I feel but it's so true. I love my family, my job is incredible, my friends are the best, and the possibilities I'm given to travel and see the world are saaa-weeeet! This trip has opened my eyes to so much and in such a different way than Ghana did. Once again I realize how amazing I have it in the States, but I also can see how truly special and unique this part of Spain proves to be. I'm experiencing it one village at a time, one city at a time, one person at a time, one conversation at a time, and one step at a time. It's a remarkable journey that began two weeks ago. I can't wait to see where I am two months from now.... Actually I know... Getting ready for NOTRE DAME to take on Navy... GO IRISH!

Chickens in Church?

When I was told the church in Santo Domingo had chickens in it, I didn't really see the big deal. After all, when I was I'm Ghana there were chickens in church quite frequently. Chickens and goats would wander around the benches almost every Sunday. However, this was something entirely different.

When you walk into the massive church in Santo Domingo, there is a huge chicken coop high above eye level. It has beautiful carvings around it of design as well as of chickens on either side of the coop opening. When you look in the middle, through a glass opening, there sits a chicken and a hen on the opposite side of the church as the alter. Yes, real ones.

You see, as the story goes there was a father and son completing the Camino together. While in town, the boy was set up for a crime he did not commit when someone placed something of value in his bag. He was caught the next day and sentenced to be hanged. The father pleaded but was unsuccessful. The following day he saw his son was still alive hanging there, and he went to ask for him to be let down since this was clearly a miracle. When he asked the Judge to have his son back, the judge replied, "Your son is no more alive then this chicken I am eating..." and with that the drumstick in his hand started clucking and came to life. The boy was let down and ever since the town of Santo Domingo keeps chickens in their church.

The picture I took of the coop didn't come out to well, but here is a picture of the church.

This morning I walked from Santo Domingo to Belorado... About 23km. It wasn't the most beautiful of walks since we were pretty close to the highway the whole day. I am almost to Burgos, a city of about 170,000. I'm thinking of spending 2 nights there, maybe even one in a hotel, instead of a hostel with about 50 bunk beds in all directions like I have been lately. When I hit the city, I'll be about 300km down with 500km to go.

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