Pre-Camino Jitters...

[PastorCat]

Will my cats be okay?
Will my family be okay?
Why in God's name did I want to hike for 3mos? WTH is wrong with me?
My French is absurdly poor. I can't hike in France for 6 weeks.
Damn, I'm fat.
1500k??? Why did I decide to hike from Le Puy-en-Velay? Am I clinically insane?
Need contacts! Damn it! That means I need an optometrist appointment. Scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there.
I forgot to schedule a haircut! Damn it....okay scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there. Damn it!
The house needs to be cleaned.
OMG - I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I don't have time for that!
OMG (x2) - I have concert tickets tomorrow. I don't have time for that! They were a gift. OMG! I have to go.
I need chewable toothpaste. Where did I buy that chewable toothpaste?
Ugh!

I leave Los Angeles for Lyon on July 8. If my first Camino is an accurate measure, I'm going to feel this way from today until 10-days into the pilgrimage.

 

[Anamya]

And in the end, the world will still be ok. Enjoy the concert and have a great camino!
If you need anything, we are here to support you!

 

[nycwalking]

Will my cats be okay?
Will my family be okay?
Why in God's name did I want to hike for 3mos? WTH is wrong with me?
My French is absurdly poor. I can't hike in France for 6 weeks.
Damn, I'm fat.
1500k??? Why did I decide to hike from Le Puy-en-Velay? Am I clinically insane?
Need contacts! Damn it! That means I need an optometrist appointment. Scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there.
I forgot to schedule a haircut! Damn it....okay scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there. Damn it!
The house needs to be cleaned.
OMG - I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I don't have time for that!
OMG (x2) - I have concert tickets tomorrow. I don't have time for that! They were a gift. OMG! I have to go.
I need chewable toothpaste. Where did I buy that chewable toothpaste?
Ugh!

I leave Los Angeles for Lyon on July 8. If my first Camino is an accurate measure, I'm going to feel this way from today until 10-days into the pilgrimage.

I live in L.A. My b'day is July 8TH. Your present to me: calm down and have a buen camino!

 

[peregrina2000]

Will my cats be okay?
Will my family be okay?
Why in God's name did I want to hike for 3mos? WTH is wrong with me?
My French is absurdly poor. I can't hike in France for 6 weeks.
Damn, I'm fat.
1500k??? Why did I decide to hike from Le Puy-en-Velay? Am I clinically insane?
Need contacts! Damn it! That means I need an optometrist appointment. Scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there.
I forgot to schedule a haircut! Damn it....okay scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there. Damn it!
The house needs to be cleaned.
OMG - I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I don't have time for that!
OMG (x2) - I have concert tickets tomorrow. I don't have time for that! They were a gift. OMG! I have to go.
I need chewable toothpaste. Where did I buy that chewable toothpaste?
Ugh!

I leave Los Angeles for Lyon on July 8. If my first Camino is an accurate measure, I'm going to feel this way from today until 10-days into the pilgrimage.

So here is what you need to do. Think for one minute about all of us sitting here at home on the forum and wishing we were you. Forget about the contacts, forget about cleaning the house, forget about the chewable toothpaste (chewable toothpaste, what in the world is that?), realize that nothing is wrong with you and that you are one of the world’s luckiest blokes right now. We all wish you a wonderful camino and hope that you will report back in from time to time. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Tony Murray]

Will my cats be okay?
Will my family be okay?
Why in God's name did I want to hike for 3mos? WTH is wrong with me?
My French is absurdly poor. I can't hike in France for 6 weeks.
Damn, I'm fat.
1500k??? Why did I decide to hike from Le Puy-en-Velay? Am I clinically insane?
Need contacts! Damn it! That means I need an optometrist appointment. Scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there.
I forgot to schedule a haircut! Damn it....okay scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there. Damn it!
The house needs to be cleaned.
OMG - I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I don't have time for that!
OMG (x2) - I have concert tickets tomorrow. I don't have time for that! They were a gift. OMG! I have to go.
I need chewable toothpaste. Where did I buy that chewable toothpaste?
Ugh!

I leave Los Angeles for Lyon on July 8. If my first Camino is an accurate measure, I'm going to feel this way from today until 10-days into the pilgrimage.

Hi PastorCat,
I have just finished 8 days on the Camino(last year I cycled it). It was one of the best experiences of my longish life (63). So what made is so great? Firstly; the people I met. You have no idea what awaits you, but be assured if you are open to amazing conversations, to giving rather than taking, getting 'off it' and embrace diversity you are in from a wonderful time. Coming off my Camion last Thursday was so difficult, leaving my new friends and turning away was like seeing my son at the departure gates at Dublin Airport leaving to live in Canada. So enjoy, forget the cleaning (except that of the mind) and think of 'the question'--there is no answers on the Camino.

Now for some things I learned: manage your foot care--don't shower in the morning as it will soften your skin, bring boots and walking sandals to change into as the day gets hotter. Have flip flops for night ware. Pack lite and then discard two items. If you discard them at home you have them, unlike me, I did in Spain and so they are lost for ever. Bring a silk liner no need for a sleeping bag. Don't over pack medication (it is heavy) as you are never too far from a pharmacy. Try walking to work or do a long walk with your packed rucksack--now you know what 10k feels like. Buy waking stick in France, less expensive than paying from than with an airline. Don't bother with a book--you will not have time or interest. Partake in the communal meals if possible. Finally, if you are an American, there is no need to keep apologising for your president--remember it was American boys who fought in Europe that we could be free and walk the Camino.

Enjoy and Buen Camino

Tony

 

[AndreaCT]

I couldn't even begin to guess how many people have the same thoughts as you! You've already done this in 2013 so I suspect that once you arrive at your starting point, you will breathe a sigh of relief and think something like "well, that was easier that I expected". You've got this covered - Burn Camino! Oh, and the cats will be fine.

 

[t2andreo]

Just arrange for cat care and be prepared for a very cold fuzzy shoulder on your return. Everything else is just stuff. Stuff is stifling...

Relax, enjoy the scenery, the people, and the experiences. Do not worry about languages, etc. Once you stay somewhere, like in a gite (pronounced jzheet), ask someone there who speaks English to call ahead to make a reservation for you for the next night or two. It helps if you give them your smart phone to use.

And always remember, "Man Plans...God laughs!" This is very true and manifests itself every day, in every way. Just put one foot in front of the other, empty yourself out to be filled with the experiences, the joys and the sorrows. As a person of faith, I know you can do this.

Also remember that "Life is an adventure... Learn to enjoy the journey... I've learned that the journey IS the destination..." I learned this on my first Camino in 2013. It stuck with me. I eventually had it calligraphed and framed. It hangs in my "man cave: (such as it is...a Camino theme..)

If you arrive at Santiago before 12 August, I will be working at the Pilgrim Office. Say hello.

Hope this helps.

 

[André Walker]

Will my cats be okay?
Will my family be okay?
Why in God's name did I want to hike for 3mos? WTH is wrong with me?
My French is absurdly poor. I can't hike in France for 6 weeks.
Damn, I'm fat.
1500k??? Why did I decide to hike from Le Puy-en-Velay? Am I clinically insane?
Need contacts! Damn it! That means I need an optometrist appointment. Scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there.
I forgot to schedule a haircut! Damn it....okay scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there. Damn it!
The house needs to be cleaned.
OMG - I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I don't have time for that!
OMG (x2) - I have concert tickets tomorrow. I don't have time for that! They were a gift. OMG! I have to go.
I need chewable toothpaste. Where did I buy that chewable toothpaste?
Ugh!

I leave Los Angeles for Lyon on July 8. If my first Camino is an accurate measure, I'm going to feel this way from today until 10-days into the pilgrimage.

Don't worry about your French being extremely poor .... so is their English !!

 

[André Walker]

Don't worry about your French being extremely poor .... so is their English !!

Apart from this: everything (including you) will be fine.
Just enjoy your Camino.

 

[ksam]

OMg....ok now that I'm done laughing...out loud...ain't nobody else in the house so who cares!! ;-) Nerves...yeah still get them and Im heading out in October for my 6th Camino. I still wonder what the heck, why...and yet I can't not go! Actually I do know why on this one. My father passed away on Thanksgiving last year only a few days after I came back from doing the Ingles. So now it's a walking memory of.

And yes I'm taking chewable toothpaste!! For which I was laughed at by my walking compadres (including an actual Catlick Padre!!!) Easy enough to make and therefore stupid cheap. Just get a cookie pan and line it with foil. You can then simply make stripes of toothpaste a few inches apart, or small dots (more work) Then put it in the oven overnight...gas ovens are the best as the pilot light helps dry it faster. In the morning simply cut it into small pieces and put it into a plastic ziplock bag. If memory serves ours (the hubs and mine) for three weeks came in at around 20 grams. That included the baggie.

So now just breathe and know that you are so so not alone! Both in the walking and the jitters! Buen Camino and Ultreia

 

[PastorCat]

Thanks folks. I’m really just venting. I have never been away for so long. Three months is a lot of time on the trail. It’s my second Camino. From SJPP I’ll be familiar with the route. And I am pretty comfortable physically. I trained. Bunches actually.

I am worried about the cats though. I care for a stray who eats thrice a day in my yard. My son is house sitting. He will put food out for her. But the jury is out about whether she’ll accept him in my stead. Oh...and he has two cats...two cats that are coming to stay in my house for three months. A house which is already a home to three cats (not including the stray in the yard). As it stands today, none of them like one another. I’m keeping all for a week in advance hoping to get them acclimated to strange whiskers - unfortunately, it was all growls and hisses last night.

Anyhoo...I know I’ll settle in. I’ve planned. My gites in France are set (by all reports, reservations are advisable in France). I know my body well. I’ve been doing 5hr workouts for months now. My pack is comfy. My shoes are broken in. My meds are stockpiled (I take a prescriptions a couple times a day). “I”’s and “T”’s are dotted and crossed. But LA to Lyon is a long way to go and a long road ahead of me after that. I’m looking forward to it. But I’m pensive too. Luckily, I’ll have some freshly made, oven baked toothpaste in my pack.

 

[easygoing]

Will my cats be okay?
Will my family be okay?
Why in God's name did I want to hike for 3mos? WTH is wrong with me?
My French is absurdly poor. I can't hike in France for 6 weeks.
Damn, I'm fat.
1500k??? Why did I decide to hike from Le Puy-en-Velay? Am I clinically insane?
Need contacts! Damn it! That means I need an optometrist appointment. Scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there.
I forgot to schedule a haircut! Damn it....okay scheduled. Now I have to find time to go there. Damn it!
The house needs to be cleaned.
OMG - I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I don't have time for that!
OMG (x2) - I have concert tickets tomorrow. I don't have time for that! They were a gift. OMG! I have to go.
I need chewable toothpaste. Where did I buy that chewable toothpaste?
Ugh!

I leave Los Angeles for Lyon on July 8. If my first Camino is an accurate measure, I'm going to feel this way from today until 10-days into the pilgrimage.

Lush the natural cosmetic, soap etc store sells toothtabs which are a chewable toothpaste. I brought them on the Camino this spring and broke them in half. I liked knowing exactly how much to bring but toothpaste is available along the Camino.

 

[PastorCat]

Lush! That’s right. Lush Boom!
Thanks!

 

[Mark Barnes]

We all have had them!!!! I would tell you that most likely when you get there and start walking during the first week or two it will change to “what in the heck am I doing here, why am I doing this”. After you are into week two that will pass, for the most part, and you will then love it. What is worse yet is during your last week or two in the Camino it will then change to planning your next trip to walk the Camino. Take it slow the first several days and have a blast.

 

[spagirl]

I am worried about the cats though. I care for a stray who eats thrice a day in my yard. My son is house sitting. He will put food out for her. But the jury is out about whether she’ll accept him in my stead. Oh...and he has two cats...two cats that are coming to stay in my house for three months. A house which is already a home to three cats (not including the stray in the yard). As it stands today, none of them like one another. I’m keeping all for a week in advance hoping to get them acclimated to strange whiskers - unfortunately, it was all growls and hisses last night.

You won't be there to know. Ask your son to tell you everything is going great while you are gone so you have one less worry! My mother in law told me years after that it didn't matter what was happening while she was babysitting she always told me the kids are having a great time. She later slipped in the 'stories" and misadventures. She explained that she thought I deserved to enjoy the time away from the kids.
Smart woman.
If some one randomly called you to say they had free tickets to...wherever you'd go with out a worry about a clean house. I sometimes think the more we plan the longer we have to stress out about it!

 

[Introibo]

Well it's been said before but, the hardest part is getting to the start.
Then you just have to put one foot in front of the other.
Over and Over again

If England can win a penalty shoot out then I'm sure you can manage the way

 

[t2andreo]

Thanks folks. I’m really just venting. I have never been away for so long. Three months is a lot of time on the trail. It’s my second Camino. From SJPP I’ll be familiar with the route. And I am pretty comfortable physically. I trained. Bunches actually.

I am worried about the cats though. I care for a stray who eats thrice a day in my yard. My son is house sitting. He will put food out for her. But the jury is out about whether she’ll accept him in my stead. Oh...and he has two cats...two cats that are coming to stay in my house for three months. A house which is already a home to three cats (not including the stray in the yard). As it stands today, none of them like one another. I’m keeping all for a week in advance hoping to get them acclimated to strange whiskers - unfortunately, it was all growls and hisses last night.

Anyhoo...I know I’ll settle in. I’ve planned. My gites in France are set (by all reports, reservations are advisable in France). I know my body well. I’ve been doing 5hr workouts for months now. My pack is comfy. My shoes are broken in. My meds are stockpiled (I take a prescriptions a couple times a day). “I”’s and “T”’s are dotted and crossed. But LA to Lyon is a long way to go and a long road ahead of me after that. I’m looking forward to it. But I’m pensive too. Luckily, I’ll have some freshly made, oven baked toothpaste in my pack.

Having endured long separations from my three cats over some 40 years (serially), I can offer some advice from experience.

Consider leaving a well slept on bedsheet for the cats to 'nest' in. They will associate your scent with security. As long as someone feeds and waters them, and attends to their litter box, you would be surprised how independent they are. A little attention each day from your son, as well as talking to them also helps keep them socialized.

That is why I originally said (above) you should be ready for a cold shoulder on your return. Cats do hold grudges...at least for a little while.

Your biggest worry should be whether your son cleans up the house after the three-month long - 'cat fraternity party,' and tidies up things before you walk through the door. Cats from mixed households frequently do 'mix things up,' at least when first put in together. They can be highly territorial.

You do not want to walk in the door to be assaulted by 'eau de chat' and tons of kitty litter strewn about the place. Then there is the issue of 'marking' and scratching to mark territory...need I say more on this issue?

Finally, make sure you leave written permission with your veterinarian for your son to authorize any medical care necessary in your absence.

Once you leave, put on your Camino face, and just let it all go...

Hope this helps.

 

[PastorCat]

... to be assaulted by 'eau de chat' and tons of kitty litter strewn about the place.

Worried that this was a possibility, I arranged a housekeeper to clean 12 times while I am away

Thanks for the rest of the advice. I'm working on a medical release now.

 

[kdespot]

Your post reflects all of our lives... and why we need to go.