SURPRISE!!! I'm home. . .

There is only so much eating, shopping, and walking around Santiago de Compostela's Old Town that can be done after a maximum two to three days.  I still had four additional days to go in the city prior to my planned flight departure on March 8th, so for a small bit of change I altered my plans to make the last leg of my journey home, a few days early.  On the afternoon of Thursday, March 3rd, I sat in the Santiago bus station from 3:30 pm until 9:30 pm at which time my overnight bus departed for Madrid on a nine-hour drive.  I then flew from Madrid to Chicago, Chicago to Seattle, and then home to Boise— I was in my husband's arms by 10:50 pm Friday, March 4th.  This was a long trip back home.

Over the past 36 hours, my emotional re-entry to life as I knew it, has been much more difficult than I ever imagined it would be.  Coping through many tears, I have attempted to organize my Camino experience into some semblance of many digestible paragraphs so that those who have not taken similar, life-altering journeys to the insides of themselves may be able to understand why another would leave their home and familiar life behind for a month to go to a foreign country and, simply, walk.  My story is still being compiled.

As for the Surprise Factor of my changed travel plans. . .I wanted to make sure my closest family were made aware of my return home prior to announcing it to all my other friends via a public forum.  Beginning with my husband, with a dying cell phone and only email data available at the time, I sent him a quick note from the plane to Seattle that I would be arriving in Boise 6 hours later.  I surprised my dad at Goldy's on Saturday morning, as well as the wonderful "welcome home" that was received from my friends at Goldy's.  I popped in to surprise my aunt and uncle in Boise this afternoon, and afterwards I sat with them for a while, talking about my experiences.  Tonight, I got to see the bright eyes and big smiles from my dearly loved extended family on my husband's side as I surprised them at G'ma and Papa's house during a family gathering.  I have been received with lots of love and support from all of them, which was incredibly encouraging.

I am posting a movie file of photos taken on my Camino journey, complete with several songs from a much-listened-to soundtrack that served as a tempo-maker, and as an inspirational tool on my daily, long-distance treks.

Thank you to all who have supported my journey.  You are truly friends, and loved ones. 

Realize that anyone can walk the Camino—but the difficult phase is living the Camino.

Buen Camino!