"A Walk In The Woods"

Blackheart:

As we prepare for this arduous 1000 mile adventure, mom and I have been reading books, not only on the Camino, itself, but also on walking and hiking long distance.  I first began reading Shirley Maclaine's "The Camino: A Journey of The Spirit" but soon realized when she begun to discuss past life visions on the trail, that perhaps it was going into places I wasn't ready for.  I mean, I have enough problems figuring out my own life, let alone the lives I've suffered through in the past (although I'm pretty sure I was once a Baptist choir singer and, perhaps, also a soda shop owner... but that's a story for another time).

I had better luck with the next book: "Walking In A Relaxed Manner: Life Lessons From The Camino" by Joyce Rupp.  Still a spiritual leaning, but fantastic (if not frightening) advice.  My mom has read about a bizillion other books on the subject, of which I'm sure she can share on this blog.  Including, in fact, one written entirely in French, "Miam Miam Dodo," which she translated beginning to end.  Yes, she's that kind of person, and thank goodness, because the French know how to find you warm beds and great food.

Yet, beyond Camino paraphernalia, the book I've found the most inspiring, if not for its advice but for its stellar sense of humor, is Bill Bryson's hilarious account of his attempts to hike the Appalachian Trail.  This book taught me two very important principles: 1.) I never want to hike the AT... EVER... and 2.) When setting out on an audacious and physically demanding journey, never take yourself too seriously.  So we get blisters or a cold and have to take transit for a day... so what?  So we run into shady characters with no regard for fellow hikers... nothing to get worked up about.  So we fall in a pond and soak our hiking books and look like fools in front of more stealthy, skilled pilgrims... who the heck cares?  At the risk of sounding trite, long hikes are just like life - the more you laugh at the challenges and perils and misadventures, the more fun and enjoyable it all becomes.  Thanks, Bill, for putting things in perspective.

And if you haven't read his book, I highly advise you do.  It's an eye-opener, not only on the human spirit's ability to endure and push beyond limits, but also on our profound connection with nature in all its prickly, sharped-toothed, hairy, creepy-crawly, majestic, wet, rocky, stinky, awe-inspiring glory.