Kiwi-family
{Rachael, the Mama of the family}
- Time of past OR future Camino
- walking every day for the rest of my life
In September 2012 our family (including eight kids and octogenarian Grandpa) walked from Astorga to see if we liked long-distance walking. Since then I (along with various family members) have completed the Voie de la Nive, Baztan, Frances, San Salvador, Primitivo. Finisterre, Portuguese from Porto, Via de la Plata and Sanabres. Turns out we liked walking.
It's only been four years but so much has changed. The daughter who turned 18 on that first camino, turned 22 yesterday and has been married and living at the far end of our country since the beginning of this year. The Grandpa has been near death with a spinal infection and recovered over the course of two years (and even managed to walk some of the Via de la Plata with us this spring). The two eldest boys have (after a lifetime of home education and never sitting a test in their lives, and one of them being severely dyslexic) gone to university and are being rewarded with high grades for their hard work. Another daughter has been working for a year and has planned a road trip to do with a friend this summer (when they've both turned 18) and is now ready to approach some formal study. The two younger boys (14 and 16) are gearing up for an exciting year next year - they both have a study programme to complete. It is almost definite now that one will be doing it at the same time as tutoring kids from a homeschooled family - in India. The other will do his on a ranch in Mongolia where he will be working for the rancher in exchange for food and bed. So that is going to leave me with immediate responsibility for only two girls, 11 and 13. I haven't had only two kids to care for since before our third son was born - twenty years ago. What a change.
When we took our first tentative steps from Astorga, wondering if we'd make it, feeling the thrill of finding arrows, marvelling at the rainbow in the sky, not speaking a word of Spanish beyond hola and gracias, we had no idea how different things would be only four years later. I am so grateful for that first walk, and for each and every step we've walked since then. You never know what tomorrow will bring.
It's only been four years but so much has changed. The daughter who turned 18 on that first camino, turned 22 yesterday and has been married and living at the far end of our country since the beginning of this year. The Grandpa has been near death with a spinal infection and recovered over the course of two years (and even managed to walk some of the Via de la Plata with us this spring). The two eldest boys have (after a lifetime of home education and never sitting a test in their lives, and one of them being severely dyslexic) gone to university and are being rewarded with high grades for their hard work. Another daughter has been working for a year and has planned a road trip to do with a friend this summer (when they've both turned 18) and is now ready to approach some formal study. The two younger boys (14 and 16) are gearing up for an exciting year next year - they both have a study programme to complete. It is almost definite now that one will be doing it at the same time as tutoring kids from a homeschooled family - in India. The other will do his on a ranch in Mongolia where he will be working for the rancher in exchange for food and bed. So that is going to leave me with immediate responsibility for only two girls, 11 and 13. I haven't had only two kids to care for since before our third son was born - twenty years ago. What a change.
When we took our first tentative steps from Astorga, wondering if we'd make it, feeling the thrill of finding arrows, marvelling at the rainbow in the sky, not speaking a word of Spanish beyond hola and gracias, we had no idea how different things would be only four years later. I am so grateful for that first walk, and for each and every step we've walked since then. You never know what tomorrow will bring.