Arriving in Madrid

I arrived at OK hostel in Madrid at 3pm after being awake for 26 hours and two delayed flights. I think I have now become one of “those people” who cannot sleep on planes. I was exhausted and hungry, so I went in search for quick food, and I found it, McDonald’s. I know I will have lots of opportunities for authentic Spanish food so I don’t feel any guilt (ok obviously I have a smidge of guilt or I wouldn’t have mentioned it!)
I then went back to the hostel for a nap.

I woke up around 8:30pm so decided to join the community dinner. Met a very nice couple from Quebec and they persuaded me to go on an organized bar crawl with the hostel. There were about 25 of us and it started at 11:15pm. We went to three different bars and got free tequila shots at each. They were dance clubs, and it was a stark reminder that I am no longer in my 20s. I embraced the atmosphere at first, moving around the club, needing to brush against everyone just to move closer to the bar to get our free shot. It wasn’t until 2:00am that we got into our third club (which is open until 6am of which my guide informed me enthusiastically). Just after 3:00am, it was time for me to call it quits and leave my new friends to close out the bar. I had a good time, but the crowds and the noise was just way too much by that time. I was back and in bed around 4am. You would think I would sleep through the day, but I was wide awake at 6am, so have decided to try and stay up for the day as 6-7am will be my normal waking hours on the Camino.

When I was on the plane, I thought about Jörg quite a bit. The most consistent thought is that he should be here with me. I know most would say he is here in spirit with me, but it is absolutely not the same. We had a tradition of holding hands whenever we took off and landed, so I made a fist and held his hand.

During dinner, I was telling my new friends (Max and Laura) all about Jörg. He is obviously integrated into most of my memories and conversations. I love talking about him and sharing his stories. Max is a kite surfer and did some surfing in Tofino. At one point Max asked me where is my husband. I decided to tell them he had passed. This will be a daily decision I need to make and I am not entirely sure I know how I am going to handle it. On one hand, I don’t need to tell everyone, especially if they are just a passing acquaintance. Later in the evening I was talking to a couple from Austria and I mentioned Jörg was from Germany. They asked where do we live, and I just said we live in Canada. There was no need to go into more, especially in the middle of a club. I know there will become a time I will start saying “my late husband” when telling the stories but I am not ready for that yet. Not sure I will ever be ready, but not my worry for today.

After typing this out, I am now ready for a nap … so much for staying up.

TTYL (Talk to you later)Read more