There are times in each of our lives (such a cliche intro, no?) when we find ourselves consumed by happiness. I'm not talking about the big enchiladas of life - not weddings or babies being born or passing your driving test - but, rather, the tapas of happiness that catch you off guard. Those little, bite-sized morsels of joy you know are fleeting, but you savor just the same.
Today, after a long humid hike to Najera, I was standing looking out the wall of open windows in our hotel room, enjoying the peace and quiet you can't find in the crowded albergues, thinking about the soft bed that awaited my tired body that night, feeling the cool wind on my skin that a thunder storm had swept in, watching the swallows as they enacted their evening dance through the rooftops, feeling the relief of my sore muscles as I stretched, listening to Adele sing her soul out on my iPad and finding myself mesmerized by a patch of blue in the grey sea of clouds fight to shed light on the darkened village streets, when I actually heard come out of my mouth the phrase, "I've never been so happy". It took me aback and startled even my mother. It's not like me to let sentimentality overtake me in such a blatant way, but in that small delicious tapas moment I meant every word.
The Camino is like that. It's not about one grand eureka epiphany where everything in your life suddenly comes together and makes sense. It's about that ice cold Coke enjoyed while looking out at an endless sea of green leafy vineyards. It's the crisp, clean sheets on your bed that still smell like soap. It's smearing chocolate frosting on a baguette as the sun rises and laughing as Lizzie exclaims, "I feel like a kid who got into the cupboard and hasn't been discovered yet!" It's fresh mint leaves for your water bottle. Finding a miniature sized shampoo in the mercado. Discovering that, finally, YES! your pants now need a belt to keep them up. And hearing "Buen Camino" from a jubilant stranger, just when you feel like giving up.
The Camino isn't a buffet of oversized portions. It's a tapas bar I get to discover for three months and 1,000 miles. And so far, I have loved every last bite.
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Mom and I walked separately for awhile today, so I didn't take my usual overload of pics, but a few gems from Najera.
And I thought the top bunk in the albergue was a precarious place to perch.
The cliffs above our hotel lined with majestic cranes contemplating the night.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Calle de la Mina,Nájera,Spain
I too, will be cliche:
ReplyDelete“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end”
- Ursula K. LeGuin.
I looooooove snacks! Tapas are the best! Nom Nom Nom.
ReplyDeleteGood to know you are feeling so fulfilled on your journey, Tess. This 1000 mile walk seems to me to be ALL about the journey rather than the destination. Thanks one more time for sharing it with your readers, and sharing so many lovely photos, too. Diane
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