Half day today.

Since I couldn’t find good lodging in the normal small finishing town, I decided to skip ahead and take a rest day.

I walked 7 miles to a town with a bus-stop, then I took a bus to Burgos (a very large city). I’ll take a rest day here tomorrow, then start walking again on Saturday.

Camino Wisdom #2: Difficult endeavors affect us physically, mentally and spiritually.

They say your Camino has three parts;

First third… physical. You come to grips with fatigue and pushing your body in new ways.

Middle third… Mental. Where you have to have the mental focus snd fortitude to keep on going through the pain or fatigue.

Final third… Spiritual. Where your extended efforts give you new insights into yourself and your life.

I’m entering the final third of the Camino, and I think this three part breakdown is correct.

But it’s not just for the Camino. A new job. A new diet. Quitting an addiction. Taking up a new hobby. All these things are difficult and lead us through these phases.

We start with enthusiasm, then fatigue sets in. We then have to extend mental energy to overcome the challenge. And when we do, we learn something deeper.

If you’re on a Camino in some area of your life, I hope you’ll fight through to the end, as I push through to Santiago.