The Flight Time Ramblings

  Somewhere over Iowa or Nebraska 

Oct 17

As we prepare to enter back to our paradise real life, I'm still not ready for reflection, beyond some things I want to do when we return. Bear with me, dear readers, as I parade my terribly material thoughts of personal wants...

>Shave. It been weeks since I've scrapped the fur from my usually shaven legs and pits. This is going to happen on my first shower. 

>A soak in the hot tub. Roland (aka 'Roland the body') will have it set for us to 102 F, and ready to climb in.

>Oil. Specifically organic coconut oil. My skin is so very dry from the trip, as is my hair. I think I'll just dip into the jar of coconut oil and smear it all over body and head, and then sit on the lanai, giving it an hour or two to soak in. After my oil soaking a nice, long, hot bath in the jetted tub in our master bath. Maybe I can get John to help with the smearing?? (*,*) I'll need to clean the bathtub of the oil, but it's SO worth it.

>Soak my feet and give myself a personal pedicure. Scrape the grunge, calluses and deep down dirt off of these tired dogs. Clip and file. Find some polish and enter the world with presentable feet. Perhaps this should wait until after our family Doc Harmeling takes a look at them on Monday. I don't know...?some clean up and polish sounds good. 

>Ditto for my hands. While they aren't in the horrific condition my feet are, having some clipping, filing, cleaning and polishing will make me feel a bit more civilized. Miles of holding trekking poles can weather those hands. 

>Lipstick. Eyeliner. Mascara. My friends know that I don't do much of any of these items, but I've missed their occasional use.

>Papaya. Lilikoi. Chico sapote. Apple bananas. Avocados. Poke. I'll get some sunflower sprouts started on Saturday and they should be ready by late next week. I've missed our tropical foods and our salads. I wonder if my wild tomato plant is producing, or if it has been overtaken by the white flies?

>Spend endless hours in bed or in the recliner, with my sweet John. Recuperate with him. Love him. Sleep in. Make his coffee. Bake bread. Susie homemaker returns with a vengeance.

>Tune and play the ukulele. Poor girl is lonely. That must wait until the manicure, as my nails are a bit too long.

>After a few days I'm crazy to see our Hawaii family and friends. I've missed them all so much. 

Am I displaying hedonistic behavior, brought about by a bit of being deprived? Who knows? I just want to feel a bit slicker, after wearing the same 2 shirts, 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of shorts and hiking books the for the past 7 weeks. I want to have some true one on one time with John, not distracted by our next agenda item for hiking. Or our exhaustion.

Or 100 other walkers sharing a dormitory.   

Reflection

Has walking 775 km from St Jean de Pier du Port to Santiago made me a more virtuous woman? No. I believe it has helped by get a better handle on the kind of Christian I am. With John's insights, I certainly understand why I am the way I am. God granted me a special time to spend Him, and to spend with myself. I feel closer to God and the Holy Trinity than I did before I started this journey. I feel closer to John too.  I'm also a bit proud of myself, that I accomplished this journey. There were no guarantees that I would finish, merely a commitment. I also proud of my John. Through the suffering, he just kept plugging along. 

Reality of an 11 hour flight.

It was 61 F when we left our hotel this morning.  My travel black skirt, that has been worn almost every day on this journey, black long johns, t-shirt, blue fast dry long sleeved shirt with fleece and scarf make my outfit. Socks and sandals. Comfy, but dorky looking. Into the flight by 6 hours, the cabin finally warms up. Off comes the fleece, the long sleeved shirt and the skirt. The scarf turns into a bit of a sarong, albeit a short one, to wear over the long johns. Socks are in place to keep the feet warm. Totally Puna. Try though I might, I cannot get a pic of this strange outfit while seated. Thanks for the scarf Lisa. Still using and groovin with it.

John is in sleep land and I should join him soon. A couple of hours of sleep would be good. But I'm charged on trail mix and Sprite Zero, so sleep must wait for a hour or two. There is also a child whose been completely loud and squealing  most of the flight. John has a gift and he knows it. He can be completely asleep before pushback. This gift works well in airplanes, not so good when he is driving. Nevertheless, no airplane sleep is refreshing enough to carry on for long after the voyage ended, so it will be an ETB (early to bed) night for us. Debbie, part of our great crew who keeps us pulled together in our absence, will have everything in ship!shape condition.

Shower, shave, bed. Coconut oil, pedicure and manicure on Saturday. Sunflower sprout start on Saturday.

How many of the sunflower seeds I sprout come from Spain? Could I have walked past some of their fields? Such is the extent of my deep reflection thus far. I think I need healing and sleeping time before reflection can really kick in.

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Anyone who has had to make a pitch, whether for a business idea, a show, a story, knows about the 'elevator pitch'. In the time it takes to do an elevator ride of a few floors, a persuasive chat is presented that will pique the interest of the listener and make the listener want to learn more. I need an elevator pitch for my Camino journey.

'Susan, what did you do on you fall holiday break?'

I abandoned my normal life, packed up a rucksack and headed off to a foreign country to hike 500 miles, over mountains, across plains, all in a search for a better understanding of myself. I was on a pilgrimage, to learn more about my relationship with God. It was journey of love and faith, and certainly worth taking the time to do it. I met people who touched my life in ways they will never know of. I imagine I touched lives also, and may never know how. I can only hope it was for the better. I hope I was a worth witness to the love of God.