Tue May 14, 2019 @ 06:30

​The Camino Primitivo will be different from other long distance hikes I have done as we will be hiking town to town. It is not a wilderness experience but more of a cultural one. I am looking forward to experiencing Spain in this way, learning about the people and life as we walk through each village and landscape. I have to admit I am NOT looking forward to the amount of road walking, but the Camino Primitivo has less than the other routes. This is another reason I picked it.

In thinking about how to get in miles each day or week in preparation, my plan is to use my feet as much as possible. I have been taking the bus to work which requires about 2 miles of walking in the morning and then walking home from work which is about 7 miles. Some days I walk to the gym after work first and then the bus (3.5 miles). In general, walking whenever I can. With gas prices the way they are going, it has been nice not to drive my car at least 4 days a week (I work M-Th).

As I walk the areas of my town, a town I have lived in most of my life, I think about how I am traveling to Spain to soak in the details there. I am conscious of the fact that by leaving my car at home, I am doing the same thing here in my own town. How often do we do that, notice the little things? From the bright azaleas blooming, to wild rabbits on the court steps, to the patterns in the sidewalk. Sure, from the car I notice if a business has changed hands or construction projects. But once moving at a slower pace, I see so much more.

When we go on a hike, we are in amazement of the nature around us. The wildflowers, the fauna, the terrain at our feet. We feel connected. But we are not limited to this experience in the outdoors. Those things exist in our urban environments, too. I am excited for this in Spain and I am enjoying it in my hometown, as well.