Adapting

“Move with the flow. Don’t fight the current. Resist nothing.

Let life carry you. Don’t carry it.” - Oprah Winfrey

I left for Madrid at noon on May 3 and the universe continues to send me nods that I’m on the right track, I immediately ran into @emily.r.rand at the airport. She was on my flight to JFK. One more chance to consult my Camino guru! She was headed out to walk the Portuguese route. She is inspiring and I am more than a little jealous of her ability to pack a 15 lb backpack! It was reassuring to see her.

I arrived in Madrid at 7 am a little foggy from sleep and caffeine deprivation. I couldn’t check into my hotel until 3 pm. They let me leave my backpack, so at least I didn’t have that burden as I ventured out to explore and find coffee. 

My hotel was close to Plaza Mayor, which was great since I needed to kill time before the cafes opened and I could get that much-needed coffee. I had Plaza Mayor almost entirely to myself at that time of the day. From there I got lost along the way to my hotel-recommended cafe, but it was all good since I have never been to Madrid and everything was new to me. I still managed to get to the cafe by 10 am. The coffee was exactly what I needed to set my day back on track. 

From there, I went to Plaza de Callao, to Palacio Real de Madrid, and the Catedral de la Almudena back to Plaza Mayor and Mercado de San Miguel with lots of getting lost along the way. I used an old-school paper map and was frustrated and liberated by it. The times that I was lost I always found something interesting and I had no schedule to keep so it was easy to go with the flow. I do have to confess that toward the end of the afternoon I had to consult the handy map app on my phone to get back to the hotel, I was wandering in circles! The paper map would be easier if I brought my readers along, something I still hate to do. Ah, my vanity gets me again.

Yes, my vanity is being challenged and brought to the forefront on this excursion. Especially right now when I am down to the bare minimum to walk the Camino. I’m thinking about how bad I hate quick dry hiking clothes, how much better I look with make-up and I won’t even get into my hair without products and styling tools (I only have shampoo and a comb)!

It’s so bad that I’m wearing Tevas. 

It’s so bad I’m wearing Tevas without a pedicure. 

I am a picture of a tourist I never want to look like. I’m sending out crunchy, hippie vibes, and not in a cool boho way!

I walked approximately 12 miles throughout the day. When I finally arrived back at the hotel, I checked in showered, napped, and made it out one more time for a quick snack and plans to go to bed early.

I started my second day in Madrid feeling refreshed.  Headed to coffee and a tour of Museo del Prado. I love an art museum on my own, free to go at the pace I choose. There was a Guido Reni exhibit and beautiful paintings of Saint James, which seemed to nod at my plan to walk the Camino de Santiago. I thoroughly enjoyed the Prado, it is big, but much more manageable than the Met or the Louvre. I was there for 4 hours, something I don’t think would happen if I were traveling with anyone else.

I was struck by all the times I’ve rushed through art museums. One of my strengths is adaptability, but recently I’ve realized that it has made my life smaller than I wanted it to be. 

Of course, it can be a great strength in that you have to be adaptable and compromise in life. It certainly served me well in motherhood, work, and friendships. I think I work and play easily with others and don’t feel upset when plans shift and change. All that can be very good.

However, I was going through life with someone who does not have this strength and so found myself always following. I’ve missed experiences that would have fed my soul to do things that fed others. Don’t get me wrong I still see my adaptability as a strength, but going forward I’ll be more careful to look out for its weaknesses.

The fabulous end to this day was reconnecting with a friend from Kansas City who has recently relocated to Madrid. I got tips on Spain, suggested places to see, and food/drinks to try all while catching up on each other’s lives. It was a great evening.

I began my 3rd day in Madrid by reading through Facebook posts of others walking the Frances Way of the Camino. I’m not sure who to believe, there are many saying you can’t get a bed unless you book in advance. It had me worried enough to look into booking my first couple of stops. And what do you know  - no availability. According to many accounts, if I just walk, once I arrive I’ll still be able to find a bed, but I’ll need to start early and get to the public albergues early since they operate on a first-come, first-serve basis. I was feeling stressed and so sad, this is the opposite of how I wanted to do the Camino walk, racing from bed to bed!

I headed out to buy my walking poles and rain poncho and contemplated the whole ordeal. I knew this excursion would come with twists and turns, I just didn’t expect it to happen so early! 

Okay, so what was I saying about adaptability?

I’m scrapping the old plan and heading to the Norte route instead. I’m adapting to make this the experience I wanted. I had shied away from the Norte because it is listed as the most challenging route. I had also wanted a populated route and the Frances is obviously the most populated (but now it sounds like overkill). The Norte is coastal at the beginning and that sounds amazing. San Sabastian keeps coming up for me, and the Norte goes right through San Sabastian. So I’ll take it as a sign and head out early tomorrow!

I promise I’ll get to the walk eventually! I’ll post my progress on Instagram, though I’m not sure how often I’ll blog while on the walk. I’m just not sure what to expect, but I’ll adapt.

Buen Camino!
XOXO,

Bon