Today was so big on so many levels I hardly know where to start…I didn’t take as many pictures, as today’s journey was more internal than external…

Fortunately the weather cooperated, and we got a perfect day for walking, overcast, no sun until much later and no rain.

Today the air was scented with Eucalyptus as the walk took us through one forest after another.  I spent a lot of time totally alone in the forest most of the day.  At this bridge, 1/2 hour in, I stopped briefly on the middle stone and wished I had time to meditate.

My feet and legs were pretty good for the first 1/2 of today’s walk (I now have shin splints on one leg).

As I was walking out of a small village after the first breakfast break, I saw an older man walking towards me with a rose…I later found out he had passed my friend Christine and just waved the rose at her, he did the same to a young, pretty girl walking in front of me, when he came to me he handed me the rose with a big smile and ‘hola’.  It felt very deliberate…

As I crossed a street and entered the next part of the forest, I decided to put some music on….something I seldom do, but I had a really long haul today.  I got the hit to put on Pandora and look for 80’s love songs…nobody does love songs like the 80’s😄

Completely by myself in the forest, and about 5 songs in, I bent my head to smell the rose and suddenly had a huge realization…this journey has been about healing my heart…

I have had so much male attention on this trip, Christine and I have been laughing about it…I’m not looking for it, but they’ve  been showing up since the first week…and all very positive experiences, with kind, gentle, caring men… Some just friendly, others more interested…and as I thought about them all today, they each represent different types of relationships I’ve had over the years.

I haven’t had this much male attention in 13 years….combine this with all the other facets of this journey, long walking meditations everyday…I’ve allowed all of my eating and other habits to relax and change…I feel very vulnerable all the time…feels like a complete shakedown…I feel like my heart has been blown wide open.

As I continued to walk and integrate this big aha, I looked down 5 minutes later and saw this. 

I began to notice that the signs that are counting down the kilometers to Santiago have nearly all been vandalized, so I was in kind of a timeless zone… I asked for a time warp as I was walking very slowly.  I then wondered if all the pain I have been experiencing is a physical manifestation of the emotional pain I have been carrying around for so long…if so, I asked that it be released…

I started walking at 6:15 this morning and got to this wonderful place at 4pm…I’m not sure how I completed this physical feat…

Two short days now…then I’m booked with Christine for two nights at the Parador (Spain’s equivalent to the Ritz)