Category: Uncategorized
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Camino Bloopers: The Things We’ll Laugh About for Years
People often share photos of beautiful cathedrals, breathtaking scenery, and profound spiritual moments from their travels. Those things certainly happened on our trip to Spain. But what often gets left out are the bloopers—the moments that had us shaking our heads, laughing at ourselves, and wondering how we managed to survive. Now that our pilgrimage…
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A Tribute to Julie
We did it. Our pilgrimage is complete. Today, Julie and I walked into Santiago de Compostela and arrived at the magnificent Cathedral that has drawn pilgrims from around the world for more than a thousand years. We were fortunate enough to attend the Pilgrims Mass at noon. I took communion. They swung the giant incense…
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Day 5 on the Camino: Rain, Pilgrims, and Questionable Life Choices
It was bound to happen. About a mile into our journey this morning, the skies opened up and absolutely poured on us. Not a gentle spring shower. Not a refreshing mist. This was the kind of rain that comes at you sideways, driven by wind that seems personally offended by your presence. We were delighted…
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Today Was a Good Day on the Camino
Today was a good day on the Camino. After a full day of much-needed rest, Julie and I laced up our boots and headed back onto the trail for a relatively short 9+ mile walk. When you’re walking the Camino with angry IT bands, “only nine miles” becomes a phrase you use with a completely…
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The Camino: Forty Miles, Angry Knees, and the Magic of the Journey
When people dream about walking the Camino de Santiago, they imagine a spiritual journey filled with beautiful scenery, personal reflection, and profound moments of enlightenment. What they don’t imagine is slathering themselves with Voltaren cream multiple times a day while carefully rationing Advil and wondering if trekking poles can double as crutches. Welcome to my…
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The Camino: The People We Have Met Along the Way
One of the things that makes travel so special isn’t always the places you visit—it’s the people you meet along the way. Today, Julie and I boarded the train from Madrid to Sarria, a four-hour journey that would take us to the starting point of our Camino de Santiago adventure. As we settled into our…
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The El Camino Adventure: Jet Lag Is Real
We departed Boise on Wednesday afternoon en route to Madrid via Atlanta. Both flights were on time, uneventful, and remarkably free of the travel drama that often seems determined to accompany any major adventure. Wearing our Buen Camino shirts, our upcoming pilgrimage became a frequent topic of conversation with fellow travelers. On our flight from…
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Pilgrimage of a Lifetime
After four physical therapy appointments — including dry needling, where my physical therapist stuck long needles into my buttocks and then hooked them up to electrical currents to send pulses through my ass and down my legs — and after three steroid injections into my spine and my ever-so-tight piriformis muscle, ready or not… I’m…
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Another Setback. Because Apparently My Character Arc Needed More Depth.
Well. Apparently 70 is the age where your body starts submitting formal HR complaints. A few months ago, I was training hard, golfing, getting ready for kayaking, strength training twice a week, going to group exercise classes, planning adventures, and generally acting like someone who had not read the official rulebook on aging. And then……
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Track Behaviors, Not the Scale
My scale and I are currently in a long-term, low-communication relationship. It hasn’t said anything new in about a year. I live comfortably—too comfortably—between 120 and 125 pounds. It’s basically my zip code now. And look, I’m fine with my weight. We’re on good terms. But my body fat percentage? That’s another story. We are…
Debby’s Fitness Journey 