Made it to virgen del Camino last night! Found some company with Phil and Shiloh!

Here is a picture of a little boy inspecting my skateboard. He was obsessed with it and every time his mom tried to take him he would throw a tantrum. I was touched.

I walked to ledigos today. Beautiful walk and I met some great people.

I am now in a village called Carrión de los Condes. It is a very cool place and I am staying in one of the coolest albergues I’ve been to yet. However, the beds look suspect to bed bugs (here’s to hoping!). I ended up running into my classmate Vida and they informed me that a couple of others (Phil and Shiloh) are nearby. Thus, I am beginning to feel less lonely and even beyond running into Vida I am begging to open myself up more to fellow pilgrims. Vida gave me good perspective when they said that a good way to battle homesickness is to view each chapter of your life is a life of its own. It reminded me of a conversation that I got into with an Italian man (it feels weird to be mentioning everyone’s nationalities but I do so just because I am excited to be meeting people from all over the world) who was talking to me about how the Camino showed him the importance of constant arrivals. As his speech got more passionate he at one point picked up a rock and put it in my face and said “this, this is MY Camino.”

Also, I am battling the harsh reality of having to rest my torn quad from skating or else it will turn into something nastier. That one is hard because if I don’t skate everyday I constantly feel like I am missing something. Oh well.

I am currently in Burgos. I arrived here last night and it was the hardest walk yet. The day before I walked an extra ten Kilometers in order to give me self an easy stroll into the city so maybe I would have more energy to skate or explore. Wrong! I ended up walking in rain and wind and hail the whole day. I slept like a rock and now I am feeling refreshed. I am going to take a rest day here and continue tomorrow morning. How am I feeling? Honestly, I am very lonely and it is nice in one way because I have all the time in the world to contemplate my place in my life and in the world. However, the romanticism of this loneliness is wearing of in the same way the romanticism of being in a foreign country is. I haven’t hit the wall physically but emotionally it seems as though I have. However, this city is beautiful. I know a lot of people sigh at gothic artchetecture and I understand why humbillity  is often better than extravagance but the cathedral here is one of the most beautiful things I have seen in my entire life. My goal of meeting more skaters in different cities hasn’t really been manifesting but I’m still optimistic. I am contemplating a lot but I am missing my friends and family and constantly wishing I had someone to share these experiences with. It’s true that you don’t know you’re life until you leave it. I feel as though I’ve gained a heightened awareness over the past week or so about the importance of specifically the amazing people that I have been blessed with in my life.

I am currently in a town called Ages. One man said the population is 60! I guess that’s doubled given the amount of pilgrims staying here.