Two days of struggling, tolerance. I have been walking with a NICE Canadian lady for a few days, who was very fond of me. Still, I felt I would like to walk alone, because I need it, this is why I came! She was talking all the time – if I went faster, she asked me not to run, if I walked slowly, hoping to be on my own, she waited for me and asked me if everything was OK. So I felt like I need my own way. On Friday, after the first stop I continued, but she was not ready yet. So, I could be alone all day long, and it felt very good, I missed it. In the afternoon we met again, as we discussed where we were going to stay for the night. Then she told me, she got lost and had to walk for a few extra kilometers, so I felt bad. The evening was very pleasant, because I collected some sweet chestnuts in Galicia. Fortunately, or better put thanks to divine providence, there was a fireplace at our shelter, and ‘of course’ the tool to bake the chestnuts, so we baked it.
At this point, I would like to mention, that for a day, I had been walking with a German family, with 5 kids! The youngest child is 5 years old, the oldest is 11-12. The father is pulling a double ‘child-trailer’, which is used by the two youngest children, in case they are tired, otherwise the staff of the family is carried in it. Except for the three oldest children (9-10-12 years old), because they carry their backpacks on their own. Downhill, a break is activated, uphill the children help to push it. Yeah, the stones are not easy to pass, but they’ve got it. So, I spent the night with this fantastic family, at a really pleasant shelter – the kids loved chestnut, too!
After this lovely evening and long-time struggling, I made up my mind: I would like to walk on my own, this is my Camino. In the morning, however, the lady asked if she can come with me. Because it is usually dark in the morning, I knew she was afraid, so I told her we can start together. After two hours, she stopped to take some photos, and I continued. Then, a higher uphill was in front of me, and as I got up, I could not see her anymore. I stopped at the next rest area, and continued. We did not discuss about our next shelter, so ‘I lost her.’ On one side, I feel guilty, on the other hand, I know this is part of Camino. I am very grateful for her, still, I feel it was time to separate, our time is gone. I will always think of her with a warm heart, and I hope we will still meet on this short journey left, or in Santiago. I got to know a lot of NICE people, who I lost and found.
By the way, I started off more than a month ago, so I have been walking for 32 days! Unbelievable! There are less than 50 kilometers left until Santiago. Countless steps, beauty, experience, the wonders of nature, prayer and the closeness, love and caring of God, that I experienced in these days. Gratitute for that!
