Day 56

Day 56: Portomarin to Palas De Rey - 24 km (walking!! mostly in rain)

Yesterday I met a man from Lugo (just north of here) at a "rest stop". He had taken the bus from his home to Sarria that morning and started walking. He did the same thing last year and ended up with tendonitis after one day, making the rest of the journey incredibly painful.

"This time I stop," he said, "every hour for 5 minutes."

Tony (torn meniscus) also talked to me yesterday about the importance of "stopping".

"I learned pretty quickly to slow down," he said, "but even when I walked slower and fewer kilometers, I still walked all the way to my destination. But it is also important to stop."

He now takes regular breaks, removes his boots, lingers over lunch, and has found himself enjoying the journey in a different way.

"It's like I'm on holiday," he said. Less like tackling a task or a job.

I decided to test this "stop" theory today.

After my first hour of walking, I didn't want to stop. Because my feet didn't hurt that bad. Which made me think about how we often push ourselves to the breaking point before we allow ourselves to stop, quit a job that doesn't give us joy, end a relationship that isn't serving us, etc., even though we know we should. 

And so I stopped. (And watched the seconds tick by on my watch!)

After the second hour I didn't want to stop because I felt like I had just stopped (an hour of walking goes by very quickly!). As if I hadn't yet "earned" the right to rest. Plus I knew I would be stopping for lunch in less than 2 kilometers. I had something ahead I was pressing toward! 

But I stopped anyway.

After the third hour I didn't want to stop because it was raining. 

We really can come up with any and every excuse not to stop, even when we know we need to!

After the fourth hour, I didn't stop. Because I was walking with a mother and son from the Netherlands and was enjoying their company. 

But by the hour and a half mark I was more focused on looking for a rest area than on our conversation. Because we can't be our best with others if we don't first take care of ourselves.

And then I had to rest again 30 minutes later.

While walking and stopping today I couldn't help but think about all the people I have met who are on Camino in order to "stop".

To take time off between jobs. Or before college. To figure out what comes after retirement. Or how to be a better spouse. To heal from the death of a loved one. Or a divorce.

Admirable. That they would see the importance of stopping, healing, transitioning, preparing.

I never considered my Camino as a "stop". Because all of my changes--job, home, marital status--took place almost two years ago.

But today I asked myself if I had ever honored those changes with a "stop", a time out to mourn, heal, prepare for all that is new. Because going from a status--editor; homeowner; Mrs.--to simply being "Katie", is no small change.

I hope to carry this lesson--remembering to stop--with me for the rest of my life, because I know there are many changes, transitions, new beginnings and endings on the road ahead!