The End is Near and I'm Feeling....

The end of this incredible journey is insight; in fact we are only 67 km away, which could technically be done in two days. With the end now in sight there are a mix of emotions that many of us are feeling... exhaustion, annoyance, nostalgia, pride, saddeness,  apprehensiveness. As such, my friends and I are planning to take our time for these last few kilometres and arrive in Santiago early in the morning of July 31st, after catching one last sunrise, as oppose to rushing through these last kilometres.

It's hard to put into words right now exactly how I'm feeling; especially because so many things have changed since entering these last 100 km before Santiago. The first noticeable change is be arrival of the "Tourist-Pilgrims." These are the people that have decided to walk parts or the entire last 100 km. Typically these individuals are not well liked or tolerated on the Camino because they tend to: be loud, take "short cuts" (i.e., the bus), and cause the albergues to fill up quickly. One can quickly find themself annoyed with these 4-day pilgrims - and I have. But if there's one thing this experience has taught me it's to not judge others and to respect the fact that everyone is on their own individual journey - which will look very different from my own journey! With that said, I'm trying really hard to be welcoming to the new pilgrims and I'm trying to encourage my friends to do the same. My highlight today was talking to 2 teenage girls that started today and who were so excited to practice their English with me. One of the girl's even tried carrying my bag for about 200 meters - it was very sweet! 

In many ways the arrival of these new pilgrims and all the noise that they bring with them, is helping us get ready for our reintegration into the real world, which for some people is starting to feel a bit overwhelming. It's as though the next 4 days were intentionally trying to teach us how to incorporate the lessons learned during the past 700 km into our daily lives. 

With the end being so near it's truly a bitter-sweet moment that many of us pilgrims are living. Four weeks ago, when we were nursing horrible blisters and aching muscles/bones, many of us probably thought the end couldn't come sooner. Now with just 67 km to go, many of us are trying to figure out the best way to drag out these last few kilometres. Personally I want to live these last few days like I have for the last 28 days - appreciating and being awestruck throughout the day, which is even possible in the freezing rain, with a ripped poncho! 

    My mountain view from 2 days ago!  

So ya, the end is near and I'm feeling....exhausted, annoyed, nostalgic, proud, sad, apprehensive... But most of all, I'm excited for what's still left to come - both out here and back home!

- Buen Camino