Remembering Italy.....

SO,  I have time to kill today between trains and busses...in that LONG process of getting from Venezia Marco Polo Airport ( 7:30 AM landing) to Rovinj, Croatia ( 6:25 PM arrival tonight)..... LOTS of time to kill.

And, of course, I find a corner street cafe, order an aperol spritz ( which of course comes with a bowl of yummy salted potato chips- sustenance) -  and I watch and listen and take it all in!

And remember what I remember :-)

~~cigarettes - EVERYWHERE!  This culture still smokes like a chimney

~~Backpacks--wanderers traveling the continent with all they need on their backs- I, of course, relate completely :-)

~~gentlemen holding a loud and passionate conversation about some accident that happened a few days ago--arms flying, voices in a crescendo and a storyline that takes FAR longer than necessary to explain the situation ( to American ears) --- they, however, are enthralled with words :-)

~~tanned silver haired men - smiling at me as they walk by --a little touch of heaven!

~~ mopeds..buzzing, buzzing….

~~kebap eateries all around the train station area - quintessential Europe

~~Body odor

~~ honking auto horns

~~scarves draped around the necks of men of all ages-- in 85 degree heat - FASHION is king!

~~men with  bare ankles - sockless in their loafers and dress slacks

~~E10 bill after 2 Aperol Spritz, 1 sandwich, 1 espresso and a never-ending bowl of chips ( LOVE this!)

Even in the exhaustion of 30 hours true travel hours, I am enthralled ...delighted, to be back!

No photos I am afraid-- had my camera packed away and in storage at the train station while I wandered -- you will have to use your imagination :-)

When we least expect it, the blessings show themselves.  It is about surrendering the  ‘needing’ to know the outcome; the managing ‘ how’ it should look. It is about being willing to to be patient and simply keep listening…..

I have been arguing with myself for the past few days.  It has gone something like this:

Head - “... Post, Heart, we are leaving soon..it is time to get a blogpost in place!”

Heart- “ But I just don’t feel I have anything new to share right now.  Yes, we are  leaving soon, yes it is exciting, but really--- if we are going post on the blogsite, Head, it needs to be     something with some real Ummph- -some real PiZAZZ!  Right?  It has to have meaning…?”

Head - “ Well, sometimes, Heart, the point is to just get something out there-- keep people engaged."

Heart-  “ No. Not if there is no real soul to the post...  not if we are simply sharing for the  sake of sharing. What is posted needs to come from Soul...it needs to have touched us both. THAT is when we post.”

Head- “  Well, if we follow your guidelines, Heart, then we wait.  We wait for Soul to know that moment- recognize that wonder waiting to be shared with everyone.  Soul always knows….and somehow Soul, in her infinite wisdom, finds the words...finds the message. So, we agree?  We will wait.”

Heart- “ We agree - we wait”

….and then this morning, as I leave Seattle headed for my next Camino, Soul knows...

GET STILL AND LISTEN......

                                         

In Camino circles it is said by many that the true camino begins once the decision to walk is made.  And then, there are those that focus on what comes at the end of the walk, proclaiming that true Camino begins after the physical walk: the physical, mental and emotional toll faced while on the trail..that one's true Camino begins with what is learned and transported back to daily life.

If either of these are true,and I believe the Camino begins at the ‘ ahaa’ moment of calling to walk and continues through the transformative growth cycle which plays out upon completion of the journey, then I have been ‘ camino-ing’ for 5 years now.

Five years ago this summer I knew I would walk my first Camino. No question, no doubt.  And it happened in Sept. 2014 - quite the wait.  Since then, other walks have called and I have gone.  Emotional growth, a sense of peace and a learning to completely forgive have moved me forward in these last two years; out in the open air...doing what I do... walking pilgrimage paths.

A Camino along the Via Francigena last year, with a walking partner, brought me to an understanding that I truly need only myself to be happy.  Do I want other company? Of course, most of us do. Do I need other company, no.  I am complete in and of myself.

So why has this next walk- a walk I know I am destined to make- been such a challenge?

Decisions on where to start, to walk alone or with others at the start, trying to understand

the periods of ambivalence I have felt in these last weeks... all have brought me to question if, in fact, I am listening carefully enough...am I aware...receptive...accepting of the what the Universe is telling me? Have I gone into ' manager' mode?

And, as soon as I let go-- as soon as I quit trying to manage the flow and understand the whys-- a clarity comes.  THIS Camino is the culmination of the last two years of walking, sharing, growing.  This upcoming Camino is about 100% trust  that all I need to know will show itself at just the right moment. It is not mine to figure it out the whys and hows - know the answers- yet.

It is my job to get silent and listen for the next right move...make that move. And then listen for the next move...and make just that move..step at a time... one move at a time.

My upcoming walk in Portugal is my walk into purpose.  Yes, walking and writing have been the beginning, the first act in a much greater, still unfolding show, this much I do know.

Something magical is about to unfold.  How do I know?  Because my soul knows I am to walk.  Because the sense of peace and calm which enveloped me as soon as I locked onto the city of Coimbra as my starting point has been overwhelming… gripping.  

Because I got excited again- all ambivalence tossed by the wayside.

And so, I am off!  Day by day- one day at a time- watch, listen, hear what is being shared.

I Am aware… I AM receptive… I AM accepting.

LESSONS IN LISTENING.......

If you have been following me these last many months you know that I trust and believe the Universe provides exactly what I need when I need it.

Yes, many do not feel this way and I understand.  For me though, it is a truth that springs from deep within.  It has led me through the most trying of times and seen me surface on the other side vibrant and alive with new conviction and direction.

Yet, every now and again, FEAR gets in the way.  FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real.   This definition was shared with me the other day and it rattled my nerves. False Evidence Appearing Real is exactly what has happened....FEAR had taken hold!  Somewhere along the line I had seen/heard/read something which has brought fear to the idea of my next walk. Being alone, getting lost, not being able to complete the pilgrimage - FEAR grabbed me.

Lisbon to Santiago- it has been on the agenda for several months.  I have known it was the right walk at the right time and yet, in the last few days, FEAR has raised it’s head and I have allowed it to squeeze the life out of what should be a celebratory time as I prepare.

Yes, you might say, but have you stepped back and asked the Universe for direction? Asked why this FEAR has taken hold?  After all...isn’t that what you espouse to believe Ms. Walking Woman?

You are right!  I had asked but, I had NOT surrendered so that answers could become clear.  Until today…..four hours ago…. as I awoke and once again asked for the answers; for the clarity I needed.  Only this time - I let go.  I remembered to LET GO- SURRENDER and get out of own way so the Universe could show me what I needed to know.

And I walked my morning walk.  And listened.  I spoke with a friend about her issues, and in hearing my own voice remind her that she could now let go of what was troubling her,that it was perfectly okay to temporarily feel the frustration and hurt she was feeling at a specific situation, but now that she had emotionally felt it, spoken it, she could let go and turn it over to the Universe…. I heard my own answers.

And I walked home. Awaiting me was a message from a fellow author in a writing group I belong to, sharing that he had just been reading my book and how it had spoken to him.

He had downloaded it long ago and was just reading it today-when he needed it most as he was struggling in his trust in the Universe.

He shared that  he felt this was exactly what I needed to continue to do, continue to write, sharing inspiration for people to listen to the Universe and, most importantly, live in gratitude.   

His message reminded me why I walk, what it brings forth in my spirit and why I must.  It is during these times, these long pilgrimage walks,  that I am most open to the energies of the Universe.  It is during these times that I gain my greatest moments of clarity and wisdom.

And it from these walks that my books arise.

Coincidence?  No. Synchronicity.  Messages coming through when we specifically ask and trust they will appear; when we surrender and simply let the answers flow.

FEAR is gone.  My walk is on.  It still may change shape in the exact where ...which walk….and that's okay because I  know that when I start, I will be starting exactly where I meant to begin...and the story will unfold.

DAWN  July 1, 2016

Persimmon blazes as the second half of 2016 stretches awake across the eastern Washington sky.

What do I hear if I close my eyes and empty my mind....open my ears and my heart

To the morning gifts?  What do I see when I am not searching for anything in particular?

~~ cobwebs glisten on shrubs welcoming daylight, casting diamonds into the morning light

~~ Chi-chi-chi-chi-chi-chi-chi-chi- chiiiiiiiii…..automatic sprinklers rain - blades of grass drink

~~ Burlington Northern crosses the valley whistling through a sleeping country town

~~ doves sing from the pines above the rooftop

~~ ding…..the coffee pot calls to me through an open door

~~ Mamma and Papa quail lead their brood of nine across the lawn, pausing as they catch    me watching

~~ the trill of morning birds, each singing it’s part in the post dawn chorus

~~ a car motor kicks into gear - the workday has begun

~~ hmmmmm...hmmmmmm..hmmmmm as the tank in the dining room provides needed oxygen

~~ bunny scampers from his hiding place under the hedge

~~ flit--flit…..a robin has found the freshly filled birdbath, wings tapping quickly, bringing a shower down on her back

~~ gravel crunching underfoot --a neighbor wanders out for the morning newspaper

~~ breezes blow gently...sprinkler water finds its way to my shoulders

Persimmon sky, now dissipated to the normal light of a new summer day.  

Warmth wraps the front porch where I sit, coffee cup at my side…

I am blessed in this new day -- I am grateful.

REMEMBERING PATAGONIA!

 What wonderful memories of a amazing experience in Argentina and Chile- February 2015.
I have been reliving as I finish up my new book -
                                                          PATAGONIA
                                                      the Camino  Home

HIKING EL CHALTEN

Awestruck, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for such a blessing.  Settling onto a craggy boulder seat to bear witness, the concept of time becomes non existent as I find myself fully engaged with the glory of nature surrounding me.  Twittering birds rustle leaves on the trees as they light.  Azure waters of the lagoon lap the pebbles on the beach...swish...swish. Breezes blowing ever so lightly catch a bough above my head ...creeeak….almost imperceptible.  I am completely connected to the earth and sky.  The energies of this sacred land buzz through me - my very being amplified as I sit one with the Universe.

Voices, laughing, break the silence; sever the serenity as they approach the mirador. A last glimpse skyward, for now, as I stand to gather daypack and trekking poles. A glance at my watch confirms it is time  to head back toward town and on to Cochilla de Salta, an easy 7 kilometer circuit once I reach the base of today's’ earlier climb.

Chorillo del Salto, direct translation ‘trickle jump’  which I reach at about 4 PM, looks crowded with other walkers. An easy hike, most here have wandered the final kilometer to the falls from a carpark just off the gravel one lane road.  Part of the local national Park system, this hike is renowned and draws many on this sunny summer February day.

Rounding a final bend, the hidden 20 foot falls spill before me into a shallow transparent pool. Water's sparkle, so clear each underlying pebble can be counted,each earth tone glistening in the late afternoon sun. And silence. At least 50 others are settled on rocks to the perimeter and below the falls. Voices are non existent.  Faces gaze in wonder at the beauty surrounding us - tilted toward a warm embracing sun.  Water crashing to the pool below is the only sound and it is heavenly.

 I step gingerly over boulders in the pool, claiming an empty rock directly facing this magnificent sight. Sun beating on my shoulders, off come my boots and socks - toes free to test the water temperature. Hot feet ,now cooled. Glorious.  A brief look around and I see others dangling legs, up to their knees, in the refreshing waters.  Sandwiches and snacks are being munched, water guzzled in the late afternoon heat.  I too take advantage of another of Patagonia's magical locales, cooling my Nestea bottle in these mountain waters before taking that first awaited sip. Life does not get better! Here is heaven.

....excerpt from PATAGONIA: the Camino Home - A Camino of the Soul Book #2 due out later this summer