Training, Books, and Pants

This month has not been the greatest for training. There were a couple of days that I was able to go hiking, but most of the time I was stuck doing cardio at home to build endurance. Hiking has been limited due to the amount of rain...this summer been almost like a monsoon here in Alabama! If it wasn't raining, there was extremely high humidity that made it almost impossible to hike more than 30 minutes. Now that the weather is starting to cool off, I am going to try hitting the trails once again. Only 8 more months! I can't believe that a little over a year ago I started planning this amazing pilgrimage.

Since I had to order some materials for work (my classroom), I ordered a book that I was wanting to read about someone's journey along Camino de Santiago. It came today! I started reading the back of the book to find out this man, Arthur Paul Boers, is a Mennonite and a Benedictine oblate. Neat! The beginning is very good. He writes about the spiritual journey that he experienced throughout his journey.

I am very interested in what God is going to do. As the time comes closer, I find myself pondering on what God is going to do while I am gone. This is not just a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but it's a time to grow deeper in my relationship with Christ, a time for transformation, and a time of reflection. What this will look like when I come back, I don't know. However, after reading just a few pages of my book, I am quickly realizing that God's work might not become clear or even be finished when I return. All of this is very exciting!! I find myself praying about it more and truly desiring God to prepare me for this journey. Journalling along The Way is probably going to become very important to me, allowing me time to reflect on the journey/walk during the day. I am not a journaling person, so that is going to be challenge.

I finally ordered my pants! There was a lot of research involved in making the final decision. Convertible pants were a must, but there are hard to find when they need to be light weight and quick drying. For a long time I was looking at a pair of North Face paints that would convert into capris and shorts, but after reading the reviews I marked them off the list. Many people said that I would want pants that had zippers on the sides and converted to shorts. The side zippers allows a person to take off the "legs" without removing his/her boots. I finally settled on REI Sahara pants. The are a bit long and sit a bit high on the waist, but I can fix that. Other than that, they are wonderful! They are light weight, quick drying, and are roomy. I highly recommend REI Sahara pants.

I just realized that I have GOT to get going on my Spanish!!! I have the podcasts. I just need to start listening and learning Spanish. Can I learn to understand AND speak Spanish in order to hold a conversation without making a fool out of myself in a few months?? We'll see.....