Taking your temperature

I awoke this morning to someone turning on the lights in the room. It wasn't the hospitalero (the dude in charge of the Albergue) but a guest that didn't bother getting a flashlights before his trip and didn't mind the fact that she was waking my ass. Man I was tired this morning...actually I'm really tired right now. I still need two bathroom breaks a night but I only went once, which lead to me staying up for a good part of the night.

The breakfast was closed when I finally had gotten all my stuff together and the next place for food was in Ponferrada, 8 km's away. As I started my walk I met Marco who was staying at the other Albergue in town unbeknownst to me. We walked together to Ponferrada and every step was just as painful as the last ones had been the day before. As we walked I realized that I would not see Antonello again during the Camino and that Molly would far surpass me today. I would have to walk just the bare minimum and then rest my feet. Overcoming pain is a good lesson the Camino teaches but overcoming being hurt, as I suspected my right leg to be (my big toe and the toe next to it still tense), is not a smart plan of action. When I'm hurt I rest, but knowing the difference is the difficult part.

We had a great breakfast in Ponferrada in front of the castle there. We were so happy to finally find a place that had food, every 2 houses that were close together seemed like a café on the way and a 8 km walk before breakfast when you're hungry makes you see things. At the restaurant I massaged my right foot, the tense part, hoping to be able to relax my toes. We had a great morning me and Marco and I said goodbye to him as he went on and I stayed in front of the castle to pray and meditate.

I got lost right after I stood up and I ended up walking much further than I should have. But I met a great man that walked with me for more than 10 minutes to get me back on the path the right road. As I walked towards Cacabelos, my goal for the day, I thought about what I was saying goodbye to by only walking 23,5 km's that day. This was truly saying goodbye to Antonello, at least on the Camino and I would most likely not see Katrin again. Molly would walk all the way to Villafranca or even further and I wondered if I would see her again. My walk gave me great peace regarding the matter, knowing the importance of resting for my tired feet. A feeling of acceptance came over me.

When I arrived in Cacabelos I asked a couple of girls that were there, where the Albergue was. They must have misunderstood me and told me that there was no Albergue here (meaning at this location, not for this town). Thinking that I would have to walk to the next town anyway I filled up my camel bag and stretched. As I looked at my phone Antonello had texted me telling me that he had decided to stop in Villafranca for the day to work in the Albergue there and he asked me to catch up to him. Since I had to go further (or so I thought) anyway and since my feet were feeling a lot better after the footrub in Ponferrada and my ankle better after having concistant ankle support, I decided to go for Villafranca.

That walk gave me time to think about the importance of taking my temperature. There are many ways to do this. There is of course the literal way and it's important to do that right like all the other ways. The second is to see what you feel like physically, as I do every day. I gauge myself to see if the pain I'm feeling is dangerous or not, if I'm hurting myself or just overcoming being tired. The third is gauging how you feel emotionally and the same applies there, you have to know when you just have to overcome feeling bad and when you are neglecting yourself in that area. The same can be said for taking your spiritual temper. Then we enter into the area that I find most important; evaluating who you really are today! I often hear people saying that they truly want to get to know themselves. I'm all for that but remember that you are constantly changing, all the time, every day in fact. Everything that happens in your life shapes it in some way or another for better or worse. Yesterday I thought about the importance of deciding who you want to turn into, since you're going to change anyway; it's innevitable. Today I thought about the importance of figuring out what life has changed you into today, who you are as a person in the present. I have always thought of myself as having certain qualities. I went about my life believing that I had them still. Then one day I realized that I had lost these qualities and a long time ago at that, and I hadn't even noticed. I was so wrapped up in believing that I was the "same old" Gulli that I wasn't able to see myself change. But we all change, all the time! So the most important temper to take is the one that gauges who you are as a person in the present. That way you can see who you really are and if you're turning into someone you don't want to be you can change it in time and if you like who you're turing into you can reinforce it. Meditation does a lot for me in this area, but no matter how people do it I think that this is one of the most important skills to master.

When I arrived in Villafranca del Bierzo after a 30,7 km walk from Molinaseca (+ ? km's when I got lost) I was greeted by Antonello. It was so good to see my hermano and he was actually working at the Albergue, Ave Fenix. The hospitalero's had asked him to help when he told them that he spoke Italian, a little Spanish (he says he invents it) and some English and they were really shorthanded. Antonello being the awesome guy that he is accepted. It was so cool to have him stamp my pilgrim passport and show me to my room. I had only eaten one meal that day, the late breakfast in Ponferrada, and having a friend working at the Albergue got me privlages like a plate of pasta when I arrived. I was there at about a little less than 18:00. Molly was also there and it was so good to see my little Molly Magic.

It's great to be here, meeting some wonderful German people, a great girl named Victoria from Australia and another Italian named Vicente. Now the hospitalero is turning off the lights and I have to go. Stay awesome beautiful people and I hope you have mastered taking your temperature in every way imaginable!