Day XXV: Triacastela -> Barbadelo; 13.5mi.

🛏: 10€.

We began today with a 63rd birthday breakfast for my “Camino mom.” I met her at dinner my fifth night here and we’ve played a giant game of leap frog ever since. She is the most darling person. She has an incredible story and she patiently lets me attempt speaking to her in German.

After breakfast, the trail temporarily split and we each chose separate directions with the understanding that we’ll meet up the night before Santiago (if not sooner) and spend the final miles together. I miss her already.

I miss everyone already.

Our “friend group” has spread out significantly over the past week or so. A few returned home, others sped up in pursuit of finishing before expedited return dates and a handful of others are a day or two behind due to injuries and the ‘rest days’ our schedule never allowed us. We seem to fall right in the middle of everyone.

At the end of our walk day today, we passed through a town called Sarria. In order to get a “compostela” (acknowledgement for officially completing the camino), people have to complete, at least, the last 100km of the trek (this is proven by the credential stamps I wrote about several days ago). Because Sarria lands just over 100km away, it is an incredibly common starting point. As a result, the vibe of the trail is changing. Not necessarily for the better or the worst, but things do feel less intimate and a tad more commercialized the closer we get.

🍴:

At dinner tonight, with a tiny bit of help from our guidebook, we talked through our trip starting from the very first day, when I couldn’t even conceive what walking for weeks on end would be like, to that exact moment. We talked about the towns we stayed in, our favorite (and least favorite) places we slept, when we met who, etc. There was a lot of laughing and a little bit of cringing, but mostly laughing.

At this point we have less than a week left of walking and I don’t think I have words for how that feels. In my experience, there’s always a sense of readiness to return home as trips of any length wind down; a desire to settle back into consistency and a normal routine and hug the people you’ve missed. I feel that, but there are also moments when I genuinely think I could adopt this lifestyle forever (assuming I could feasibly get my dog here).

Thoughts after 25 days of walking: I miss breakfast burritos. A few days ago I found myself telling my Irish friend about my very favorite place to get breakfast burritos at home. Details included what kind of meat they have on what day of the week and what time it opens. (Okay, I really miss breakfast burritos. And unsweetened iced tea. And curry). • Tears have really funny triggers. And sometimes, without warning, you find yourself with blurry eyes walking alongside your best friend, a doctor and a lawyer. And then they tell you to talk about your dog and it cheers you up and all three of them stay by your side for the rest of the day. And fifteen days later it’s transformed into a beautiful memory. • Talking about my dog cheers me up. • This is without a doubt the longest amount of time in my life I’ve gone without getting in a vehicle. • Getting out of a shower naked is a luxury I will never take for granted again (because putting pants on in a puddle is the worst thing, just saying). • Walking is an addiction. I’m already calculating how long it will take me to walk to various places from my house once I get home. • It is impossible to accurately profile snorers, the worst ones always surprise you. (And if I end up sleeping on my back I get thrown in as a contender. I’m more self-conscious than I ever realized I was about that and sometimes I don’t like to make eye contact with my roommates in the morning just in case it was one of those nights). • Walking 500 miles, or prayers, or time passing might bring you peace and clarity but those things won’t ever bring you other people’s answers or guarantee their forgiveness. Sometimes you have to be okay with not having those and it’s really really tough. (And sometimes you think you’re okay and then you realize you’re not and for a moment it’s extra devastating, but then you remind yourself you’re still putting one foot in front of the other and that’s allowed to be enough for today).

🎒:

D-Pocket Travel toiletries kit: 10/10 recommend (Amazon). It’s been durable, the perfect size and it has just the right amount of pockets (the most important part).

🎧:

He has the most unique perspectives and the loveliest voice.

“I remembered who I was when I learned to dance with the fear that I’d been running from ..” (Fear)