Bonus Post: First Fortnight Review
- Frida Stavenow
- Sep 19, 2022
- 3 min read
Alright! I’m doing it!
Let’s go list cause who doesn’t like to know when they’re getting out.
First Fortnight Top 10
1. The people. I know, I pretend to hate them, and it is true that I need regular breaks. Such as right now, when my new fav walking gang have gone ahead because I pretended like I needed to pee so I could sit alone on a cliff and write about how much I love company. But I do. I have. Walking alone and then hanging in the eve is the best.
2. Wild nature. The first bit of the walk has gone through some truly breathtaking places. The coast of the Basque Country, the mountains, the cliffs, the woods. I had no idea Spain could be this wild. I love wild. Wild me up, España.
3. Getting stronger. The first few days I was knackered at the end of the day, and had to do yoga or I’d wake up in the night from my legs cramping. Now I can feel my body getting used to the exertion. Especially my back and shoulders. The backpack used to feel impossible to carry at times, and now I occasionally forget I’ve got it on.
4. Thick drinking chocolate. Oh boy. One of the top reasons to visit Spain.
5. The movement in my head. Walking the Camino because you don’t know what to do with your life turns out to work. I’ve done more thinking in the last fortnight than I had in the previous year. Physical movement really helps, as do grand, uninterrupted vistas, and telling your life story in two minutes to five different people every day.
6. Not feeling depressed. I mean this is all a bit too good to be true, probably, but even though I’ve had some anxiety on the road I have not felt anything close to the pit-deep despair that permeated August.
7. WEED, obvs. I mean I hope I can’t get arrested for writing this? But it’s a medicine. Welcome her into your life with accountability and respect, and Santa Maria will reward you.
8. Welcome-in-the-world experiment. Highly recommend this to all the avoidants out there. People rarely hate you as much as you think they do. Oh and, a Ukrainian girl told me last night at dinner that they have a saying: “People treat you the way you think about them.” So fake it til you make it. Everyone seeks a leader.
9. Writing again. Writing this on a note and eating it: You are much happier writing crap than writing nothing at all.
10. Figuring stuff out as I go along. Accommodation is an issue, there are lots of options for routes, many ways of eating lunch. But I can’t plan it all. Walk, and the road will show you. It works.
First Fortnight Bottom 10
Alright, so what isn’t part of my manic happy spiral?
1. No hand-soap in albergues. Come on, guys. No one carries their shower gel with them all the time. This just means you’ve got germs everywhere.
2. Snorers. I know you can’t help it. But part of me can’t help but feel like you should be banned from sleeping in dorms, either.
3. But also people who smack snorers with their fast-drying towels in the night. Just get earplugs.
4. Ummm I guess I didn’t like that expensive chain breakfast.
5. Or the rude owner at the albergue that wasn’t Pozada –
6. OH GOD THAT I DIDN’T STAY AT POZADA.
7. Secret pork in mushroom crepes and other vegetarian-sounding dishes.
But seriously that’s about it. It’s been an absolute blast. I’m prepared for things to get a little worse though. Turn a little duller as the shine of newness wears off. Feet start hurting just the little bit more. Clothes get smellier. Ear plugs ear waxier.
But all that is good, too. I came here to think, after all. Not much thinking being done if I’m in having a ball all of the time. (OR IS IT!? Mad new opportunity, add to experiment list.)
The welcome in the world experiment really was a fine idea. I’ve got lots of new friends. Next I might give up assuming it’s always me who’s done something wrong.
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