Ready to take off

It's that time....time to leave. The shell is on the backpack, and waiting to be packed.

I got my clothes and sleeping bag treated with bug spray. Unfortunately, there wasn't any left for my backpack. A trip to the outdoors store is on my to-do list this week. 

The only thing left to do is to treat the backpack, pack the backpack and put Candy's shell on my backpack.

My Saturday visit with Candy was all about how I am going on my "trip of a life time and leaving her behind" (those are her words, not mine). The first thing she said to me what I walked in the door was "when are you leaving". Didn't even get a chance to say hello! She wants to go so bad! I told her that I would go with her once she is physically able. She was glad to hear that, and promised to hold me to it. At one point she told me that she was thinking about going now, and she would let me take care of her (can't you see it now...me pushing her in a wheelchair through the various mountainous areas). Candy was disappointed that no one agreed with her. I told her that I needed to come see her before I left, and she told me that she's still going to be sad. Candy said, "I'll think, why is Sam not here? Oh yeah, she's in Spain without me". I did try to cheer her up before I left--I'm not sure that it worked.




Next time you hear from me, I will be in France. 

Hopelessly Trying to Get Prepared

You know that you're trip that you've been planning for 2 years is almost here when your dentist says "we need to get this fixed before you leave for Spain", and you doctor says "we need to get you well before you leave". I thought that the day for me to leave would NEVER come, but it has--it's just around the corner. I have been counting down the days until I board the plane, and hopelessly trying to learn Spanish (I have come to the conclusion that I am learning impaired when it comes to languages).

The Airport
I have studied the layout of the Paris airport. That place is HUGE! I never thought that an airport could have so many levels. When I get off the plane, I will make my first stop to immigration. Where is immigration you ask, heck if I know! After looking at about 5 or 6 different maps, there is no mention of where immigration/customs is location. This is going to be interesting. The buses stations on the other hand, were nicely marked on each map, and close to the terminal I should be arriving at.

Training
I have been trying to get a little in here and there. I have tried to dedicate 3 days a week to doing kickboxing (trying to build some endurance for the Pyrenees). This is what I did when I was training for the Spartan Race and it helped tremendously! Therefore, there is hope that it will work it's magic again.

Pack Weight
I am happy to announce that my pack officially weights 5.27 kg (11.6 lb)! This does not include food and water. My goal was 5.67 kg (12.5 lb). Whoot whoot, I'm under my goal! On a different note about my pack, Candy would be proud to know that I have made sure that my pack includes a sarong. Thanks to Ebay, I was able to get a silk one from India for less than $10. Score!

Mapping It Out
Brother Tom, I am expecting you to keep an accurate account of my where-abouts with that map of yours. Br. Tom is going to keep with where I am each day and place pins in a map with the correlating location. Nothing like the pressure to post everyday! It will be pretty neat to see when I get back (The pressure is on Brother Tom for to keep up your map now, he he he).

Final "To Do" List
Since I marked off all things from the "sticky notes" on my computer for things to get, I had to make a list for things that needed to be done before I leave. My "to do" list is almost compete! There's nothing like the feeling of making a list and being able to mark things off.

Make list of bills that need to be paid
 Get travel insurance
Get Euros from the bank
Talk to Verizon
Make substitute plans
Get medicine for Pete (my dog)
Treat clothes and sleeping bag with bug spray
Pack backpack

Final Thoughts
Each day I go into my classroom and start getting things ready for the end of the year, and it just makes me more and more excited. It helps me to know that my departing day is getting a little bit closer. I do have to say that it is getting a little harder to sleep now that I it's actually May.

I would like to thank everyone who has been praying about this trip, and sharing in my excitement. I am still not sure what I God will show me while I'm gone, but I know that it's got to be good, right?

.

New Plan of Action and Adjustments

Itinerary Update:
As I was putting tentative dates onto the itinerary, I noticed that I have 11 days to "play with". This meant that some of those 18/19 mile days could be split into 2 days. As it now stands, there are 7 days that are designated as sick or resting days. Hopefully, we won't need to use these days due to injuries or sickness. I would love to be able to use these days at the end in our swanky hotel.

Here is the new itinerary:

Trekking Pole Issues: 

My trekking pole protection tips came in the mail the other day, so I thought I would try the poles out walking around the house. I guess I must be a total moron, because I don't  think I was using the right. Is there really a wrong way to use them??? Sad to admit, but I had to look how to use them on YouTube. The information was pretty helpful....learned the proper way to use the wrist loops in order to grip the poles without putting too much pressure on hands. Also learned that I needed to make sure that my poles are tilted, not straight, in order to make sure that I am using the poles to propel me forward.

Training update:

Tuesday, I was going for my run in hopes of going 5 miles (the run before that was 4.75 miles). However, my body didn't want to cooperate. My calves got so tight around 1.5 miles that I had to stop. I had to wait until Thursday to try for 5 miles again. Well, I made it.....barely. There was LOTS of stopping and waiting after mile 3. At least I made it! This getting in shape thing is over-rated. If my body would be able to handle the Camino without this, I would not run another step!

Candy and I made to our "training grounds" Saturday (last weekend was a bust because of all the rain). We trained with our fully loaded packs. I am not sure how much Candy's weighed, but I have been very choosy in what goes into my pack. My pack weighed around 13 pounds, that included my lunch and water. This was the first time that I took my new pack out on a trek. It is very different from my other pack, and it is going to take a while for me to get used to it. The only that bothered (well, still does) me was not knowing where the pack should sit on my hips...one the hop bone, above the hip bone??? Once I figure this out, I believe that this pack is going to be just fine. 

Since I have been running a lot, my feet are starting to get those pesky "hot spots" around the arches of my feet. Prevention is key when it comes to blisters. The tape worked wonderfully. Even though we did not trek as long as we normally do, I could still tell a difference in my feet. Another thing was I finally put my Superfeet inserts into my boots. I waited because I didn't want them to get worn out. They provided much needed shock absorption and support. 

Glasses Situation:

I quickly realized that using contacts on the Camino is just too much like work. Who wants to keep up with several pair contacts, glasses, and sunglasses??? NO BODY! That's why I decided to go with transition lenses (well...there was someone who suggested transition lenses too). Now I will only have to worry about the glasses on my face.

Getting Updates While I'm Gone:

I have had several people ask me how they could they keep up with my blog while I was gone. The answer is simple.....I will not be posting the link to my blog on Facebook while I'm gone. So, you can get email updates by signing up using the "Follow by Email" box on the right hand side of this blog.



Got My Goods Together!

After months of research and shopping, I have purchased everything that I need! It feels good knowing that all my items are now ready to go into my backpack. Man, I never thought that I would need this much stuff just to go on a trip. After all of my packages came in the mail, I made sure that I weighed everything and put the information into my fancy Excel spread sheet that I made to do all of my calculations for me.

(Click on the picture to make it bigger)

This may seem a little much for some people, but when you have to carry all of your belongings on your back for 6 weeks, every gram counts! If my calculations are correct, I should not be carrying any more than 15 pounds/6.8 kg when I have food and water in my pack. That's about 13% to 14% of my body weight. The recommended is 10%, but I can't see that happening.

 I was already trying to find ways to shed some extra weight. I even took apart my book of maps in order to save a few grams (It worked! I saved 50 grams). Traded my Keen sandals for those ugly Crocs. That saved my over 200 grams alone! Also, I had my hand towel cut into smaller pieces (only needed wash cloth size anyway) to help save me 30 grams. The one thing that did disappoint me was not being able to take my St. Thomas's My Way of Life that Mom got me for my birthday. Although it is light, I don't have any extra weight that I am able to spare. On the brighter side, I am going to be able to take the Anglican prayer beads that she got me! I have already started learning some of the prayers that go along with them.

I am still trying to figure out what I am going to do about communication. I do know that I am taking my phone, so relax people. However, I have to talk with the people at Verizon to see what is the best option for me. Texting and emailing is all that I will need to do. Mom already has said that she will only require a text or email every now and then, which I understand. So, an international plan might not be necessary, but I'll check all that out when I talk with Verizon soon. Not sure what plans Candy has in the communication department, and I don't think she doesn't either since she keeps asking me what I plan on doing.

Dad gave me an old iPod that I will be using for video and pictures. It is set up with the Blogger app, this way I can update my blog when I have wifi, and email. Don't worry, I have created a separate email address to use while in Spain. Just let me know if you want it, and I'll get it to you.

Candy and I have been trying to use our weekends wisely. Meaning that each Saturday is devoted to hiking with our fully loaded packs for 10 miles or more. During the week, however, I do try to go running at least every other day. I am able to comfortably run about 5 miles. **Note to self: don't try to run right after it finishes raining because it just might start raining again. Then you will have to stop by your friend's house on a Saturday morning begging for covering. Thank you Ms. Janet and Joy!!

As I am typing all this out, it just hits me on how real this trip really is. In less than 2 months I will be half way around the world doing something that I would never thought I would be possible. Mom said that she is sure that this is only the beginning for me. I told her that most people say that once you do the Camino, you'll be coming back for more. I am sure that this will be true. I am getting more and more excited about the spiritual side of this trip, about what God has planned for me in Spain. I know that I have said this before, but there is just a burning desire and passion to see what God has waiting for me that I just can't wait to experience it. Even that means suffering is part of it (well, I KNOW there will be suffering, ha ha ha).

Getting Close!

Seeing my count down on below 60 days is exciting!! I can't help being super excited and wishing that time would just fly by. Right now, I am having these crazy dreams about all things that can go wrong. The last one I had was about how I missed my plane by 1 whole day! I was NOT a happy "hiker" in my dream.

Took my first hiking adventure with a mostly loaded pack (I have little things to get yet) on Saturday. There were several things that I had to do in order to make sure that I was ready:

1) Look at what I had, weight each piece, and put it into my spread sheet that I made to calculate the totals

2) Find out how to pack everything, and actually pack it.

3) Get snacks and water for the "wonderful" adventure.


1.....Even though I weighed everything already, I wanted to do it again to make sure that I accurate the first time. Well, I wasn't. I put the weight into my spread sheet that calculated everything. I'm not doing too bad. I only have few little things to get. There will enough weight left for food and water. There is about 1.5 kilos left to my "weight limit". 

Here is what I am taking so far...

2....YouTube was a great help to know how I should pack everything. It wasn't too difficult really. Sleeping bag on the bottom, heavy things towards my back, lighter things away from my back, and frequently used things on the very top. I did find out that my pack is way too big. It is barely half full! I don't know if you can tell it from the picture, but there it is. 

I ordered a new pack...a Gregory J38 to be exact. This one should be a better fit in the torso, and it's smaller in liters (38L vs. 45L) The best part is that it's purple.  While I was ordering, I went ahead and got a couple of "dry sacks" to keep my clothes and sleeping bag dry and clean. 

3....Candy and I had a great time hiking Saturday. We made it 8 miles with our packs! Whoot Whoot!! The creeks were flowing beautifully. It seems that my running has paid off. 

I was able to do the 8 miles without being "spent". However, I did notice some "hot spots" on my feet. Maybe tapping the problem areas each day will help prevent blisters. From everything that I am reading, taking care of my feet should be the number one priority.

Cathedrals, Poles, and Glasses vs. Contacts

Getting things crossed off my list just reminds me that I will be leaving before I know it! Oh, how I can't wait...in just 3 more months I will be taking my shell off my rear view mirror to attach to my pack!

In just 3 months, I will be seeing the beautiful country side of France and Spain along with some awesome cathedrals. I think that is what I want to see the most. Being able to see these amazing structures that were created to glorify God just gets me "all riled-up".  Here is just a preview of what I'm going to see (hopefully go inside to explore and partake in a pilgrim's service):

This is St. James' Cathedral to mark the end of the journey.

This is inside a cathedral in Burgos

This is just somewhere along the way. Don't know where, but I want to go inside ;)

This shows all the cathedrals that I will pass. I know that it's not a great picture, but it gives you an idea of what I'll be seeing. 

Moving on before I get lost in looking for more pictures.....

Candy asked me if I would like to go shopping with her for some gear Sunday, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to see what else I needed. While we were there, Candy looked at trekking poles which reminded me that I needed to get a better set. The ONE that I bought without really doing my homework is bulky and heavy...the moral of the story kids is to never buy trekking poles online. I was trying not to spend too much money on poles, but that didn't work very well. If I wanted the kind that I truly needed, it was going to cost me a little bit. So here is what Candy and I both ended up getting:

They are Black Diamond Trekking Poles. They are adjustable from 100 cm to 120 cm I believe. They are very lightweight at only 17oz. Plus the poles collapse. 

Just in case you haven't heard...I was able to make my reservation at Orisson (a private hostel along first day)! It just made it seem more real and unbelievably close. Making the reservations were easier than I thought. You just have to email them from their website with your information. Then they email you back with an invoice to pay through PayPal. Couldn't be simpler.

Click on the picture to go to their site. The hostel looks beautiful.

Candy did find some information that said the hostel gives you a 5 minute token to do ALL of your washing. Oh boy! I will be coming up with a plan because it could end badly. I will also have to think about maybe getting some food at the markets in Saint Jean before we head out since I don't know what the meals are going to be anything that I can eat. 

A summer trip means lots of sun, right? Well, that means sunglasses. Since I wear glasses, I will have to have clip-ons.....not my favorite choice. I thought that I would get around that by wearing contacts. I needed to get some for my mud run next month, so I thought that I would give them a go over the weekend to see if I could handle wearing them everyday for 6 weeks. The answer is a big fat NO! Ever since I got an infection in my eye from contacts several years ago, contacts became extremely uncomfortable and still are apparently even with "dailies". All well....back to glasses. It was a nice thought though. 

I do have to say that I will miss this little girl right here while I am gone:

The Weight Dilemma

Two posts in one week. Wow! What has gotten into me? Oh yeah, excitement. This post was carefully crafted with a clingy dog that has commandeered my lap and hand (she's laying on my hand while in my lap) for her comfort.

It's getting about that time....getting my pack the right weight. I started weighing the items that I already have. My pack empty alone is 2kg. That means I am only "allowed" 3.44kg of stuff in my pack. Well, now that I think about it....I will probably want it less than that because of water and food that I will be carrying from day to day. This is going to be an interesting task...

So far, I am at 2.18 kg. This may be a problem since I have several other items coming in the mail (still more that I have to get from the store) that I will need to put inside my pack. There will be some major case of prioritization. With the help of experienced Camino pilgrims I should be able to shave off a few grams here and there. However, it felt did good to mark more things off my packing list.

 I think that I got all the items that can from Amazon, the rest I can get from the store. Wow, I'm actually just about finished shopping! *super excited face* This just hit me....

Amongst the many conversations that I have been having with Candy about our trip, the topic of "why" came up recently. "What are you going to tell the people at the end of the pilgrimage why you did this?" asked Candy. This is something to think about. I know that this is something that God wants me to do, but I am not sure why. It just got me thinking about what is the purpose of this pilgrimage. This has caused me to start praying more about my trip. There's such a sense of expectation.

A friend of mine just asked me if it seemed real that I'm going or not. Well, now that I have my plane AND train tickets it does seem real. "Holy Toledo! I'm going to be gone for six weeks! It's really happening!" was the first thought that came to my mind. As the time gets closer, I am sure that the anticipation of it all will become greater and I will get where I can't sleep from the excitement. As for now, I just sit and dream about what it's going to be like. I know that it's not going to really be like "The Way" (the movie), but my imagination of the whole adventure still pretty romantic and unrealistic.

(I hope this post is long enough for you Mrs. Janet)

Five More Months

This past week it just hit me...I only have 5 months until my trip! It seems like yesterday I was planning for a trip that was 2 years away. Now I only have 5 months! This means that I need to start making sure that I need to start gathering those "little" things that are on my packing list. After I get everything, I will need to start analyzing the items to make sure that I really them--no need to take unnecessary items that add extra weight to my pack. Then I will need to find the best way to pack it all. I can't believe it's getting close enough for me to even think about such things!

Training is going as well as could be expected.Trying to make sure that I train in the cold is really tough. I had to get some gear to make sure that I don't get too cold while on my runs. Next week might be a little tougher since the wind chill will be below zero for a few days (one of those days is supposed to be my running days) which means I will have make alternative plans. My focus is mainly on my Spartan race in March. I mean, if I can consistently run a 10k then surely I should be able to WALK many miles each day. The full pack isn't really an issue. During the past summer I was able to consistently hike over 10 miles with a 15 pound pack. When I'm gone, my pack should way only about 12 pounds at most.

My dad gave me an Ipod so I can take pictures and video while I am gone. Hopefully I will be able to keep everyone update here this way. The other option is to email all the pictures to myself and do my postings when I get back. We'll see how good the wifi is in rural parts of France and Spain.

I mine as well face it...my Spanish skills are going to stink! Every time I post, I keep on saying that I need to start my Spanish podcasts. But do I?? NOOOOO! Procrastination has been getting the better of me. Someone is going to have to keep me accountable and ask me about my Spanish or it might never get done. It would be awful to go and not know how to say anything but my name, where I'm from, what my job is, and if I like my job.

Several people have asked me what I'm going to do about food since I have to get gluten free. Well....I plan on eating a lot of yogurt, fruit, vegetables, and nuts for sure. There are a lot of little markets along the way which enable me to stock up on needed food items that I can eat during the day. Also I found these cards, in Spanish, that explain what I am not able to eat and why if Candy and I decide to go to a cafe or restaurant.

               

 

The journey in planning and preparing for this trip has been so exciting. I keep picturing in my mind what it's going to be like and the things that I'll get to see (mainly the old churches along the way), not to mention the different types of people that I'll meet. These 5 months can't go by fast enough! I get excited just to see the number of days decrease on my "count down"!!

Just a little update....

Here's just a little update on what's been going on lately....

Training is the focus. I already have all my big things, so it's just a matter of gathering the small things when it gets closer to leave.

As you know, I am doing a mud run to help train for this pilgrimage. Let me tell you...it's tough trying to run a 10k. Right now I have trained my body for a 5k which is still tough. Now I have to be able to double to distance. If you see some skinny "kid" running around the neighborhood in the cold you know why....it's me trying to get reading for this mud run. I think that I am getting runner's knee though....yuck! After researching how to treat this, I am going to have to start strengthening my quads. Lets hope that this is an easy fix.

My partner in crime has injured herself, AGAIN! Now I have no running partner until after Christmas...way to go Rebecca!

For this Christmas, my mother and have decided to take a trip "home" to Michigan. By the time that we go, I should be able to run a 10k. It will be nice to run on flat land for a while even if it will be in super cold weather.

I want to be able to stay in the Scriptures and prayer while I'm gone. I would love to be able to find the Common Book of Prayer of Liturgy of the Hours in a pocket version. This would be the best way to do this. However, if I am not able to find one then I will have to do something else. Maybe one of those pocket Psalm/New Testament bibles.

Wonderful Surprise and Marking off Need Items

      Getting ready for this pilgrimage has been wonderful. I get excited when I am able to purchase gear; it just means that I am getting a little bit closer. Even though it is still a year away, I find myself in much prayer about it. There is an uncertainty about what I believe God will do--perhaps I will never know until it's time to come home. It doesn't matter, because I know that there will be change. This change makes me even more excited--the anticipation grows.

      There was a moment when I thought that the trip would be cancelled because I made a mistake in my school's paper work. My heart just sank....there were many tears involved too. This resulted in a panic call the my father. However, somehow the correct papers were filed. I have to give the credit to the Lord providing a way for me to go, a way for me not to pay for my last semester of school from my trip fund. Flabbergasted. That's the right word to describe how I felt. Couldn't stop thanking the Lord for providing even the mist of my mistake. It's also encouraging to know that there is wonderful godly lady in my church that is constantly praying about God moving in my life during this trip. I can not wait to find out about what's going to happen!

     Not much time for training though. I need to get on the ball about this! This chick is REALLY out of shape, and I am only able to really train on Saturdays right now. These Saturdays have been overtaken by yard work, house work, and school work. Work will be out for the summer pretty soon. Hopefully this means that I will have more time to train. I would love to be in shape before the winter since I need to be able to train with my pack during the winter and spring months. After I graduate--this summer is the last semester, I can hear the hallelujah chorus now--there might be more time to get the training in. Being able to walk about 20-25 km a day won't happen overnight, this day need time to get ready for that mess!


      Since it was my birthday, I was able to grab a few more things for the trip. YAY! Before I purchased anything, I read a the reviews of every product, ever brand, and I checked message boards  to see what other pilgrims were saying about the various items that I wanted to purchase. My goal is to go ahead and buy all the "big" stuff now then I will only have to work about clothes, safety kits, medicines, etc. when it gets closer to time.

Supperfeet (Green)--I know that I need to get some inserts for my boots, but I was undecided until I started reading about feet care on the Camino forums. A lot of people were talking about how wonderful Superfeet were and how the "experts" at RIE and other outdoor stores recommended them. So, I decided to choose these over the gel inserts. Hopefully, they will be as good as everyone claims them to be.

Plug converter--Since I am taking an iPod Touch for pictures, video, and any communication to my family, I need something that has a USB plug. This was actually harder to find than I thought it would be. There many USB "plugs", but most of them were not suitable for oversees use. After a little while of searching, I was able to find the perfect plug converter. I has the USB space and a regular outlet. The outlet will be just encase my friend Candy needs to plug something in. See how nice I am to think about her, ha ha ha.

Discovery Trekking Microfiber towel--Having a towel that dries quickly, absorbs water well, and is light weight is absolutely necessary! I found the perfect towel on Amazon. It had fantastic reviews and came highly recommended by its users. This towel comes in 3 different sizes to fit your needs, along with a variety of colors. They are a little pricy, but I figure if it's not going to weight my pack down and it does its job then it's worth it, right?

Hi-Tec jacket--I have been debating whether I need to take a jacket or not. A search began on the Camino forum to find out about the weather in May and June. It turns out that it might be a little chilly in the mornings and warm up during the day. So, a jacket sounded like a good idea. Once again, after researching and reading reviews on jackets. I picked up this Hi-Tec shell jacket that is supposed to be an excellent rain jacket too. Also, it's supposed to wick fairly well.

It felt really good to mark these items off my list!

    Now, I did have some money left over from my b-day, so I was able to get a new book! YAY! Books can NEVER be passed up. Since my church has been going through our Catechism, I kept seeing the book Concise Theology by J.I. Packer at the bottom for further reading. Well, I just couldn't pass that up! I can't wait to dive into it (I am reading The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky right now).

Passport/Medical ID...Just Another Step

       Well, I finally got my goods together to renew my passport. After moving all of my junk, I decided that it was a good time to do the dirty deed. It might seem like there is time to wait, but I had a bad experience last time I got my passport. Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we???

[Flashback music begins. Travel 10 years into the past. The fuzzy memory picture comes into view] 

     I was trying to prepare for my trip to Scotland that was only a few months down the road and I needed to get a passport. I had never been anywhere besides Canada, and at that time you did not have to have a passport to cross the border. Being excited, I got everything together and mailed it off. With only a few weeks to spare, my lovely little blue book came in the mail. I looked it over real good and noticed something strange. They spelled my name wrong!!!! What in the world?!?! They had my application AND my birth certificate, and they still screwed it up. Way to go government! To fix this awful error, I had to pay for expedited services with overnight shipping, pray that it returned on time. The passport came back with only days to spare. You would think that they would make a new one. Oh no, they made an amendment in the back. 

[Come back to the present music with a clear picture] 

     I vowed never to make that mistake again! So here we are a year away getting my passport renewed. So lets see if they "lovely" government can get my name right this time. If not, I know at least I have time to send it back in without having to worry. At least I know that my picture will be ten times better.

       On a different note, there was a news article about how parents are making their children wear these allergy warning t-shirts, and an idea came into my head. I began to think that if something were to happen to me, someone might need to know that I am allergic to gluten/wheat! The search began for an allergy bracelet that did not cost an arm and a leg while being "cute". Gold was struck when I stumbled upon Hope Paige. It's a place that sells every kind of medical ID possible.

This one allows you to size it to fit your wrist. I only had to cut off a little piece for mine to fit perfectly!

     So just in case your are going to travel the Camino and have a medical issue, you might want to think about getting a medical ID. She has many different colors in this particular style and the engraving is FREE! You can't get any better than that.

**Disclaimer: I was not paid for review of this item, but I loved it so much that I just wanted to share ;)

    No hiking trip this weekend. I trade it for an afternoon of yard work. That counts right??? I had to push the lawn mower up hill most of time, so I am going to count it as training. This did give me time to read that many of the churches in Spain have special services for pilgrims. The priest prays and blesses the pilgrims. Also, the pilgrims get a chance to take the sacraments. This makes me very excited!

Socks, Liners, and Trekking Poles

        First, I have to say that my hiking adventure was rough! I need that I was going to be sore when my hiking partner decided that we should climb up the side of a mountain. Don't ask me why I didn't object. Maybe I didn't want to taunted for being a woose. I don't know, but up the mountain I went. It was a REAL workout!! If I can keep that up then I know that I will be ready! Alabama has enough mountains to climb. Ha ha ha.

      My socks and sock liners came! YAY! I can't wait to try these out with my boots that will be here tomorrow! I got Smart Wool socks and liners.

     From all the reading that I have done, this seemed like the best choice. At first I wasn't sure about getting the liners; however, after reading about different people's experiences with and without liners, I quickly changed my mind. What is the purpose of a liner? Well, it's to cut down on the friction that comes from the sock rubbing against you foot.

Just FYI about Keen boot sizes and using socks:
      I was a little concerned about have too much room with having a whole size bigger when I ordered my boots, but I found a great solution which seems to be agreed upon by many. You can wear an extra pair of socks to help with the sizing issue then as you are walking the Camino you can take off the extra pair when/if your feet swell. I am thinking that this solution will work great, but as thick as my socks are, I may not have to resort to that. I bought an extra pair just in case though. I always have to be prepared.

Anywho.......
       I am still waiting for my trekking pole to come. Hopefully it will be here soon. After a long search for the best option, I came across the collaspable poles. Now trying to find one that doesn't weigh a lot was a little tricky. There was one that I saw that looked pretty sturdy but it shipped weighing 3 pounds!! I can only carry so much people! This one ships weighing only 1 pound, so that leads me to believe that it's less than that because the weight of the box and backing materials. Maybe I'm wrong....we'll see.

      My thinking was that I could put it in my pack when I am flying without having to check it in. Since I know they will not let me on a plane with a giant stick. Number one it won't fit in that stupid overheard compartment, but number two, I just might use it as a weapon on that morron that likes to kick your seat for the entire flight. What is everyone's thinking about this?? Is a collapsable pole a good idea???

A side note:
   I think that I officially tired my friends on the topic of the Camino. They no longer listen to my preparation stories. How sad. I guess that means that I will just have to continue to tell myself how excited I am even if the trip is about a year away.

Packing List Overload and Getting Trained

Have I mentioned that I am a big list maker?? Well, I am. One day, I organized all the information that I read and created sticky notes on my computer. Each one is a list in a category of everything that I need to buy. As you can tell there are few things that I have been able to mark off. Just looking at this list is giving me anxiety even though I KNOW that I have time to get it all.

Training is the next big task that I have to tackle. Being a teacher AND in graduate school, it seems like I am never able to go hiking. A schedule will have to made ASAP in order for me to have an idea how much I am going to be able to do. Luckily I live in Alabama, so there are plenty of mountains and hills for me to train with. There are several state parks too. One specifically has a 15 mile trail!! YAY!! The goal is to be able to walk this trail several time in a week with my pack at full weight.

The Search for the Best Footwear

I have been searching and searching online for the best possible footwear for this journey. Well, I have come to the conclusion that it really depends on the person. How is this supposed to help??? No one wants blisters, shoes falling apart, broken ankles, or anything of the sort....what is a girl supposed to do. This meant that I was on my own.

This might seem a little crazy, but it has taken me about 5 months to finally break down and buy a part of walking sandals and boots. I did not know that it was going to be so hard to make a final decision. After the decision was made to buy my boots and sandals by Keen, there was the "Which ones do I get?" question over and over. Countless sites have gotten hundreds of hits probably just from me going back over and over again trying to make up my mind. Ha ha ha.

Since my class had gotten me a gift card for this trip, I thought that I should use it at some point. This was the purchase for my Keen sandals. These will mostly be worn after I get done walking for the day and want to go sight seeing. This will give my feet a chance to breath, which could be pretty important.

My boots were another matter. I went to one site and bought the Keen Targhee II. Needless to say I did NOT buy the right size, so back they went. After about a month of searching, I found these Keen Gypsum boots on sale. I nabbed them up and hopefully they will be the right size. They are supposed to be more sturdy than the Targhee. Gypsum boots also have a shock absorber to help with any rough terrain.

Enough about boots and such. There is a woman in my church that is an amazing lady. She has been such a huge supporter of me and this trip. There is no telling how much is has been praying about this trip and what God has been showing her. Actually, I don't even want to know because it could be a little scary. Any way, she was sweet enough to give Candy and I a clam shell with a hole drilled in them for use to attach them on our packs. 

It's hanging from my rear view mirror, this way I can always be reminded of the journey that I will be going on--spiritually speaking.