I Can Point to No Reason

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DateDec 25, 2023 
(Monday)


Total All Caminos: 2000 miles


Planes: $ 1300
Total Planes /
Travel Insurance: 		$ 1470

Meaningful Moment

Last Friday was a nice day.


I did my two hours at St Joseph's House of Hospitality. I helped make bag lunches and keep the hospitality tray filled with snacks. It's not demanding or complicated, but there is a small mental reward. I don't interact with the clientle, as I feel that I lack the skillsets required. 

Today the four of us working in the kitchen had nice conversations about life experiences. These are good people who care about the world around them. It brings me contentment to learn about others, and vicariously live and/or share new experiences.

After that I spent two hours at the YMCA, playing pickleball. Besides providing stress relief, it is good training for my upcoming camino. It requires balance, muscle coordination and speed. Not necessarily anything I need for a daily 12-mile hike, but good for overall body conditioning.

I like the sports banter and rivalry and challenge of a good match. I have been playing pickleball with some of them for a few years now, so these are folks with whom I have engaged in on a more personal level. For example, I and one of the players were doing yoga serpents on the gym floor. I must say that he is my age, but his serpent far exceeds mine. LOL

Along with a bunch of small chores, it made for a satisfying day. 

Last Saturday was a nice day also

Sitting at my sister's house with sibs and nephews/nieces and three dogs to watch the Bills @ Steelers game. Training for a camino takes many forms, and tonight I am training with a football game, a beer, Christmas cookies and chips. 

If training is not fun, then people won't do it. LOL

Henry, the mixed-breed Terrier keeping us company at game time.

The beginning of the day was real training. I led a three-mile hike with full backpack for the Genesee Valley Hiking Club at Issac Gordon Nature Park. 

The countdown is on. It is only ten days before I board my flight to Berlin. It's not that I'm nervous or anxious, but I wonder how I even did it last year when I had an entire year less of German classes.

Let me quote a verse from a song by Garbage called "The World is Not Enough".

I feel safe
I feel scared
I feel ready
And yet unprepared

Christmas Day

The holiday was nice. My partner is out-of-town with her family, so it is me and our two dogs.
I spent time both days with my son and d-in-law and two grandkids, Adriana (NCAA Div 3 women's hockey player & back from college) and Jayden (high school freshman basketball team).
Between the Christmas Eve Dinner and the Christmas morning breakfast, I was surrounded by affection and love - and a lot of hectic family interactions with smiles and laughter.

Also made three training hikes with full back pack this weekend. I mention here that I don't train with 12 mile hikes. If I get in a good set of 4 and 5 milers, plus other sports/exercise activity, then I find myself good enough to be good to go.

Anyway as I write this, the Christmas holidays are now behind me. Only ahead me are : New Year's Day and then my flight to Berlin on the second of January,  2024.

Random Thought of the Day

Ventosa Spain on the Camino Finisterra
Between Santiago de Campostela and Negreira




In the Adirondacks near Gore Mountain (2019)



Hiking along Irondequoit Creek on Xmas Day for training 
with the Genesee Valley Hiking Club






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