Letting go, becoming me and how do I stop walking?

Sitting at a crowded Cafe, lots of noise and the bustle of fresh new pilgrams who have started their journey in Sarria. Such a different vibe to the last 15 days of solitude, reflection and physically pushing myself beyond limits I have ever thought possible.

The great news is Neale has now joined me and we get to complete the last 130 ish kms together.

But first let me cover the huge highlights since receiving my halfway pilgrimage certificate.

Rabanal del Camino to O Cebreiro

The toughest of walking days for came in this leg of the journey. In particular on the way to Mollineseca. IT was the heat combined with long days and lots of down hill runs on shale and rock. It pushed me beyond my limits physically and emotionally. But wow there were some highlights.

There is a part of theCamino in this leg that is called the Iron Cross where Pilgrams can leave behind a rock to symbolise the letting go-celebration of something important to the,. It’s deeply moving to watch people place their rock and their words written or verbal at the Iron Cross.

I left my shell that I had carried from the coast at home, a rock I had found and carried along the way connected together with Kitchen twine from our house. With these words

A PROMISE TO MYSELF

I am enough.

I am not my past, but the rock represent my past both the strength I have gotten from it and weight of constantly holding on to it. The Shell represents my current and future self and all the work I have done to get here. The Kitchen twine links the past and the future, the continuous journey of learning and healing.

I promise to bring my best self back

One who is slower, intentional, kind and deliberate.

Because I am worth it.

It was a hugely emotional day and then we still had to walk 15 of the most gruelling kilometres. Into Molleneseca.

Ó Cebriero was another huge highlight ‘ everyone kept telling me how great the views were ‘ I have now learnt when someone tells you there is a great view its going to hurt like hell to get there and see it! But the views were breath taking there and the Pilgrimas mass was stunning. We each got a rock with the yellow arrow and told what the meaning was which is the arrow will always point you towards love.

The next day I get to be with NEale and have my first walk with him from SAmos to Sarria ‘ It was hugely emotional meeting him at the train station. I spent all my walk wondering how we would go and reflecting how much I missed sharing these experiences with him and wanting him to have is own unique experience at the same time.

There are not small days on the Camino.

Brooke