Do you want to be happy or do you want to be right?

Last night after blogging I had a great dinner with Katrin, Kesha and Jiney. We had loads of fun and laughed so incredible hard. Can't really explain the humor, you kind of had to be there; for example we laughed about having a funeral in 5 km's...you had to be there! ;)

When I got back to the Albergue, Antonello and some others were going out for a beer. I decided to stay behind and do some yoga. I haven't done yoga in a long long time, I've done stretches and taught other people a few stretches and yoga techniques, but I haven't done yoga. My choice was the best one I've made in ages. I did the yoga exercises that my body needed and I freed up a lot of tension around my tendonitis. I could feel that my whole body needed it and I immediatly felt a lot better. Again, one of my best decisions on the trip.

Last night when Antonello got back he had decided that he wanted to walk 20 km's the next day. The choice stood between 20 and 37 km's, the last 17 in a sort of desert with no town or fountain, just the midday sun bearing down on you. It's Antonello's birthday tomorrow so we, the remnants of The Fellowship, wanted to end up in the same town as him. Knowing that I only had 20 km's to walk today I decided to "sleep in". We have to have already left the Albergue's at 8:00, so sleeping in really isn't anything like what I've normally used that phrase for! ;)

After breakfast in the town's square and prayer and meditation, I set out to walk the 20 km walk to Carrion de los Condes. I like the mornings because I'm usually alone with my thoughts then. I like to sleep a little later than the others, that way I don't have to fight over the bathroom stalls and it's rather peaceful and quiet outside for prayer and meditation. The mornings become a little paradise of my own and the morning walk always brings up interesting ideas and thoughts.

This morning I started thinking about the first time someone asked me the question: "Do you want to be happy or do you want to be right?" I remember becoming angry, like I had to choose one or the other; that if I was happy I couldn't be right and vice versa. But that's not what the question is about at all. What it really is asking you is which you think is more important and especially when the two are in conflict, which do you value more. Sadly I have valued being right more a lot of the time, especially in my relationships with the fairer sex. Another reason why I became angry when I was asked that question was because in general at that time I valued being right a lot more than being happy and I took pride in that. Sometimes I really wish I could go back in time and make better choices but I guess that in life it's all about the journey. Only experience could teach me that being happy is a lot more important than being right. Now, even though I know that, I still sometimes pursue being right more than being happy. But this is all a part of the process, part of the journey and just remembering the importance of being happy brings me a step closer to choosing it over being right the next time!

I walked the 20,9 km's to Carrion de los Condes without taking a break. I mean who needs it right? It's only 20,9 km's :) I love how things like that have become relative. 20 km's is really like taking a break now. This was almost a day of rest and relaxation. I got to Carrion a little after 13:00 and me and Antonello picked a great Albergue. We have beds again and it's a beautiful place run by loving nuns. I went out for lunch shortly after we got here and then took the worlds greatest nap. I think that rest was exactly what my body needed.

Today my tendonitis caused me almost no pain and I'm going to have to go with the explanation that it was the yoga. I could feel last night that it immediatly did wonders so I'm gonna thank that for the miracle of feeling almost no pain. When I didn't feel pain in my shin anymore I could better feel that my body is tired after all this walking but what I also realized is that my shoulders don't hurt anymore. How amazing is that? They didn't hurt yesterday either, or the day before. Compared to how much they hurt the first few days it's amazing that now carrying all this weight all day long is just something they're used to. Guess this trip is changing me in more ways than just mentally and spiritually.

I'm going to go find my friends now and think about what to get Antonello for his birthday. We're talking about going 32 km's tomorrow and I feel ready for it to say the least. I hope you value happiness more than being right beautiful people and if you don't, that your values will shift in times to come!