Still changing

Hey ya'll.  It has been a while.  And oh how much has changed.  Since my last post I withdrew from NYU, took the rest of the year off from school, went on a 500 mile hike across northern Spain, thought I knew what I wanted to do so I accepted attendance at a state school, joined the track team there, quit the track team and withdrew from that college.  There were bits and pieces in between but that is the general gist of everything that has happened.  Now I am taking this summer to make lots of money.  I hope to, in the winter, attend UMass Amherst University Without Walls program to get my bachelors in journalism studies.  I hope to get some practice by writing everyday on this blog.  Let me know how I am doing.

Let us talk about my hike! It was the most rewarding experience of my life. It is called El Camino de Santiago.  What inspired me to do this was a movie called The Way with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez.

What a great movie this was!  I literally was just walking around Target in the movie section and came across this gem.  After watching it, I started to plan my trip! Then a month and a half later I was on a plane to Biarritz, France to start my journey.  Spontaneity is so thrilling and exhilarating.  

Okay so more about the actual walk. "The Camino" was originally a pilgrimage to the Apostle John's grave in Santiago, Spain.  For hundred of years, pilgrims have travelled this path from Saint-Jean-Pied-De-Port, France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain to find peace with God or just to find peace with themselves.  Over the years it has developed into a sportive, cultural and spiritual experience.  I figured this would be the best way for me to experience some of another world.  I ventured off by myself, scared shitless, not knowing what to expect.  

Here I am all ready to go!

made it to the train station to go to Saint Jean Pied de Port

on the train

arrived! following some fellow pilgrims

more pilgrims

day one journey!

hardest day of my life...

pamplona plaza of the bulls

cool scuplture in pamplona

my first 40km day...bad choice

the wine fountain.  it was red wine, but I didn't get any or else I would not have made it up the hill!

beautiful sunrise

wow.

yea thats in someone's backyard, nbd.

my feet were struggling.

my heel hurt so badly!

wonderful people that took care of me. Rob the english man looking my way and smiling.

my bed, on leather couches in a hostel.

new shoes that were a life saver!

play me some tunes dude!

a little ways to go.

in atapuerca where the oldest human remains were found.

pilgrims on horseback!

cathedral in burgos

susan from germany, what a lovely woman.

just hanging out in Leon

of course I had to stop by a candy shop.

chocolate croissant

running race through Leon on my day off from walking

the italians made me dinner yet again!

the chef

they let me help :)

the table.

dinner is served, potato and onion soup served over bread and cheese

spaghetti a la carbonara, delicioso!

cruz de ferro, where you leave something behind.

finally found peanut butter!!!

hostel

wonderful people from canada, germany, south africa and holland.

where is the end?? so foggy

O'Cebreiro, second hardest day ever! constant hills, reached the top!

and the storm clears

here comes the sun!

where am i?

girls from VT

dinner with canadians and VT girls

100km left!

dutch ladies I seemed to always run into.

hostel by the river

ahhh soaking my aching feet

what a wonderful day, I definitely got sunburned

dunking

COLD.

Aaron making french toast on our last night before our journey to santiago the next day.

ladies making a wonderful concoction 

maple syrup from VT!

Dinnaaa

dancing in the street

On the hill overlooking santiago

BAM

walking through the arch into the plaza where the cathedral is. emotions are flowing

there it is. I did it!

we hung our flower crowns on the fence of the cathedral

the crew just sitting in awe and amazement

rob the englishman and susan!

I did it!

our little slice of heaven in santiago

the view from our bedroom window at the hostel... I know right?!

breakfast at the parador

mass at the cathedral. no swinging incense unfortunately

the dutch ladies!

Gil, the crazy frenchman

hanging out in the park

amelia is so happy she got some frozen yogurt

wonderful raspberry jam tart amelia made

Made it all the way to the coast by bus.

exploring

beautiful day.

found a spot on the rocks

going to see the sunset at a remote beach

we went down there

he lived in the cave!

there is goes

susans german chocolate delicious concoction

on the bus ride back to santiago

i love these guys.

theres my Compostela! proof that i completed my journey

One of the many things I learned from this pilgrimage was that everything will be alright in the end and that everything happens for a reason.  I learned that you have to live in every second of everyday or else it will just pass you by.  I learned that I am a lot stronger than I thought.  My feet got so bad that I almost gave up.  But I kept going.  Walking through that arch into the plaza where the cathedral was was so fulfilling.  I thought to myself, "I did it, I went on this journey by myself and I completed it."  I learned that I can complete difficult tasks and I can follow through.  I learned that asking for help is okay because not everyone will let you down.  I learned more about myself than any therapy or life experience over here ever taught me.  I plan on doing this many more times down the road.  Anyone wanna come with me?!

What's next you ask?  I have many goals I wish to accomplish this summer/fall:

1. Make money/Save money

2. Sell my car

3. Buy a 2010 Toyota Prius

4. Write

5. Apply to get my journalism degree at UMass Amherst University Without walls program

6. Get more tattoos

7.  Have a tag sale to simplify

What are you planning for the summer?

What life experiences have changed you?