New plans and new technology

Work, work and more work. This is how I have spent the last 9 months. It took a few months to settle in to the routine of life here in the States. I am still trying to figure things out but I suppose that will always be the case- I think that is more a mismatch of personality and culture than location or workload.

Travel planning has begun, an 18 day trip that includes a 10 day trek in the alps has been booked. Now it is just details and training; almost as fun as the actual trip itself! Also talking to friends about a week in Mexico for the premiere of a new film festival...more on that later...

Testing out new technology too, in hopes it will afford me the ability to post within the day or even hours of each adventure.  Expect little notes and thoughts the next few weeks as I test reliability and functionality.

Good times ahead!

the miracle of flight

just when i begin to forget what an amazing feat it is to be able to fly in a souped up tin can i have a flight that reminds me. 

i suppose it is the ease of the entire experience that lured me into this less appreciative state. all it takes is bit of money and some form of ID and with those i can punch a few buttons and purchase a ticket almost anywhere. arriving within 40 minutes of the departure, i pick up my boarding pass, breeze through security which included a “shoe check” which oddly was determined by the body scanner while my shoes were going through the x-ray (ok not so odd really, it’s all in the numbers), and i am at my gate with 32 minutes to departure. boarding is quick and there are many options for the storage of my backpack…possibly linked to the scare tactics now used by airlines who “do not ensure there will be room for the storage of every passenger’s carry on bag” leading many to check their airline approved black rolling bags. i wonder, are there more mix ups now that there are more black bags on the checked bag conveyor belt? oooohh i saw a neon green sticker on one of these bags which said, “this is NOT your black bag!” too bad it was just a sticker, i fear it will come off once thrown amongst all the other black bags. or what’s to stop a bag handler from pulling that off and slapping it on another black bag just for a laugh? it makes me laugh to think about it so it could happen.

but i digress.

the flight has wifi, dim lights, passengers utilizing Apple products, and a lovely view. i finish the earlier posting, and enjoy a cup of tea. i might as well be at a coffee shop. but there are two indicators- the close contact with my neighbors and the ability to glance at a navigation screen that offers all sorts of fabulous information about our route (height, speed, and the outside temperature). this is flying in 2013. well to be fair this is flying in 2013 on a major airline in a Western country.

and then it happens. turbulence. 

lots of turbulence, for almost an hour. it comes in spurts at first; a bump here a lurch there. then i have to hold my tea and shift my laptop. others put away their food and finish their drinks. some opt to watch a movie which i suspect is to distract as they were quite content with their tablets earlier. it is now i realize i am FLYING. we are overhead, above: families watching tv, children asleep in their beds, blinking streetlights, cool deserts…we are above it all. and we are moving. we aren’t sitting or hovering above, we are passing over. the thrill of flight fills me again. 

turbulence, the great equalizer and a perfect reality check. 

pics from the road

pictures from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

we shared the road with these big rigs.

 

we had a picnic by this tree. no pics of the fire ants or the poisonous insects we avoided because  well we avoided them! 

as one might expect there are all sorts of interesting things along the road, here an old gas pump, a teepee and a very persistent advertising campaign by Butterfield Station!

i love entry/exit signs from states and countries!

when in Texas????

 dusk at the freeway entrance.

oil rigs, a familiar sight in Texas.

 heavily used race cars...one had zip ties holding the bumper onto the body of the car.

thoughts from above.

A Thai monk once told me: “You know why you like to travel? Everywhere you go, nothing belongs to you. 

When you’re home, you’re weighed down by your possessions.”

this quote seems apropos. i spent the last few days with the First Family (of Scottsdale fame) as they took their show on the road. it was an all girls road trip which included such memorable  events as a picnic with a walk where poisonous insects were avoided, a Children of the Corn detour, wind that could have taken all of Kansas to Oz, a surprising interaction with the border patrol, and touching quotes like “you are the best sister!” 

the road trip ended in Dallas/Ft.Worth, where a temporary home was waiting for the First Family. according to the Miss Sarita (aka the First Daughter) the new house is a castle not a “townhouse” as we told her. we were amused to later find the homes are actually “manors”…we aren’t English so how would we know the difference?!

As the girls anxiously awaited their many items following us on the big orange truck, the Lord of the aforementioned “manor” once again wished for less and proceeded to sell his items on EBay while the movers unloaded the family’s possessions. 

these are the moments i treasure. daily life and times with the First Family. 

Moving, travel, possessions and home- all so intricately intertwined. what to do i wonder? how do you travel AND live with less? or does the amount really matter? what if it isn’t the amount but the value you place on the items you have with and around you? you can have 3 things that weigh you down the same way one can have 20. certainly the higher the amount the more you have to manage but if you care little about those items then potentially you have very little to manage.

I write this now from above Amarillo, 36162 miles above to be exact. we are traveling at 443 mph with only 1198 miles to our arrival point. i would say home but is it? it is where i work, where my career has been, and at times it has been home, but now i am not sure. it would be more appropriate to say it is my base for the moment. i have a home where i sleep, make my meals, and where most of my belongings reside. it is just a space though and i could trade it for another in a heartbeat. truly what keeps me in this particular area is my work. 

home for me is where i am with family, friends or where i am discovering more about the world (and the people in it).  to me, home is  being in the presence of another not for a random dinner but for daily life activities and conversations. dinners are lovely but you are sharing events. we miss out on that happened before the event…it is like talking about destination without knowing about the journey. isn’t the journey the best part?  

and all this rambling brings me back to the quote that started this post- are we so weighed down by possessions and the acts it takes to acquire them, that we miss out on the moments that are seemingly about nothing but truly about everything?

pictures from the road to come. more from the sky- 36178 above ground.

Camino reflections: day one

in the last few months i have been reading books about the Camino, books i avoided prior to my own experience. I recall a momentary thought that it would be sensible to read about the experiences of other pilgrims but it was a brief consideration. the truth is, i did some research and reading online but only for facts and info, i wasn't interested in more. now i know why...i didn't want the thoughts and feelings of others to change my own. i wanted to be fresh and relatively free from expectations. i suppose i only wanted to know 'enough' to feel i was reasonably ready and prepared. i knew i wouldn't ever truly be prepared but i wanted to feel prepared 'enough'. i suppose i also trusted the feeling deep inside that led me to the Camino.

I didn't sleep much the night i arrived in San Jean pied de port, but i didn't expect to, none of us did. the next morning, the first morning on the very first day on the Camino i was a mix of emotions- excitement, anticipation, curiosity, apprehension- i truly had no idea what to expect, other than a long walk over the Pyrenees with probably a mix of rain and snow. so i guess i new 'enough' because that is what i got. and so much more...

about 20 minutes in this was the view, all around beautiful green, light rain and quiet. except for our feet on the pavement for we were walking on a road for a long time. a very slow incline, "into the clouds" someone said.

and then it was mud, i was glad to have my hiking boots because it was slippery. later it was rocks and mud. then boulders. then deep wet leaves atop more mud. it was a good indicator of the path in the coming days and weeks. we sort of had every terrain all rolled into one day. the first day.

 our first stop, real stop because we had taken a few minutes here and there for photos and water. we actually went inside the Refuge Orisson for coffee and a snack. we also got to warm up and dry off...the last time i would be truly dry for 2 days. but i didn't know that so i just enjoyed the coffee and warmth and the second stamp in my credencial.

 as we climbed higher the rain came harder and soon there was wind. then it was as if the rain was coming from all directions. you know that type of rain? i tried to take a photo of the Officer and it came out with rain drops and moisture, it may be one of my favorite photos because i remember that moment so vividly when i see it.

 i learned a lot about the Camino that first day:
-the Camino is whatever it is from moment to moment
-your attitude and perception will carry you through or hold you back
-pilgrims are a diverse group with a shared journey
-you will not know the meaning of an encounter with another pilgrim in the moment...but you will at some point
-pilgrims have died on the Camino and will continue to do so, it isn't just something that happened in Medieval times
-ziplock bags were a brilliant invention
-drying rooms for clothing and boots are a blessing
-everything matters

back blogging

since returning to the States i have been making my best attempts at "settling" in, maybe not for 'the long haul' but for a while. it has been an interesting past few months, quite a transition really although i guess i am still going through it. i have been thinking about this blog but not quite ready to write. then i got called out by Ovi. then i got called out by another- stop thinking about it and just do it. they are right and so here i am.
i have been missing the Camino. missing friends, missing walking, missing the simplicity, missing the daily lessons, missing the "buen camino," missing the camaraderie, missing the beauty, missing the food, missing the many languages, missing the pull of the path, and missing the unnerving feeling that you are so intimately connected to the past while being so incredibly present in the moment. 

Ultreïa! roughly translates to onward or keep goingEt suseïa! roughly translates to upwardMedieval pilgrims used to greet each other with these words. Not it is most common to hear Buen Camino. Sometimes Ultreïa! is written on a wall or in a book; i saw it this way a few times. Memories flood back from when i heard it sung. First by other pilgrims then by The Officer, and later by our little family as we sung together.

Ultreïa (French)

Tous les matins nous prenons le Chemin,
tous les matins nous allons plus loin,
jour après jour la route nous appelle,
c’est la voix de Compostelle!

Chorus:
Ultreïa! Ultreïa! Et sus eia!
Deus adjuva nos!

Chemin de terre et Chemin de foi,
voie millénaire de l’Europe,
la voie lactée de Charlemagne,
c’est le Chemin de tous les jacquets!

Et tout là-bas au bout du continent,
Messire Jacques nous attend,
Depuis toujours son sourire fixe
Le soleil qui meurt au Finisterre.

Ultreïa (English)

(a very rough translation i found online)

Every morning we take the Camino,
Every morning we go farther,
Day after day the route calls us,
It’s the voice of [Santiago de] Compostela!

Chorus:
Onward! Onward! And upward!
God assist us!

Way of earth and way of faith,
Ancient road of Europe,
The Milky Way of Charlemagne,
It’s the Chemin of all the Santiago pilgrims!

And over there at the end of the continent,
Santiago waits for us,
His smile always fixed
On the sun that dies at Finisterre.

typical...

it wouldn't be a proper adventure if i never had to spend the night in the airport. tonight will be that night as the trains-buses-shuttles which run to said airport can get you there by 6ish am and not before. seeing as i have a 6:45am flight to another country that probably will not work.and even if that would work, tomorrow there will be a public transportation strike throughout Rome. it was suggested i take a taxi at 50 euros but it was followed with this statement by the hostel worker "or that may not work due to the strike, hmmm i don't know. if you want me to book the taxi let me know."

travel is never dull.

thankfully i did not fall off any mountains

which is why i am able to write this post from the comfort of Rome Italy. we completed the trek in 8 days. it was tough, harrowing at times and still we knew we would get to Italy. we arrived to the welcome of another Camino friend who graciously hosted and celebrated along with us.

we spent marvelous days together talking about life, the Camino and what is to come. then we prepared ourselves for the moment of goodbyes. the Healer and I calculated today that we have walked over 1000k together between the Camino and the Alps, sharing countless moments: visiting cathedrals/churches/chapels, exploring villages, tasting the local foods and walking. amazing.

i am now in Rome alone and marveling at the fact that i have 9 days before i head home. 9 days in Rome and Paris. life is good.

hiking the alps!

hi all. sorry for the limited contact. the Healer and i have reunited for another epic journey, this time up-over-across-down-around the alps from Germany through Austria and into Italy. i will follow up with more when i return. in the meantime, follow our route (the E5) via the many maps online.

p.s. the Alps are astounding!

Camino question and answer

i have been sent a number of questions* and have been thinking about the responses. in fact i have written a lot about my experiences but have not had much access to the internet! so here are a few Q/A....

Was the Camino what you expected?
hmmm, interesting question. i did not have many expectations, in fact i had no idea what to expect beyond a lot of walking. but even that was a bit unclear as even the estimates of the distance changed from book to book or person to person. i suppose whatever i did imagine, this was beyond and certainly better.

Were you surprised by the people on the Camino?
haha i love this question! people always surprise me! people are fascinating- where they are from, what they think, how they behave, their interactions with others or situations, their reasons for doing the Camino....but maybe i would say it was all very interesting, and funny. people, we all, are funny.

Why were people doing the Camino? What were their reasons?
like i said above, the reasons people were on the Camino ran the gamut and i think most people had a number of reasons, not just one. you have the reason that compells you to start, to take on this epic journey. but you have reasons each day (maybe each hour) for walking- because you are looking forward to a city, because you want to get through the discomfort, because you are in a rhythm, because you like meeting new people, because it feels good, because you are hungry (and there is food in the next village perhaps)...

a some point you were asked why you were on the Camino. the Healer and i talked about how we had formulated two answers, the general one for those we just met and then deeper answer that we continued to reflect upon and that we shared with those we felt connected to.

Ovi, the Healer and I spoke at length during our weeks on the Camino about our reasons, the reasons we heard; we pondered their meaning and what was behind the motives. the conversations were expanded to include the ideas and insights of the Runner, the Happy Canadian, and the Speaker of the Camino, among many others. from those conversations we came up with a few themes in what we heard as to why one was a pilgrim on the Camino:
- there are people who are searching/seeking.
- there are folks who have been called, who sense this is where they need to be.
- there are those who are stuck or maybe even existentially lost.
- there are others who are in a state of change or transition.
- there are some who are grieving and/or healing.
- there are a few who are running or avoiding something or someone.
- there were a number who are there for the physical, emotional and/or psychological challenge.

but of course the Camino is your own journey and experience. even these themes miss the depth and the truth of each of our individual pilgrimmages. what i can say with confidence is that the Camino is not yours to make, it is yours to experience. from what i observed, the more you try to "make" it into something or control your destiny on the Camino, the more difficult each moment becomes. to some degree the Camino is about letting go and being present and accepting whatever comes because it is true what they say, "the Camino does indeed provide."

*have more questions or want to hear more about certain topics, please let me know.