I have decided to walk a pilgrimage

As some of you may know, life has been very difficult for me this last year. With Joanne passing, my life has been very empty. At first I kept myself busy with photography, an activity easy for me to do as Joanne did not share this with me. Since Joanne has passed, I have avoided activities that I did share with Joanne – cycling, cooking, and just being close to the one I love.

In early May, while visiting the Southern Oregon Coast, I met someone who I seem to click with. She too is facing some issues in her life. In talking with her, I opened up to some of the feelings that I had been hiding. Some feelings that hurt. Now, I am trying to face them but it is difficult. All around me are memories of Joanne. As such, I find it difficult to address my feelings.

So, I have decided to walk a pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago, the del Norte way. I will walk over 850 kilometers in two months beginning in late August. I will use this time to face, feel and find myself again. This will be a true pilgrimage for me.

“A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life.” – from wikipedia.