And Here We Go…

The Pyrenees Mountain range straddles the border of France and Spain. On the French route of the Camino, you must climb the Pyrenees on the first day of hiking. Today was that day for us. We climbed 4,482 feet in elevation and walked 16.5 miles. The terrain was varied with some being paved, some was dirt, and some was rocky. As we walked, I began to find similarities between lessons we learn in life and the experience of climbing these mountains. I’m sure there are many more, but here are a few that stood out for me today.

The Future is Not Predictable- Rain was forecasted for part of our walk today. However, not one drop came down. Instead, we had thick fog for over 70% of our walk. We had to pay close attention so that we didn’t miss any markers and go astray of the Camino. In life, no matter how much we want to predict the future, it’s just not possible. We will always have times that curve balls will be thrown our way, and in these times, we need to adjust and be okay doing so.

Together We Are Stronger- Although we were paying close attention to the markers, we still went astray of the Camino twice. Each time, there was someone there to ask and they helped us get back on the right path. When we support each other, we can accomplish and do more and in the end, everyone moves forward.

We Don’t Always Have to Know The Answer- The fog on the walk today was so thick in some places that the path disappeared from our view in seconds. It was difficult to see what was ahead of us. Therefore, we had to trust the path. Similarly in life, we won’t always have a clear visual in front of us. The path or process will get us to where we need to be.

Pay Attention to Guiding Signs- The places where we went astray had clear signs indicating where we needed to go, we just didn’t pay attention to them. It wasn’t that we ignored them, we just misread them because we thought we knew where we were going. Staying present in the moment gives us an opportunity to be open to those guiding signs that can make challenges less painful or stressful.

Tomorrow’s path will be a new journey. I’m looking forward to whatever the journey will provide to me.