The Pre-Game

Well, as our trip to  The Camino de Santiago in Spain draws near there are several things that need to be accomplished.

Tonight however I am in New York for the next couple of days. I never anticipated that the days before leaving for a little over 2 weeks of time would be so crazy at work.

During the last month, I have been diligently working on my goals from PnP Camp. The biggest one of these goals was to spend the month prior to this trip working toward actions that would make me feel as amazing as possible as I embarked on this journey once again.

Tomorrow is the one month mark since I came back from Camp and I am happy to say that I have accomplished one of my biggest goals. I have worked on my fitness and prepared mentally as much as possible.

I have also adopted my friend and coach Jane’s motto… “Discomfort is the currency of my dreams”.  People may ask why do I speak of discomfort when talking about my upcoming vacation/trip.

Well, for as much as this is going to be amazing, it will  once again take me out of my comfort zone. For starters, wardrobe options are limited in hiking ensembles. For as much as I loved the Camino de Santiago, this girlie girl likes to have options when it comes to clothes. This pilgrimage does require that you put aside any fashionista instincts and that you adopt the practical way of dressing for a hike…a long hike.

People have inquired as to how many items of clothing I plan on bringing. If you had asked me at the end of my last Camino I would have told you I was going to limit to 2 shirts and 2 pairs of pants  (plus the appropriate undergarments). Currently the possible choices siting on my dinning room table ready to be packed include 4 shirts (one for sleeping) 3 pairs of pants, one tank top, one fleece, a rain jacket and 4 pairs of socks and undies accordingly.

The final decision has not been made as to what will end up in my pack Friday night as I board the plane, however so far 3.4 lbs of clothing is still reasonable. Then again, there are toiletries, sleeping bag and other necessities that must be included. My goal is that my pack will not weigh more that 12-15 pounds total.

Why is this important you may ask? Well, for one, you carry what you pack.  I do not want to be going up a mountain with a boatload of useless crap that in the end will make me miserable.

Funny how this is a parallel to our lives. We gather things, people, memories and more, in the hopes that we will use them to feel loved, secured, happy…but in the end they either hold us back, drag us down, or simply make us feel overwhelmed by the sheer weight of it all.

So back to the Pre-Game. Things that need to be accomplished before we leave include finalizing what is worth taking on our backs. Most Camino the Santiago pilgrims will tell you the Camino provides. I know first hand that this is true. However one can’t help but to want to work at being ready for what may or may not come.

Other Pre-Game activities will include allowing myself to feel the excitement of what lays ahead. This is the hard part… after all, I know there will be beautiful sites, wonderful new friendships, God whispering in my ear and of course some wine. What I cannot worry about is what I cannot control, or anticipate. The key to this will be to remember that I am traveling with my husband and best friend. The person who I laugh and cry with the most in life and who I enjoy being with above everyone else. What we may encounter in our journey is all part of the course.  What counts is that we are in it together and that no matter what, we will enjoy the journey ahead.

Let the games begin…