I overthink, therefore I am…
I haven’t done the Camino yet (it is planned for August 2024), but, having plenty of worries about it, maybe this is a good place to list them, so I can go back when (if?) I complete it to see how it pans out.
I hate flying, so I’m taking a direct flight from Miami in order to avoid making connections. Just one take-off and landing is all I can handle.
Being that I’m in FL, I worry about a hurricane resulting in canceling my flight. Notice that I don’t worry about hurricanes themselves, as I’ve been through lots of them, no biggie for me, but cancelation? That would mess up my timetable, because the dates are not negotiable.
I worry about the whole process of clearing customs, and something going wrong. My international travel experience is very limited, and it’s been a while, so lots of things may have changed.
I fear being pickpocketed and losing my US passport, what do I do then? I would be upset if a thief steals my money, everything, but my US passport? Not an unfounded worry since a friend I was traveling with years ago was pickpocketed in the Madrid Metro of all places, within 20 minutes of arrival, fortunately, I found the wallet with only the money missing, the passport and everything else was there, but it was a very unpleasant experience. What if this happens in the middle of nowhere, like the Meseta, who can help me then?
I worry about the river crossing somewhere between Espinal and Zubiri, I’ve seen many videos of pilgrims walking on these huge blocks over the water, I fear my balance is not the greatest. Is there an alternate place to cross?
I fear strange, unfamiliar foods, definitely not a foodie. I’m fine with meat, potatoes, chicken, pork, but that’s about it. I’m allergic to seafood so that’s out for me.
I worry about my cPAP machine being damaged either from rain water, a fall, etc, how to fix it/repair it?
I worry about not being able to stick to my timeline. August 11 and September 11 are extremely important dates for me. I think I should be able to start my walk in August 11 in SJPDP (unless a hurricane or some other event cancels my flight, or some calamity when clearing customs). September 11 is an important day of mourning for me (not because of the American 9/11 tragedy, for because of a more personal loss. where I will be on Sept 11? Originally, I planned to be in SDC, but that may not be realistic, my alternate plan is to be at Cruz de Ferro in that date. What if I cant’ time it adequately? I want to know of any place of significance where I can do my mourning on September 11. If I make it to CDF in time, I hope to make it to Santiago by September 22, thus starting a new season in my life at the Pilgrims Mass. What options should I entertain if this doesn’t pan out?
I’m worried (just a little) about things from my life come back to haunt me.
I worry about how I’ll get back to Madrid to catch my flight back home.
I know these are all solvable issues, nothing here is impossible to get through, and there’s plenty of help here from experienced Peregrinos.
I’ll mention things I’m NOT worried about:
I don’t care if I wind up sleeping on the steps of some church because I couldnt’ find an albergue. I don’t care if I get soaked in rain. (I do worry about being caught in a thunderstorm). I certainly won’t enjoy being in the rain, but I don’t worry about it.
I don’t care if I get blisters, twist an ankle, get sunburned, etc. Certainly not pleasant, but I do feel more confident that I can deal with those things if/when they happen.
I don’t worry about overpacking, being that I can always mail excess crap to SDC for me to pick up at the end.
I’m not worried about the societal aspects of it. I’m fine with spending time alone, even feeling lonely, and although I can be shy, with the right crowd can socialize pretty well. I’m a native Spanish speaker, which helps a lot, and I can always help fellow Peregrinos if needed.
Well, that’s about it for now! I hope i remember this post in late September so I can check and see if despite my having known so many troubles, many of them didn’t actually happen (apologies to Mark Twain).