A Few Thoughts

As I sit with delicious coffee con leche after a magnificent breakfast buffet in this grand old Parador, I am thinking of my journey and those who have made it possible. The decision was made almost a year ago; this meant a great deal of time spent training, painfully losing weight again, finding new boots, equipping myself with gear for cold and wet weather, and developing the mental fortitude to make a strenuous journey alone and in a country where I don't speak the language.  Although I traveled alone, you were all with me, cheering me on. And THAT is what makes it all possible. At the end of a hard day, I knew there would be some positive messages waiting in my inbox. If I have missed replying, I will blame it on the wonky WiFi; I know I didn't receive all your messages.

I walked through mountains, hills, over rivers and streams, across the plains,  through 2 cities, several towns, over 100 villages; I walked on rock paths, gravel, asphalt, crushed rock, dirt, mud, flooded fields and paths; with frequent rain, mild sunny days, cool to cold days, and even snow. It took 37 days of walking plus 3 rest days, averaging 13 miles a day, to reach Santiago. Many days were a distance of 14-17 miles. I arrived in good health and grand spirits, with no foot, leg, or hip issues.

My gear all worked beautifully to protect me from the elements and keep me warm, dry (usually), and out of the sun. My fabulous new boots from January are no longer waterproof, they look terrible and the soles are quite worn, but they got me here. For all this work, I have 2 Pilgrim Credencials filled with stamps of every place I stayed as well as many cafes and churches,  an official Compostela and a new Certificate of Distance Traveled, all in Latin. I met many interesting people along the way, have made some new friends, some of  whom I will reconnect with here in Santiago.

What did I learn? That I am quite sturdy, determined, and tough. To be healthy and fit is a magnificent blessing, it allows age to be just a state of mind. Once again, I am reminded to fully embrace the body I was given and able to train; it is what got me here. I could not have made this journey without the support of all of you; although I traveled alone, I knew I had an army behind me, encouraging and moving me along.

Now I make my pitch .... Help another deserving young woman in her quest for a college or advanced degree. If you have already contributed, I thank you for your generosity, as does Soroptimist and several unknown women; if you would like to donate, you can send a check to Soroptimist International of Vacaville, PO Boz 6054, Vacaville CA 95696-6054, or online through GoFundMe at www.gofundme.com/jillwalks500miles. Any amount is appreciated. Soroptimist International of Vacaville is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization with Federal ID # 94-6130798.

Stay tuned, more events and photos are still to come, such as this Parador, the great cathedral with its massive swinging botafumiero (what could that be?),  the rabbit warren of the historic center, and other fun 'stuff.' I am not done yet.