February 18, 2015
Tanner and Hanna on Gili Trawangan, Lombok
Last month I was traveling in Indonesia, more accurately on the Gili Islands and Bali, visiting my son Tanner and his girlfriend Hanna from Sweden. Traveling halfway around the world to meet Hanna and to see my son over a year after he left the states again, I had nearly two full days of travel to think about how blithely we hop on a plane to go across much of the earth, arriving on the other side, dusting off our hands and stepping into a completely different culture.
My children are travelers, much sooner than I ever was, but I have made up for some of my late blooming over the years. Didn’t have a passport until I was 46 years old, but I’ve managed to explore 25 countries in the past 20 years. I looked at my “test”, mourning the 175 countries on that particular list whose paths I have not crossed. And frankly, as I scan over them again, many aren’t countries I have any desire to visit. I want to have time for some “repeats”. Twice to Australia isn’t enough. Four times to France . . . not enough. A dozen time to Italy? Not nearly enough for me. One special journey in 2013 is about to be repeated again. My pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago.
On September 1, 2013, I began in St. Jean Pied-de-Port, walked over the Pyrenees and into Spain, the beginning of a forty-three day walk to Santiago de Compostela. A month ago, while I was in Bali, I reserved a one-way ticket, again through Reykjavik, Iceland to Paris. August 27 is my departure date from Denver, and once I arrive in Paris, I will take trains and perhaps buses to get to the start of my next Camino. My debate is whether to take the Norte route this time or go with the Frances again. I lean toward the Norte, a new route for me, on the northern Spanish coast. The water will be spectacular, though the Camino del Norte itself is said to be less well supported, less well marked, with more of the path on pavement.
Double-packed, both turtle and kangaroo . . .
But this time I am a seasoned pilgrim, in some ways. No great worries about what I will bring, about what happens if it is “too hard”, no real worries at all. I will begin in the way that it took two weeks to learn on my first Camino . . . one step at a time is the only way to go. Be careful, pay attention, use my hiking poles, and tilt my head to the sun each day. Revel in this solitude path. Follow the yellow arrows and scallop shells and my heart. “The Way” reveals itself.
I. Can’t. Wait.
More later. Thanks for following.
Woodswoman Walking 
Hooray for you, from one Woodswoman to another. I’m already looking forward to hearing about your adventures.
Beverly
Thanks, Beverly! And I’ll see you in late May for sure, so we can catch up just a bit before I head off to Ouray (June), Vermont (mid-July to mid-August), and then Spain (September and October)!
Buen Camino. I’ll follow your journey again gladly. I love your style!
Thanks, Anne!
Sorry, that’s Annie!
I’m not surprised; you said you thought you’d walk again. And again I am with you in heart and spirit. !Buen Camino!
Good for you girl. Keep going as long as you can. I can do very little anymore, but am still here.
Quite impressive to have been to 25 countries in 20 years. That encouraged me to count my own travels — a paltry 19, but then I have been to all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, so I’m on your heels. Greece (Crete) next up. Cheers!
jb
Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
I’m another Camino pilgrim itching to get back for another walk! I just walked the Frances last summer and am already planning a return trip for this June (Norte); at first I thought, “Isn’t there another experience that I should be having?” and while that answer is ‘yes, of course’…I also feel called to do the Camino again. And I have NO problem with going back to the places I love (France is the big one for me!). Happy to have found your blog, and can’t wait to read more about your travels!
Thanks, all of you. Kay, can we see if THIS YEAR we can travel half of the 60 miles between us and actually have coffee and a conversation??? Or I can come to Denver more easily since I now have a daughter and son-in-law living there. And Nadine, do you have some sort of writing site? I would love to stay in touch after you return from the Norte. I’d like to have some narrative from someone who has just gone . . . I’m told there are many more albergues now than those that show in the Cicerone book, but I surely wish Brierley would write one on the Norte. Buen Camino to you, so can we stay in touch? Do I have an e-mail for you? Probably in the bowels of Word Press’s info about my “followers”.
Joan, stay as healthy as you are able to be. I’ll see you this summer if you are around. And John B, Greece sounds lovely! Oh, and I didn’t count Puerto Rico because it didn’t come up on the list I was using . . . probably because it isn’t a “country”, but still culturally foreign!
Again, thanks, all.
Go you-u-u-u-u! I’m so PROUD of you!
Hugs,
Patricia
From: Woodswoman Walking Reply-To: Woodswoman Walking Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2015 11:45 PM To: Patricia Harris Subject: [New post] On The Road Again . . . Soon!
> WordPress.com > Woodswoman posted: “February 18, 2015 Last month I was traveling in Indonesia, > more accurately on the Gili Islands and Bali, visiting my son Tanner and his > girlfriend Hanna from Sweden. Traveling halfway around the world to meet > Hanna and to see my son over a year af” >
I’m so envious! I’ve been wanting to walk the Camino again for the last 15 years!! I will look forward to reading your adventures again. (I have your book)
Cannot wait to follow your journey again, whichever one you walk! Your words spoke to me as my son is on the other side of the world as well, New Zealand, and it has been a long time since I have seen him too . . . and then I ponder the thought of why did I ever encourage him to travel like he does, and then I think why not? We really do need to meet up before you leave for this next adventure. Hope you are staying warm with all the snow,