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Published: September 2nd 2013
It's been quite a contrasting experience, this planning for the second camino. Firstly, it's been coming from such a long way away. In my, undoubtedly questionable, remembrance of 16 months ago, it feels like I made the decision to do the camino and left within a couple of days. That's wrong, but I don't remember counting down the days the way I have been this time - I just remember being busy and leaving. Maybe I remember it like this because of the difficulties I had with the actual trip over - no Vietnamese Visa, transferring luggage, buses that wouldn't move, broken trains, and now in memory, it all feels like it was rushed and improvised and everything happened at once.
This time round, we've been counting steadily for weeks and weeks and weeks. Plane tickets were purchased months ago. I had to wait and wait and wait for the train reservations to open for the trip from Paris to St Jean. I've been able to prepare spreadsheets for packing and all sorts of completely OCD planning... Nobody can say that we are not prepared. Or a bit mad...
As well as preparing to be somewhere else, we've had to prepare for being not here. Leaving the boys at home so that they can work and go to uni respectively (not to mention look after some pets - hopefully) means that some major planning has had to happen. Kelly and I spent most of this weekend cooking meals that we'll never eat - I made about 2kg of chilli and Kelly about 2kg of bolognese. Our freezer looks like it belongs to an armageddon survivalist. We shopped like one of those mid-western American families with 25 kids (all with the same haircuts). The ones who buy their toilet paper from Costco every week...
But none of this is the hardest part of getting ready. The hard part for me has been not spoiling it all for Kelly and Maia before we go. By endlessly talking about bits that they are about to experience BEFORE they have a chance to experience it. In this, I have tried and been spectacularly unsuccessful. It's hard not to rhapsodise... It's also pretty boring for the other people involved. Hopefully they'll soon have their opportunity to bore others...
So, we are leaving next Sunday, with a few days in Paris and then off we go to walk about 60% of the camino. I have decided in detail which stages we'll do, which we'll miss, where we'll stay, what to eat... and I'm also planning for all of these plans to go STRAIGHT OUT THE DOOR once we start. That will be all for the best.
Cheers
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Our freezer in survivalist mode
Dr. Tatiana pilgrim
non-member comment
so much planning....so much opportunity for derailment!
Couldn't be more excited to hear your excitement in the planning of sharing this with your family David! In truth my family wants to go as well, and I with them, but the sheer bombardment of opinions and desires cannot be properly or easily fulfilled. Friends have joined in to the throng of peregrino exuberance and it's looking like Machu Picchu is happening first... the complexities of including every willing pilgrim second! Looking forward to hearing of your mad adventures and hysterical pontifications! By the way... hold on to your hat this time!.... and may this be a "lager" free journey!