I thought after I finished walking the Camino de Santiago this blog would be finished as well. Then, other adventures started popping up in my life one by one... adding up to a whirlwind trip to 4 countries in 5 weeks this summer! Once again, God has blessed his spoiled little daughter in ways I never would have expected!
First, I'm going to Ireland with 5 awesome women. Because of finances, I wouldn't have planned to go to Ireland right now, just getting back to work in the States and all, but it's how it worked out and I know it's going to be incredible!
Next, on to Belize to see my baby first formers graduate high school! I can't even believe it. I'm sure there will be lots of hugs, tears, joy, and facebook pictures :)
Lastly, I will be teaching English to Italian children outside Milan for 3 weeks! This opportunity came up rather quickly and before I knew it I was signed up and set to go! At the end of the camp I'll do to Rome for 4 days because I don't think I could go to Italy without stopping in Rome.
Arriving home the first week of July I will immediately be in wedding mode to prepare for my brother's wedding July 12th and then my good friends wedding July 26th. Oh yeah, and two of my seminarian friends are becoming brothers and receiving their habits on July 19th!
School starts the first week of August here and I've just accepted a position teaching middle school Religion at a Catholic school for next year.
As you can see, this summer will be filled with awesomeness! If you'd like to follow along with my adventures I will be posting on my blog at least once or twice a week. Or you can follow me on instagram betsy_hess or twitter @betsyhess. I guarantee I will be exhausted 90% of the time, I'll lose my voice, and I'll probably have at least one flight/travel problem, but ... is there any other way to live?! Here's to living life to the fullest and thanking God for all the crazy blessings He throws at us! I encourage you to find the small blessings and adventures He puts in your life this summer. Sharing those blessings, mishaps, funny stories, etc with those around you will help you recognize God's gifts in the little things and be grateful for them :)
Day 32
In Santiago de Compestela
Today is my second and last day in Santiago. We spent the day sleeping in, taking a hot shower, attending the Pilgrim Mass, eating a big lunch and a big chocolate crepe, and lastly praying in the adoration chapel. I'm so happy to be heading home tomorrow but it's also a bit strange to be finished after a month of walking with one goal in mind.
Here's the inside of the Cathedral.
This is the statue of St. James behind/above the altar. It is a tradition to touch St. James or even give him a hug.
As you walk to the Cathedral you walk through this archway which opens into the plaza. Throughout the day there is a man playing bagpipes and later a couple singing opera. The bagpipes and singing echo through the whole plaza, welcoming you to Santiago.
After lunch we found a crepe shop. We should've known the crepes would be large and filling since they were about $6 a piece, but we each ordered one and I could barely finish it! Chocolate crepe = delicious!
Here is the list of intentions in front of the adoration chapel.
Throughout the day I was thinking of where to place the intentions of my family and friends that I brought on the pilgrimage with me. At the tomb of St. James? At the statue of St. James? Then I walked past the perpetual adoration chapel in the Cathedral. Believe it or not, this was the most emotional place for me to visit. "This is it", I thought, "This is my goal. This is my beginning and this is my end." I knew this is where I should bring my friends and family and all of the intentions I prayed for as I walked. Funny I walked 500 miles to the tomb of St. James and it was such a wonderful pilgrimage and an amazing accomplishment... when I can go see the Jesus Himself any time I want in adoration. God put it in perspective for me. The Camino was awesome, but what I have here in the adoration chapel is infinitely more awesome!
Thanks for joining me in this adventure. I hope some of you have the opportunity to walk the Camino de Santiago yourself. For those of you who don't, I hope my blogging has allowed you to participate in it a little. I prayed for you and your intentions along the way. You were with me in thought in prayer the whole time. It was my privilege to pray for you and your intentions. I'm glad I could share this adventure and blessing with you. May God bless you!
P.S. Coming home was great. After a long trip I was really pampered my some family and friends. Mom had a pumpkin pie (my favorite) and cool whip in the fridge waiting for me. My sister and a friend gave me a spa pedicure! Look at my feet now!
And a friend and her kids gave me fuzzy slipper and foot lotion along with some great congratulations cards :)
"No blisters!" at the finish, haha
Day 31
Arca to Santiago
19km/12miles
I realized I haven't shown you what the albergues we stay in look like so I took a few pictures before we left our last one. It's a pretty typical one.
Bunk beds, bunk beds, bunk beds.
A rack to leave your shoes outside the sleeping area because they're dirty (and also they smell).
An example of a couple of the arrows we followed today.
A sign about 5km from Santiago! Getting close!
Enjoying the Fall colors.
The last pilgrim statue. It is actually inside the city of Santiago and I call him the soldier pilgrim.
Today it rained and rained and rained. Even with our ponchos on we were wet. It was a strange feeling as we got close to Santiago. Sara said she felt kind of nervous and that's how I felt, too. What's the end going to be like? After 500 miles walking toward this goal how is it going to be? The last hour of walking was in the city and the three of us we quiet, each thinking about the end of this journey.
Here's the first view of the Cathedral we had. It had been raining all day and the sun peeked out just as we saw the cathedral.
Even with the scaffolding it was stunning. We saw a couple friends in the plaza and we just stood there, looking at the cathedral, and not knowing what to do now that we're here.
After looking at the cathedral we went to the pilgrim office to get our "compestela" which is our certificate that we finished the Camino de Santiago.
Only 126 people had finished today. Tara walked the camino last June and 971 people finished the same day as her! I can't even imagine.
It's written in Latin so they write the Latin translation of your name also. Here's the English translation.
Here I am eating my chocolate and churros!
And then we shared a very VERY good piece of chocolate cake.
We met all our friends in front of the Cathedral to celebrate with tapas and drinks.
Here's our friend Christina we walked with the last few days and her fiancé, Andres.
Crazy California sisters, Tara and Stephan.
We had about 40 people gathered. It was tons of fun. After we are we went to a bar that had a dance floor. We pretty much took the place over. The DJ started playing oldies and everyone was on the dance floor. I won't soon forget seeing our friends from Spain, the U.S., Canada, England, Ireland, Argentina, Switzerland, Poland, Australia, and Germany all dancing together, celebrating our arrival in Santiago, enjoying each other's company, and living life.
Gema was our organizer for the evening. She's a sweet woman who is great at taking care of people.
The three of us with Amparo, another sweet Spanish lady! She said she's making plans to come to the States for a Camino reunion :)
Tomorrow we sleep in! Then we eat a big breakfast before the Pilgrim Mass at noon. I'm really looking forward to the Pilgrim Mass. For me it will really be the finish of the pilgrimage.
I'm still learning a lot!
I'm thankful for so much, for the opportunity to come on this pilgrimage, for the ability and God's grace to finish, and for all the amazing people in my life.
WE DID IT!!!
Day 30
Ribadiso to Arca
24km/15miles
First of all we thought we had found a really nice albergue last night. It was clean and quiet and the owner was very nice. We even did a load of laundry for only 3e! But then about 11pm when I was sitting on the couch blogging and everyone else was in the room sleeping, I heard something scuffling around near the trash can. I ignored it of course... until I a few minutes later when I saw a mouse. I decided to go to bed and that would be the end of it. This morning while it was still dark in the room I heard something moving by my bag on the floor about a foot from the head of my bed. That made me angry, "that mouse better not be eating my food in my bag!" I reached down and shook my bag so as to scare it away if there was a mouse. Sure enough, when I got up and ready I discovered it had eaten through my package of figs I just bought! Urgh. Luckily it didn't get my peanuts!
I told the girls I saw a mouse and they couldn't believe it. They said they wouldn't have been able to sleep if they had seen one; so I guess it was good that it was me who saw it. There is very little that can get between me and my sleep! As we were putting on our boots to leave the mouse made one more appearance so Emily and Sara both got to see it. It was a quick exit from the albergue after that!
The last two days we have been seeing these "orrios" around the farms. We found out they are used for drying corn and other vegetables and fruits. Most of the ones we saw weren't in use. We saw one with corn but it was being guarded by a barking dog in the yard so I couldn't get a picture.
Aren't they interesting?
Today Emily and I got to use our matching ponchos! After the soaked-to-the-bone day I decided to buy one. Yes, we look ridiculous, but if it keeps me and my bag dry, I'm using it! Ponchos are actually really common on the camino. Here we are, VAMOS TORTUGAS!
The landscape is similar to the last few days. The rain didn't last too long and in the afternoon the sun was shining for almost a whole hour!
Still walking through farmland. And when we were resting at a cafe the farm was walking through the cafe!
Christina joined Emily, Sarah, and I today. Another welcome addition!
The paths are very very wet.
I don't know what kind if trees these are. We walked through only one area with them. They were huge! See the little man at the bottom?
I don't know what kind if flower/vine this is but it's really neat and I'd like to get one.
This is the church in Arca. A pretty little church. Notice the shell motif.
The priest called the pilgrims up for a special blessing. He blessed us and said some words about the end of the camino. I wish I knew more Spanish. Christina said it was really nice :)
After Mass we decided to have a simple dinner, sandwiches of deli meat and cheese and some fruit and yogurt, and then turn in early. We have a big day ahead if us tomorrow!
It's going to be strange when I'm finished. It's really become routine to get up and walk all day. Walking has become like my job! I'm so ready to be finished but at the same time there's a sadness that it's over. Bittersweet.
I hear a lot of people cry when they arrive in Santiago, which means I probably will, too! It's hard to say what my feelings are right now, much less what they will be tomorrow. We've come so far. I can't believe we've walked almost 500 miles.
I'm learning I have so much to learn, my boots have come in handy in the mud and rain (it's a good thing I didn't throw them off a cliff), and that I like hot tea after all.
I'm thankful I've made it this far, for your prayers for me, for getting to go to Mass today, that I'm 20km from Santiago, and for God's love and mercy.
Santiago here we come!!!
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