Since I was young, I dreamed about Santiago.
I dreamed about leaving the Western world without giving explanation to anybody, offering myself a no-deadline period where I could enjoy the ride, visit the cities, meeting new people and tasting high quality food. I thought about three months, maybe more.
I had not had the possibility of seriously doing it (well, I decided not to do it) until I was 30. Once I had the opportunity, the window offered me by the destiny was just 20 days because of the wedding of a dear friend (I bet with her I would have done that, but asked her not to reserve me a place for superstitious reasons). I was so angry at disappointed, and the dream of detachment became the personal challenge of an over-achiever.
I reflected so much about this experience, about the reasons why my original path was changed.
And I answered myself that maybe I was in need of a strenous physical experience in order to balance all my heavy mental work. After 15 miles you are tired, after 20 you are devastated, after 25 you don’t feel your body at all. You are accompanied by the sound of the stick creeping on the path and you are not able to think anymore. The more the pain in the body, the less the stuff in the mind.
Gotta say it was effective. I came back with a better balance of mind, body and spirit and a peace with myself. Even if it lasted only 20 days it was enough to provide me a direction.
So now what? What is the meaning of this one? Could it be the same?
Well, the rational answer (well, one of the many), is that I needed a little bit of time with myself in order to restore my energies. To meditate and reflect on my future while walking every step.
My favorite one, however, is that I had to show myself that it is possible to give something to others while you are taking time to yourself. That the unachievable balance is just some steps away.
Impossible, as someone said, means “I’m possible”. It’s just a matter of belief…
