Day 18 – Walking to Sahagun – Half way there!

Today I walked 14 miles with the first 2 hours in the rain.  My waterproof shoes got wet but the rest of me was pretty dry.  A genius pilgrim talked about having a spare pair of socks in her bag for the hot days when your feet sweat and you want to change into dry socks.  Well I did put in an extra pair of socks but I used them today when my feet got wet from the rain.  Even though I changed my socks and walked for another 5 hours it was nice to start out again with dry socks.  Those dry socks were wet by the time I arrived in Sahagun but I still think I was better for changing.  I’m learning that your feet break down quicker if they are wet.  God willing, I am blister free even with walking with wet feet for hours.

At my first stop today I ran into my nut angel from last Saturday.  Her name is Janet from North Carolina and she saw me last Saturday walking toward Burgos.  She commented that I had no energy left in me and offered me nuts.  I took them and started to feel better.  Seeing her again today allowed me to tell her how much she impacted me that day and I was able to give her a big hug.  She said I made her day because she got the feedback on how much she helped me.  I thanked God for giving me that opportunity to thank her.  I’ve never really had a hero identified in my life but I imagined feeling similar to how people must feel when they meet one of their heroes.

So today I am at the half way point on this trip.  Supposedly this distance is half way there and I’m 2.5 weeks into a 5 week trek.  It was only 4 days ago when I was at my lowest point on this journey.  I don’t pretend to think the hard stuff is past me because anything can happen while walking the Camino.  Weather and being prepared are two big factors.  I’m going to continue taking it a day at a time.  I can’t thank you all enough for all the supportive comments and encouragement.  I am learning that writing this blog is really feeding my soul in ways I’ve never experienced before.

My open wound on my left foot is mostly resolved.  The swelling on my right leg is minimal now.  I think I got shin splints in my right leg likely in my first week on this trip.  I’ve never had them before but listening to Janet talk about her shin splint injury, I now think that is what is happening with my right leg.

Blisters – 1 (resolving from 4/29)

Wet boots – 2

Pizza in my future for dinner – I hope so!

Vino Tinto: at least 2 glasses

Buen Camino