Galicia

I just got back to Córdoba from Galicia this evening. There is far too much to say, and my mind is all sorts of scattered, and I still have to do quite a bit to prepare for school tomorrow. Regardless, here is a brief overview, in list form, because who doesn't love a good list?

Galicia: Notes and Stuff

• The general Camino I took ended up being around 115 kilometers, over the course of four days:
• On Wednesday I walked from Sarria to an albergue between Portomarín and Palas de Rei, about 35 km
• On Thursday I walked to Melide, about 20 km
• On Friday I walked to Pedrouzo, about 35 km
• On Saturday I got to Santiago, about 20 km
• And yesterday (Monday) I went to lots of places on the Galician coast, but more or less from Baroña to Finisterre
• Galicia is a lot like a fairytale land that can't really be real but is
• The people are extremely friendly, both the peregrinos and the inhabitants
• I made some incredibly impressive and cool new friends from all over the map
• There were some of the most unforgettable vistas I think I've seen in a long time, and predict that this past week will be in my memory for a very long time
• I feel the most peaceful, calm, and content that I have in a very long time

Here is a map of Galicia for reference and for kicks:

A lot of people say things like, "The Camino changed my life." This seems like a senseless statement to me--everything anyone does changes her life by virtue of having been an experience that she had not had before in that moment. One is constantly adding to her life simply by virtue of being alive. Despite this, though it's early to say, I think it's very possible that the Camino altered my perspective somehow. It was liberating, intoxicating, exciting, and so many other adjectives. It was an opportunity to walk alone and reflect for a week, whilst meeting tons of people along the way, all of whom are moving to the same place for completely different and personal reasons. I thought, looked, and listened a lot. And I think, despite the blood-stained tennis shoes and silver-dollar sized blisters (I'm sorry if you're squeamish, but I feel tough), my mind is stronger for the experience.

But professors and future employers are not as interested in my emotional tranquility, so I should return to my classwork for now. I have lots of photos to sort through, but I'll share many more tidbits about the Camino in the coming week.