Madrid

I arrived to Madrid. yesterday and while I was walking around saw my first Camino sign just outside of a coffee shop.

Tomorrow, will take a train to Pamplona, meet Amy there and together we will take a taxi to Saint Jean Pied de Port. This is where many start their first leg of Camino Francés, a journey that one takes over the Pyrenees and then across the heart of Spain to the revered Santiago de Compostela. Amy will join me for the first four days and the the last eight during the 32+ day walk.

During the coming weeks, I will be backpacking over 800 kilometers or about 1,000,000 steps. For me this will not just be a test of physical endurance but also for mental resilience. The second part sure seems like it will be harder for me. I am not someone who likes solitude and not a hiker or backpacker by any means. The only time I backpacked was in the North Pole. Almost everyday of that adventure I asked myself what I was doing there! Not from physical exertion but more so the mental toughness required to push yourself so hard for so long. This time, I hope to keep it up for the next 32 days or so. I will be alone for long stretches without a team, a spouse or friend to push me through. I am neither spiritual nor religious but hope to find another anchor to hold on for the next 5 weeks.