Finding Joy in the Unexpected!

Today was by far one of my best experiences on the Camino. We woke up "late," meaning that we woke up at 5:45 instead of 5:30 am. By the time we taped up our feet, packed our bags and ate a bit of breakfast it was nearly 7 am. Normally we would be ansy to get on the road, but today nobody seemed to mind. We had about 16 km to do before getting to arriving in the city of Astorga, where we would be meeting Olivier for our morning coffee break, Sophie's "copin" who is visiting her for the "week-end" from Toulouse.

As we were nearing the 10 km mark of our hike we noticed a little wooden kiosque parked in front of a seeming run-down farmer's house. At first we didn't really pay much attention to it and figured that perhaps the farmer would have some cold drinks and if we were lucky some fruit to sell us, which happens from time to time on the trail. To our surprise it wasn't a vendor, but rather an Oasis parked in the middle of nowhere that aimed to nourish pilgrims - both in terms of their bodies, but also their spirits. As we arrived in front of this stand we were warmly greeted by a man who informed us that we could gladly take anything on the cart and that his sole intention was to bless us for the journey that still lie ahead. This man freely offered us a gift and expected nothing in return. We sat there for nearly 30 minutes talking with one another, while enjoying fresh organic fruit, hot coffee, hazelnut milk, cookies and the best part, peanut butter and whole-wheat bread! These comfort foods are things that we sometimes take for granted back home; yet out here, they are precious, unexpected and joyful moments. This act of generosity was a highlight and a life lesson for many pilgrims today, many if whom spent the next 6 km discussing about how unexpected this was. 

As we entered Astorga, we were greeted by a musician sitting at the foot of a statue of a cross offering up prayers for the pilgrims entering the city and continuing on their journey. Once again this was a unexpected moment that I could have easily overlooked and not appreciated if I was in a rush to get to my destination as soon as possible, rather than try to appreciate the present. 

Typically when we stop following a long stretch, we rest for about 30-45 minutes - the time to drink a coffee, air our feet, use the washroom and fill up our water bottles - but today we were in no rush to get anywhere. We ended up resting for nearly an hour before deciding to "leave" the city. As we were leaving we were previe to a small parade with giant mascots and music - again, so unexpected, but such a gift! Before leaving Astorga we had one more stop - The Chocolate Museum! For 2€ we got to see the historical evolution of the Spanish chocolate industry, before being able to taste various types of delicious chocolate. Nearly 2 hours later we were finally on our way out of the city, to complete the 15 km that still remained. 

Because of all of our breaks, detours and unexpected moments we arrived in the albergue nearly 3 hours later than normal; but we were so happy and in awe of all the different things that we got to experience today! Far too often I try to control every aspect of my life, meaning that my days are typically jam-packed with multiple activities. As such, there is very little room to be amazed by the unexpected moments that God wants me to see and experience; meaning that I won't stop and have a coffee being offered to me by a complete stranger, or listen to a man playing guitar, or take a longer break to visit and eat chocolate. I found so much joy and amazement today in the unexpected, which is how I want to live each day!

- Buen Camino