Terradillos de Templarios

I lied; I am NOW halfway to Santiago. I was only off by 25km..not to bad. Today I decided to stay in a town called Terradillos de Templarios. Im not 100% sure how the town got its name, but from what I have heard, there is a Templar ¨chapel¨or place where they used to stay. I guess like a little hotel for Templar knights. I have always had an interest in the Templars...partly because they are so shady...their history and purpose just fascinates me. Its pretty awesome that the history of each town goes back so far.

Anyways, lastnight ended up being pretty awesome! Me and 3 other friends paid 2 euros extra, and were able to stay in a room with only 4 beds. So...we were able to trust that our stuff was not going to get stolen, and we were sleeping with people who were not likely to snore. Snoring is a huge issue...and everyone does it! Thank god for ear plugs. One of that nice things about having our own room is we didnt really have to abide by the lights out curfew, and we didnt have to be quiet because people were sleeping. Instead, we got to stay up late making jokes, and just talking. I think last night was the hardest I have laughed in a long time! Man, I needed it! It was a ton of fun! I am really starting to create some pretty tight bonds with a few people from other countries. Definitely a new experience, and something that for some reason fascinates me.

Today was about a 26km walk. My body is definitely starting to let me know when enough is enough. I can force myself to walk 40km (which I have done a couple times), but in the end 26-30 is where my body says no more! By the end of that day, im tired, hungry, thirsty, and ready for a good shower! I also checked on the bottom of my shoes for the first time and found them already wearing away quite a bit! The bottoms are starting to look like balding tires! I feel accomplished!

Today I split up with the group I have been walking with for the past few days. It was sad to split up, but I did get to walk all day with on of my good friends. Its amazing how powerless we are. The conversations I never expect happen at the perfect time...every time. Anyways, we talked and walked for the entire day. Usually there is quite a bit of silence, and walking alone...but I felt that for the most part, this was not the case today. A lot was learned today, and I am grateful for it.

Once I arrived at the hostel, i decided to make a tuna sandwich..With the amazing spanish bread I try to buy as often as possible. I planned on eating by myself and sitting in the sun to let my body recover. As usual...a korean man waved me to come sit with him. His english wasnt very good, so we werent able to really talk to in depth about anything. Either way, he offered me a hard boiled egg...cookie, and some other things he had for lunch. He basically cut his lunch in half and shared it with me..... The food he gave me was great, but the company was definately really nice to have. Just a random person......Experiences like this are typical, and happen almost on a daily basis. The culture of the camino is its own...and unlike anything else.

I often get asked by other pilgrims if I have had any eye opening experiences yet...but to be honest, I dont think I have. I have had a few moments where I connected a couple dots or so(dont get me wrong.....I have been faced with some very important things)....but for the most part, no major enlightenment. I always have to remember what my spiritual director tells me....You may have a life changing moment on the walk...right when you get done...six months from the end...or even six years. You just will never know. That helps me not to set my expectations to high.

 

I am still meeting a ton of people from all over the world. Each one with their own unique story, hardship, and reason for walking. Each one has something to offer, and each one is searching for something more. That is something that each one of us have in common on this walk.