Hey Pilgrims,

In this episode of ipilgrim, we finally get around to talking about some of the unsung heroes of the Camino– Hospitaleros. Those are the wonderful people who deal with the sweaty, sick, injured, stinky, grouchy, emotional –and yes — happy pilgrims who stumble into the albergues. And for some of the pilgrims that I ended up walking with during my past Camino really put the Hospitaleros through their paces. I think the  last Albergue I stayed in, the poor Hospitalera was upset about my friends out past curfew, drinking in the bar. Little did she know, that they were planning to sneak in through an open window in the middle of the night. That poor woman.
Heather Knight (pictured above) is very involved in everything Camino: she volunteers for The Camino Documentary. contributes regularly on many Camino forums.  In October 2011, Heather just happened to serve as a Hospitalera at Santa Domingo de la Calzada as I was walking the Camino Frances. Heather gives us at ipilgrim podcast what is  like to volunteer to work on the Camino. And you can find out what the deal is with the chicken picture. Heather has her own blog at http://renegadepilgrim.blogspot.com/

(our evening meal with pilgrim at Santa Domingo .. I’m on the right hand side next to Sarah Van Treeck and Heather)

If you want to attend the Hospitalero training this year in Winter Park, Florida, more information can be found at http://www.americanpilgrims.com/events/events_national.html And since the National Gathering of Pilgrims is going to be in my backyard this year,  I do hope to attend.

Oh, and don’t forget ipilgrim podcast is now an affiliate podcast of SQPN. Go check out Steve and myself on other podcasts on SQPN.com.

Buen Camino,

Deborah

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Hey pilgrims,

Sometimes, post Camino, it can  be challenge to live aligned with “your purpose”. For some pilgrims, the Camino is a chance to glimpse of what their purpose in life is or could be.  Armed with this vision, the pilgrim goes on with life and then realizing the vision received from the Camino and how it plays out in real life is more challenging than it looks.

“If I’m aligned with my purpose, isn’t it suppose to be easy? ” says Lydia Smith, our favorite documentary producer. Listen to what Lydia has to say about living up to the challenge of achieving one’s vision and purpose.

Today, Lydia joined ipilgrim to talk about her recent fundraising pilgrimage and how her film The Camino Documentary is progressing.  You can view the trailer and support the documentary at http://www.caminodocumentary.org/

Buen Camino,

Deborah

Hey Pilgrims,

We here at ipilgrim podcast want to wish you a happy 2012. We are excited about a new year and as always, we look forward to the possibility of doing the Camino in 2012.

Steve and Sandy had a chance to meet for the first time. There’s a picture I lifted off of facebook for you to see the occasion.

We also announced our affiliation with the Star Quest Production Network or SQPN.

We look forward to many new and exciting podcasts and projects in the coming year.

Buen Camino,

Deborah

Some links that we mention in this episode

http://www.facebook.com/Suseya

Hey Pilgrims,

It’s been about a month since I have returned from Spain. Most pilgrims would say “the Camino really begins in Santiago.”  So according to their logic, I’m on the Camino. That’s very nice, but I wish they would tell that to my body which is squarely in the USA. And my body is still telling me “You stopped walking a while back.”

Post Camino Blues is hard to define in a sense. From a physical stand point, it’s a lack of neurotransmitters to the pleasure center of the brain. Thirty days of “runners high” and the brain got used to it.

The second piece of the blues is actual more mental. In my last post, I mentioned that walking the Camino may provide some clarity (while walking) about what one should do in life. And, many pilgrims make promises to themselves… “when I get home, I’m going to……eat organic, exercise more, quit that job, end that relationship, start that relationship (whatever the case may be.)  It may  become a challenge of logistics of executing the plans made on the Camino and their real life consequences.

During the podcast, Steve reads off a list of “remedies” that I can use to make me feel like I’m on the Camino at home.  He’s so helpful. Until the next podcast…

Buen Camino.

Deborah

Hey Pilgrims,

I returned from the Camino on Thursday. As one of my fellow pilgrim said: the Camino is a puzzle; we pick up the pieces along the way and put the pieces together after we have finished.  Some of the pieces of the puzzle are obvious where they fit. For example, I made the mistake of not planning enough time in Santiago for myself and my body. As a result, I went from walking the Camino to sitting in an airplane for 24 hours. By the time I got to Orlando, my feet looked like sausages because of the swelling. Lesson learned.

Other pieces I have to put together are much tougher to figure out where they go. I noticed that one of the German pilgrims posted on facebook, the video from Johnny Nash “I can see Clearly now” (a personal favorite) the day he arrived back from the Camino. The Camino can give such clarity about things that were cloudy before. The real challenge lies in the action of implementing the changes to make a complete picture.  As Sandy says in this episode, the Camino begins after Santiago.  In this case, I have a box full of puzzle pieces that need to placed.

Maybe one of my pieces of the puzzle is turtle shaped. The symbol of the turtle slowly carrying her home on her back became a Camino mascot– Walking your own pace even if it’s a turtle pace.  Luckily, the Camino puzzle doesn’t have to be completed in a specific time frame so I can really reflect on the pieces I’ve collected.

Until next time, Buen Camino,

Deborah

Hey fellow pilgrims,

I’m sitting in an Albergue kitchen in Leon, Spain. This actually wasn’t my plan. My original plan had me in Astorga but as I realized that the camino had other plans for me. At first, I was a little resistant to us staying an extra day in Leon. I miss walking and big cities tend to be more expensive because of the amazing choice of bars and restaurants.

Another reason we stayed in Leon is a strange series of nights that seem to involve a lot bar crawls. The pilgrims sometimes joke that the camino can turn into a “wine tour” instead of a pilgrimage. As it turned out, I ended up at an Irish pub in the Plaza Mayor at 3 am. By the time all of us woke up, packed and had brunch (by that time) it was almost 1 pm and a bit too late in the day to walk my planned 24 kilometers.

Now, I realize that this break has given me a much-needed moment of quiet and introspection. And as luck would have it, I’ve been given a chance to work on my podcast.  In fact, if I have time, I will be posting two episodes today.

Buen Camino,

Deborah

In this episode of Ipilgrim Podcast, Deborah talks about The Meseta – the flat farmland located between Burgos and Leon in Spain. This was recorded in Carrion de los Condes and Bercianos de Real Camino. The song at the end of the podcast is sung by a French pilgrim at the albergue at Bercianos de Real Camino and can be found on my facebook page.

Hey pilgrims

I´m on a spanish keyboard today in Burgos. If I get some of the accents wrong.. forgive me.  I recorded this podcast a few days ago in Viana. It´s a very quiet podcast because it was 5 am and I was standing out in the courtyard.

So far, things are going well. I have about 5 blisters and I´ve lost a pair of socks, my shampoo, water bottle, hair scarf and a few other things. At least my bag is lighter.  Sorry if the sound quality isn´t the greatest… better luck next time.

Buen Camino,

Deborah

Hey Pilgrims,

It’s a little less than 2 weeks until I am on the Camino again. My backpack is strung out on the living room floor in front of me. All of my “necessities” are piled up on the chair. I’m asking the question of everything… do I really need it in Spain?  My goal is 20 pounds but I’m currently at 25 pounds. Five pounds of my pack is going to be my computer/podcasting equipment.  I found my pink flip camera that still has files from my last camino and I started to delete the files on there.  Until I found this file: lighting things on fire

That’s just one of the “traditions” pilgrims along the Camino participate in. We were at Finisterre, Spain…” Kilometer 0″ or the end of the Camino. We decided to take one piece of clothing we had worn on the Camino and burn it on the rocks by the lighthouse. Of course, most pilgrims today have clothes made out of Spadex and moisture-wicking synthetic fibers that don’t burn all that well.

The picture above is the actual rock I took from my favorite beach in Florida– Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin, Florida. This time I’m not taking a rock, but something else symbolic… a little pink doll made out of yarn. But, should I “litter” became the question I started to ask.

Meanwhile, Steve is getting ready to the CNMC in Kansas City next week. Last year, I attended the CNMC in Boston and made the decision to start recording ipilgrim podcast. If you are interested in podcasting or blogging, it’s a good place to learn how.

I have no idea when the three of us will be recording another episode together, but there might be a few episodes from the Camino itself, if I can manage it. Until then…

Buen Camino,

Deborah

Hey pilgrims,

I sent the ipilgrim staff out “on assignment” this month to attend some of the screenings of “The Way” starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. Sandy attended the Phoenix screening, Steve attended the Dallas screening and I attended the Chicago screening (and — next week– the Orlando screening.) Much of the podcast is dedicated to a review of the movie (from a Camino perspective.) A word of warning, there may be a “spoiler” or two in our dialog so if you don’t want to know as many details, I recommend you listen to it after you’ve seen the movie.

Also, Sandy came up with her “top ten ipilgrim camino list.” I won’t give away many “spoilers” for that. But some of our favorite subjects of clubbing snorers over the head and clean underwear are mentioned.

10) Look for your tickets early, you will get the better price and
choice of seats (probably)

9) Go shopping for boots, try them all and don’t try them on with your
usual socks, try them on with your Camino socks. Break them in.

Assume you are not in as good a shape as you think you are, walk
with your backpack and boots for awhile to get used to it

7) Do you really need it? You will be carrying it for 800km

6) You may not snore, but many of us do. Get your earplugs.

5)  You do not get a prize for being the first to get to the albergue,
but you might just take your whole shower with hot water. Remember is
not a race, walk in a relaxed manner.

4) It is perfectly normal to turn your underwear inside out if the
other one did not dry.

3) Carry your own toilette paper just in case.

2) Its perfectly normal to have a beer mid-morning after a 10km walk,
don’t worry, you do not need to go to confession for it.

1) Crying is acceptable. Be of joy or blisters on your feet.

Buen Camino,

Deborah