Molinaseca, Spain

On Solitude.
We climbed to the cruz de ferro and left our stones which we carried from home and our intentions, carried in our hearts. It was a solemn place, even with 15 or 20 pilgrims there, there was hardly a sound. I think that it is at this place where many pilgrims who have been walking with their hearts open to the experience for so many miles come to express their reasons for walking. We celebrated the sunrise together, left our stones--meant to symbolize a care or worry or grief--behind and walked on.

Solitude.
Not the solitude of aloneness or the asceticism of a monk. The solitude I have found walking. Both freedoms 'from' and freedoms 'to'. Freedom from interference in decision making, freedom to get from a to b while adapting to mistakes in between. To be wrong and find joy in the ownership of it. To do a dangerous thing and accept 100% of the responsibility. To realize I have worked really hard to not be perfect. How lucky I am to have this solitude be respected by Melanie and how honored I am to protect hers as well.

Just two humans walking 500 miles across Spain. Doing One Hard Thing In harmony. These are the things that I thought as I placed my stone on the mound of a million or so stones of those gone before me.
Solitude.

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