The Long and Winding Blog Post

OK, it's been two months since I posted, I know, but the fact of the matter is this blog is about my trip in June, and well, it's not June yet. I felt like the six people on the planet who actually read this wouldn't kill me if I didn't update this blog exactly every two weeks.

So, maybe now is a good time to fill you in on the itinerary. The early part of June is busy for me at work: we have Board Meetings, so on Monday the 13th, I'll do my duty in front of the Audit Committee, reviewing the University's tax returns, then the following morning I'll do it all again, with Financial Statements, Budget Variances and the Proposed 2012 budget thrown in for good measure. That afternoon, I'm doing a 2-hour seminar for aspiring musicians and performers (read: waiters and waitresses) on campus on how to run and manage your own business from a financial perspective.

Then on the morning of the 15th, I get on a plane. LAX to New York, New York to Barcelona, Barcelona to the somewhat small but enchanting town of San Sebastian, nestled between the French Border and the Atlantic; I arrive the evening of the 16th of June, and if all goes well, I'll beat my folks to town by about four hours. The next morning we have to be across the border (a 1 mile walk) and at the train station on the French side in time to catch a 7:30 train. I just bought these train tickets last week. This puts us at the jumping off point for the pilgrimage, St. Jean Pied-du-Port at 9:30am on the 17th of June, or roughly 36 hours after leave the States. Yeah right.

After that comes 32 glorious and probably grueling days of walking, culminating in my kissing the feet of a statue of someone important (a pilgrim? Saint James? who knows) in Santiago de Compostela 500 miles, 90-some-odd meals, innumerable blisters and random roadside bathroom breaks later. The 18th of July, I will be resting. That will be a good day. Then the morning of the 19th it's back on plane (Santiago - Madrid - New York - LA) to go to work the morning of the 20th.

I may be sick on the morning of the 20th. Just saying.

I've still been experimenting with GPS for the pilgrimage, and come to the conclusion that I like my iPhone better than any of the other GPS gadgets I've tried. This presents two problems: data and battery. I've just about resigned myself to spending some bucks on an international data plan for the month I'm gone so that the GPS can pull down maps. The $150 or so this will cost me doesn't seem overly onerous, because every GPS I've tried will require me to cart AA batteries to keep it powered, whereas the iPhone does not.

But, the iPhone won't last all day with the GPS running, so I'm testing out a solar charger that hangs off my backpack and will hopefully keep the iPhone juiced enough to make it through the day, or for the occasional "OMG is that a mountain lion?" phone call. How do you say "OMG" in Spanish?

Beyond that, I'm happy to say that training, I think, is going well. I've bought the backpack I plan to use on the trek, and the folks and I have been walking on the weekends (when it's not raining) appropriately weighted. When I first tried the backpack, I thought "Oh, this isn't bad at all." Then I put stuff in it. Yeah...

Turns out that having 20-30lbs. on your back does interesting things to your center of gravity.

And, I managed to puncture my water container thingy first time out. Of course.

I've also inherited a pair of Dad's boots that were too big for him. I love them, but I've also decided that if you walk 12 to 17 miles with 25lbs on your back, your feet are going to hurt. I now have a new appreciation for my friend Loyd, who convinced me to spring for the whirlpool tub when we were remodeling my bathroom.

I'm still walking every day at work with my pack, and this week I picked up running about three miles in the evening as well. I don't seem to be dropping weight, but maybe I will pick up some muscle where I need it and shed some fat. One can hope, right?

Mom and Dad have been more consistent than I at getting in miles, but I'm pushing them to shift from flat, sea-level hikes along the beach to inland, hilly hikes that I think will reflect more the terrain we have to deal with. That last sentence should have read..."I think will reflect more the terrain with which we have to deal."

Beyond that, not much to report. Spring is trying to sprung in Southern California, even if the last couple of weeks have been quite wet. I'm working on selling a couple of cars and generally unencumbering my life in preparation for the trek. Thanks for tuning in. Till the next installment!