First Big Question: what’s going to happen to your sourdough starter that you lovingly tend to Every Single Day?
Plan A was to leave instructions for a once a week feeding, but then I decided to make life as easy as possible for those left at home and came up with…
Plan B. Actually, truth be told, my starter got overly excited one night and jumped out of its jar, spreading all over the bench. In the morning a good portion was dehydrated, so I scooped up the crackly bits and have hidden them at the back of the fridge, from whence I’ll rehydrate them on my return. Thanks for asking.
Second Big Question: “What are you going to do all day if you can’t walk far?”
That’s a legitimate question I’ve been asked a few times. Although I didn’t need to know (I was content to go away and see what unfolded), I did start to wonder.
On other caminos we have spent a good portion of the day walking – eight or ten hours would not be unusual, then by the time you’ve sourced food, done your washing, chatted with fellow pilgrims and uploaded a blogpost, the day would be done. This time will surely be different (for a start, I won’t have kids with me to do the socialising and cooking while I do the “work” of blogging – lol)
- 8 hours: {try to} sleep (most likely in a dormitory with snorers and early-morning-plastic-bag-rustlers)
- 4 hours: walking (there’s half the day gone already with those two things)
- 1/2 hour exercises (rehab doesn’t stop)
- 1 hour: housekeeping (finding accommodation, shower, washing clothes by hand, grocery shopping)
- 1 hour: food prep/eating (hopefully practising Spanish at the same time)
- 1 hour: Bible reading (also in Spanish)
- 1 hour: sketching
- 1 hour: travel journal/blogging
- 2 hours: home ed reflecting and writing
- 1 hour: seeking out someone Spanish to talk to
- 1 hour: cross stitch (if I’m on a roll and the opportunity is available, there could be more Spanish while I do this)
- 1 hour: contacting home & reading the guidebook in preparation for the following day
- 1 1/2 hours: who knows? how wonderful to have a gentle day full of things I love and then still have time left over for whatever may turn up
Thank you if you asked this question; I am now looking forward even more to what is ahead than when it was just a nebulous undertaking – of course, that ^^ isn’t a daily plan, but a range of possibilities, and the spaciousness to know there is time for it all brings a sense of peace and expectation.
Third Big Question: “Are you and Dad ok, like, do you still love each other, you’re not getting a divorce are you?”
Thanks for asking, and thanks for being concerned. When I hear peers mentioning that they feel invisible to their kids, I feel blessed to have kids, who, firstly, see us as people, and, secondly, care about us….and enough to ask hard questions.
There’s no denying that the last few years have been hard. Thankfully, for us it has led to growth, and a greater understanding of and appreciation for each other.
We HAVE talked about
“what if you love being in a monastery so much you don’t want to come home?”
Not an option! My commitment to our marriage trumps that even if it happens.
“what if you enjoy living at home without me?”
Lucky we know we enjoy living together as well. We can do both.
It’s love that gives me the blessing to go away for an extended time to rest and reflect and relinquish responsibilities….and it will be love that brings me back.
solowalk 2024 