A year down the 'track'……

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A year down the 'track'…… Prahran, Australia

Prahran, Australia

Yes, you thought this blog had gone permanently into abeyance! No fear – I’m back…. but only for a brief reprisal (yes, yes I know Isaid that last time) but you can blame Neil a friend in Sydney. I saw him recently and he asked how the last year since the walk has been, and said that he was sure he wasn’t the only one who would be interested. So if you’re not….stop reading now! But before you do – I just want to wish you a merry Christmas and a wonderful, safe and fabulous 2015!

So what did I say about the expected changes from the walk..?

• identifying the focus that I want to place on different elements of my life;
• valuing myself;
• dealing with change and travel – too much or lack thereof
• how to handle the possible loss of new friends that had been such a wonderful part of the adventure
• realising that the everyday ‘process’ of life is only one part of life – there is more to me than that and all the rest still keeps going whether I engage with it or not. (read here…work!)

As it was in January, at times life can still feel a little like a runaway train (for example, work, travel, and kitchen renovations in the month leading up to Christmas…yes self inflicted craziness I know now! ;-)) So yes sometimes things are still the same, but more and more different – I do definitely know that I am the one who is allowing this to happen and when it gets too much I am also the one who can stop it. Something that I realised I have actually put into action this year for next year – to step down a bit and focus on quality not quantity. Work will always be there; but friends, loved ones and opportunities to explore the richness of life may not; so I am slowly changing.

I had the opportunity presented to me this year, through a relationship, to really learn to walk the talk of valuing myself – a hard and at times painful, lesson and one that is still being learnt, but is much more embedded than it was even this time last year, let alone 18 months ago.
The commitment to really be true to myself and being me, so that I attract more of my style of people, who make me happy, calm, content, and energised, has at times been sorely tested this year, but I am pleased to say that I have come through it and feel that I am improved as a result… 🙂

I no longer blithely do what I believe is the ‘right thing’ to do … and now choose what I do much more conciously – I have found I think that this might make me an easier person to be around becuase what you see is truly what you get and if you don’t like it, that’s fine too. I’m OK with that. (well OK ….most of the time…I’m still human! 😉 ) Travel is still a part of my life and I now believe it always will be – work now seems to be taking me on interesting adventures internationally which is stimulating, flattering and exciting all rolled in together. I’ve realised that this diverse life I have is what makes me me in this part of my life…and gives me the zest I enjoy for life; its not worth fighting it and trying to have the life of a picket fence……not yet anyway!

Finally in talking about being worried about losing friends made on the Camino, I am thrilled that I’m not only still in contact with John and Raquel, but saw both of them in October and November, when I was in Toronto and Port Douglas respectively. We all said that the 10 -12 months that had passed seemed nothing at all. Thanks to FaceBook, Whatsap and Viber I’m also still in contact regularly with another 6 friends made along the way, and also still remember very fondly many others that while contact may have lapsed the fun and cherished moments have not. Almost every day there is a memory or thought of an interaction I had with someone somewhere along the path that pops into my head…. thoughts and memories that will always be with me and make me who I am now – the people who put them there will never leave me. On that note, Sheila a very good walking friend of mine has ended this year with the suggestion that we should walk the camino through Italy…..2016 here I come!! 😉

That being said, the lesson I didn’t really talk about was that of being kinder to myself, and this one was also re-presented to me, when I found this year I had to have a hip operation to tidy up wear and tear on one of my hips. Not necessarily as a result of the walk but that probably didn’t help! While I still push my body I am slowing coming to the point of acceptance that for it to keep serving me, I will have to love and cherish it more…..a work in progress!

So who knows what 2015 will bring … I have learnt it is rarely what we expect and only sometimes what we think we hope for. I am enjoying the continuing unfolding of my camino journey because it really does continue.

Wishing you all a very merry festive season, and a safe, happy, satisfying and joyful 2015 in what ever it holds for you.

Take care,
Kate

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