Shakedown Hike

Today was finally the day.  The snow was gone, the weather cooperated (in an odd sort of way), and I finally got a chance to really test out my body and my gear for the Camino.  Today was a little over 11 miles in the rain.

Still, I'm pretty happy here, because I walked about three quarters of an average day's walk on the Camino in about four hours, in the rain.  The walk helped me make a couple of decisions I had been mulling over, and drew my attention to which spots on my feet I'm going to need to protect right from the get go.  It also helped me realize that walking in a fairly persistent rain is not the absolute worst thing that can happen to you.

A little rain never hurt no one.

There is so much of this adventure that happens in between the ears.  I have been thinking and packing based on a sort of "be prepared" kind of motto.  That's pretty much a surefire way to carry things you don't need for almost 500 miles.  I don't need as much as I thought I needed, and so I'm ditching a couple things I had considered necessary in the pack until today.

This is the process of preparation: figuring out what you really need, not what you think might be handy.  I don't need to carry handy for 500 miles, I need to carry necessary.

My pack and my soul are getting lighter as I learn what to leave behind.