camino tidbits pt. 2

more videos!

Typical Galicia:

 

Pilgrims Mass at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. The bishop was there, so they lit the botafumeiro, the largest censer in the world. It takes 8 men to hold the pulley mechanism that keeps it from falling.

The smoke represents our prayers being lifted to St James. A truly religious experience.

more thoughts & updates soon, promise.

camino tidbits

A lot has happened.

I walked 600 or more kilometeres (we never did keep close track) from St Jean Pied de Port, France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
We rested our weary bones and soaked up the glory of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
I turned 25!
I made my way to Denia, the town I lived in as a college student in 2008.
And here I sit, enjoying the warmth of the Mediterranean sun, reflecting on the last 40 days of my life.
I don´t really know where to start.

Please accept these videos as a small peek into the journey. I promise more words on it all sometime soon!

[The first video is rated PG because muffinface let her exhaustion get the better of her manners!]

---A crazy day in the mountains

Our friends from NOLA leading us in a singalong at a communal dinner

Londres & beyond

A little over a month ago, I had a change of life & travel plans (at least for the immediate future), but I am a firm believer in the saying that "when one door closes another one opens." And in my case it was true! So at the very last minute, I decided to come to England for a bit, before meeting up with my Vegan Muffinface friend to walk the Camino together.

London was fabulous. Filled with rides on the Tube, chats with friends (both in person and via multiple Skype parties!), bike rides all over town, naps/people-watching in Regents park, eating lots of tasty food, stumbling upon the movie premiere for Anna Karenina (as they were finishing up, disassembling the red carpet, but still!), watching a live recording of the BBC radio show "Party," and general toddling around. Lovely, absolutely lovely.

Now I'm in Clacton-on-sea, Essex, WWOOFing on an urban homestead. The family that has opened their home (and massive garden) to me are so wonderful, and I had the pleasure of being here for one of their "open weekends." Each year they open up their home to the public for a weekend, to share information about their eco-friendly home installations (solar panels, wood-burning oven, wood stove, to name a few!) and their homestead garden. Please check out their website, they have a lot of interesting things going on! http://www.ecodiy.org/

At the open weekend I got to meet lots of interesting people who are living earth-friendly lives around the UK, including fellow avid gardeners and eco-dreamers like myself. It was really inspiring, and I was grateful for the conversations and questions. And lots and lots of tea!

Each day has been slightly different because of the special events of the weekend followed by my two "days off" that I've had. But there is still a rhythm to life here that I just love. I don't know if it's being on holiday, staying at EcoDIY, being in England, or a combination. Most days I assist Chris, since he is retired and his partner Rosie works for NCT (a national children's charity). I've harvested & processed fruit (lots of raspberries & even wild blackberries), watered, helped clean up around the property, tasted my fair share of delicious, fresh treats (one of my favorites has been Rosie's homemade elderflower cordial... nectar from the gods! Oh did I mention she made me gluten free, vegan scones? The woman is my hero), I take the dog for long walks in the woods, and I help out with dinner here and there. But the days are relaxed, even when there is lots to do. We have regular breaks for tea. Meals are around the same time each day. There's time for rest. It feels healthy to be here.

I have loved spending time with Chris & Rosie, and Rosie's teenage daughter Merri. (Also Zero, the friendliest, smartest black lab you'll ever meet!) Chris lived in intentional community for over 20 years, and Rosie is trained in permaculture, so I have been gleaning them of their wisdom and experience. I've even been lucky to sit in on some of Merri's gossip with her friends!

The permaculture concepts I've been learning about here have really resonated with me. The idea of everything being in relationship, nature as a web of interconnected systems, and if you upset one thing you will see its effects in different areas. But what I've really loved reading about is the idea of and "ecology of the self" -- applying permaculture concepts to our relationships and how we live out community, as well as to our own physical and emotional well-being. Permaculture as self-care. Rosie lent me a book called People & Permaculture, which I'm super interested to browse this week. It struck me as a very Jubilee House book, we would have eaten that up with a spoon!

On Monday I biked down to the beach, walked along the coast, dipped my toes in the ocean, and thought long and hard about how badly I wanted a basket of chips on the boardwalk! It was beautiful weather, windy but the sun was shining. It made me a little nostalgic for summers in Lusby, full of late nights, tan skin, rides on bikes & boats. They seem like distant dreams now.

Probably my favorite aspect of staying at EcoDIY is that almost whatever we harvest goes straight into our bellies at the end of the day! Salad greens picked immediately before lunch time, fresh fruit with our breakfast or chopped up and simmered for an evening dessert, onions, potatoes, cabbage, beans, greens, you-name-it cooked up in some tasty fashion for dinner. Food has never tasted so delicious!

Grateful for the green goodness, the solitude, the fresh air...

[p.s. I have lots of photos to post but can't currently upload them, so that will have to wait...]

Vegan Camino Blog!

As part of my trip, I am walking el Camino de Santiago with a dear friend and fellow vegan. This entails walking almost 500 miles through the back roads of Spain, which will take us about 5 weeks!

While preparing for the journey, we had a hard time finding centrally located info for vegetarians or vegans who hike the Camino. Although this is an increasingly popular pilgrimage, feeding ourselves will probably prove to be a bit of a challenge. (Adding to the challenge is my unfortunate gluten intolerance, meaning no wheat products for me.) So, to document the adventure and hopefully encourage other vegans along The Way, we have made a blog!

Check it out, and please follow us:
www.vegancamino.blogspot.com

about me.

travel style.

I'm about to spend 3+ months traveling through three countries and two seasons, with nothing but a backpack to hold my possessions.  I'll be farming, playing tourist in some European cities, hiking through the back roads of Spain, and visiting friends.

Since I don't have much space and have to carry everything I'm taking with me on my back, I've had to get creative with packing, especially considering the many different environments in which I'll be living life.

[Side note, I felt a little silly posting about my travel wardrobe, but I do think this is somewhat worthwhile! It may seem superficial, but I have found that I explore my own creativity even more through practicing simplicity in all aspects of my life... even fashion.]

So here's what's in the pack!

My hiking pack, pre-packing! It's a women's Gregory Jade 38.

Hiking boots, 2 pairs of liner socks, 2 pairs of wool hiking socks, 1 pair of yoga pants, 1 pair of convertible hiking pants, rain jacket, fleece pullover, flannel shirt, quick-dry (and light weight) towel, sleeping bag, and 2 t-shirts.

brown boots for every day wear, 2 more pairs of socks, tights, 2 long-sleeve shirts, 1 cardigan, 1 knit beanie, 2 pairs of jeans.

1 knit sweater, ballet flats, 1 belt, umbrella, 2 knit skirts, 2 scarves, purse, 2 stuff-sacks with toiletries, first aid kit & other travel gear, 4 jars of powdered peanut butter (!), 1 bag of powdered soy milk.

Voila!

So that's that! I'm impressed with how much I pared down to just the essentials (I hope), but the boots and sleeping bag make it a little too much for just the backpack. I'll probably end up bringing a canvas tote to carry the boots and sleeping bag, unless I can find a way to attach them to my pack. That would be ideal!

Almost every item of clothing serves multiple purposes or can be worn multiple ways (ie. with different complementary pieces). Yay for diverse and pragmatic fashion!

Funemployment

Well, I have been unemployed for a little over two weeks now... technically homeless too!

It's mostly been great.  The first few days were pretty rough, though.  My body had to adjust to a normal sleep schedule again (a diet of coffee and, well more coffee, can only sustain a person for so long!), and I went through a bit of shock as I dealt with leaving Baltimore, my job, and my community. The last week before I left was crazy, all of my plans for the next year had completely changed in a matter of hours, so I was in survival mode. Smile through the goodbyes, don't even think about succumbing to exhaustion, reschedule flights, pack pack pack pack! So I was a little moody when I landed at my dad's place and the dust finally settled. (Sorry Dad.)

But, I've quickly settled into the indulgence of being on holiday.  Sitting on the porch with the dog, reading for hours on end (yes, I read Twilight! among other, more substantial writings), mastering the art of pancakes, baking my first loaf of gluten free bread, listening to records, watching lots of TV, watching lots of people in the coffee shop, getting lost on a bike trail to a nearby town. And of course spending time with friends and family.  I've needed the solitude, more than I've allowed myself in a long time.  I'm still a little unsure about how to structure my days.  It's hard to allow my life to move at a slower (but still purposeful) pace than I'm used to, especially since my usual alternative is to do nothing and be a slug all day!

I'm starting to look ahead to what's next on my journey. Traveling to the UK & Spain, doing some volunteer farming, visiting friends, walking the camino de santiago, and being a little bit of a tourist. Lots of excitement and adventure!  I'm looking forward to being out of my element for awhile, getting some fresh air, and hopefully finding time to clarify my design for my post-"funemployment" life.  It's a little exhilarating that I don't know where I'll be in December, or what I'll be up to, but I'm trying to embrace the ambiguity and receive it as a gift.

A friend of mine got married yesterday, and it was lovely!  My favorite perk of celebrating friends' marriages is that usually the wedding is a reunion of my many dear ones who are scattered on all ends of the earth.  Yesterday was no exception.  It warmed my heart to hug so many people I haven't seen in far too long, to hear where life has led them since we last saw each other, to have so many meaningful conversations.  It's concentrated happiness, pure magic!  My friends lead really interesting lives, and I loved hearing their stories, good and bad.  They inspire me, affirm me, encourage me in what I'm doing.  Yesterday gave me an energy that I needed to move forward and take advantage of this sabbatical I have, to nurture my own spirit, explore my creativity, try new recipes, learn from others, reflect, ponder, laugh, read, take more walks, surrender fully to the Universe.  Figure out what it actually means to "surrender fully to the Universe"....

But first, I might watch another episode (or five) of Arrested Development!

walking grace

(I meant to post this while I was still living in Baltimore, when I was walking as a means of transportation every day. Better late than never?)


---
I walk every day. Not for exercise, although that’s an added benefit I suppose.
When I moved to Baltimore 3 years ago I had a car, which lived to its 10th or 11th life, surviving Baltimore’s pot holes and aggressive drivers and even being stolen and crashed, before someone else t-boned me and totaled both of our cars.

My little Stratus got me to and from work most days, usually hauling something ridiculous like multiple garbage bags full of bagels donated by Panera, or a trunk full of mulch or garden tools. Even hundreds of dollars’ worth of food from the Maryland Food Bank. My housemates and I would stuff ourselves like sardines to take excursions out of the city, or to go somewhere later at night when buses don’t run frequently, or simply pick up groceries.


But once I didn’t have a car anymore, I had limited options for getting around town.  My old blue bike has become my main mode of transportation, but there are some days when it’s rainy or too cold or too hot, or I just don’t feel like braving the busy streets of Baltimore. Drivers aren’t too aware of or patient with cyclists here, not to mention there are some pretty treacherous storm drains that are just the right size for bike wheels to slip into!

So I walk. To get to work I walk about half a mile to the bus stop, then another half mile from where the bus drops off to the church. Depending on my pace, this takes about 15 minutes each (and the bus ride is about 20 minutes).

There are plenty of reasons why I should be grateful not to own a car anymore (including less impact on the environment, more $$$ in my wallet, etc!). But still, I have had a hard time getting used to the lifestyle of a pedestrian. I’ve been almost run over by distracted drivers more times than I’d like to count. Men harass me almost daily. Galoshes and an umbrella will only keep a person so dry during a torrential downpour.

Recently, though, I’ve been surprised by the moments of grace I’ve encountered on my walks. I started keeping a list of these moments. Here are a few of them:

- The garden apartment on my route where two similar looking cats sit in the window and nap in the sun
- The house on the corner where the owner planted some small shrubs and a patch of bamboo, creating a tunnel of greenery that I get to walk through each morning
- I can listen to almost an entire episode of This American Life on my commute each morning
- The friendly security guard by Johns Hopkins Hospital who intentional poked his head out of his security booth to greet me with a smile and wish me a “blessed day”
- Saying hello to neighbors, enjoying the sunshine on their porch stoops
- Taking in all of the community murals along the way
- Feeling a deeper connection with the natural world as I fully experience the weather each day- Walking by one of the Civic Works projects, watching their progress as they beautify an abandoned lot

Over time, I began to seek these moments. They have helped me develop a deeper appreciation for a part of my daily life that I saw as a burden, and I have found purpose in my walks.

In a month or so, I begin the longest walk of my life, the camino de santiago. I will walk 484 miles through the back roads of northern Spain! In a way, I am starting to see how my walks through Baltimore may have prepared me for the challenges I will face on the camino. I'm looking forward to seeking out more moments of grace along the way....