It Was a Big Day

Yesterday was a big day.  Wendy took her last child (Mitchel) to university.  We are now all officially the parents of 'adult' children.

You may be wondering why I am writing about this in our adventure blog.  When Wendy, Dee and I decided that the three of us would go on the Camino, we agreed that we could not do so until all the kids were out of high school.  We have been training and waiting for that day.  And now, we are 11 days away.

In planning for our journey, it was apparent that we needed to do the Camino for ourselves.  As mothers, we are not used to doing unselfish things.  As I travel, I will be thinking lots of the six kids that us three moms of are leaving behind, as they are a very big part of us.  I am so grateful to have kids that support me and have encouraged me to travel.  I am glad they value my worth to them as human, not just as their mother.

I tell people it is my mid-life crisis adventure.  Being a mother is the best part of my life and now my role of a mom and as a woman are changing.  I truly didn't think I was going to be a good mom, prior to having kids.  My kids grew up to be amazing, so I might have done something right somewhere.  I also have an extended family of kids, my Mermaid Clan.  I will be thinking of the Mer-clan along the way as well. It is hard to leave at the start of the season, but I know I will come home a stronger coach because of my Camino.

I wanted to share pictures of our wonderful families.  Without their love and support, the Three C's would not be setting out on an adventure.  Thanks for giving us this opportunity.

The Clark and May kids with their Grandparents - Christmas 2014

A bunch of kids, Summer 2015

Getting Ready to Walk

One of the questions that I get asked is 'how much are you training to walk the Camino?' The answer is probably not enough!

Right after we committed to going, we all started walking on a very regular basis to try to get our bodies used to walking every day. For a couple of years, Wendy and I have been leaving the house before 6:00am during the week and trying to get longer walks done on the weekend. It's harder for Dee, and I really admire her determination. She doesn't have a walking partner to giggle with or someone to kick her into gear like I do. She checks in with us and motivates us to get moving. Being in Vancouver she has a little advantage to scenery and places to walk. We are now walking with our backpacks on and are the crazy women laughing going down the street. 

It has been a bit of a challenge at times. We have all had physical issues that have come close to mentally breaking us. Heels, knees and hips have resulted in us having friends at the chiropractor, physio and podiatrist offices.  I feel like this is our mental training for the Camino.

One day when I was having physical pain I found this quote (I love quotes, by the way, so you will probably get lots):

So, we keep training and singing and laughing on our journey. Part of our Camino lesson. What we may lack in physical preparation we will overcome in mental toughness and teamwork. 

Speaking of teamwork, in following this blog you become part of our Three C's team. Thanks for being part of our journey and encouraging us!

Buen Camino!

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog of the Three C's - three Canadians, walking the Camino, with 'Can-do' attitudes.
While I will be doing most of the journalling, you will be hearing often from my Camino sisters, two actual sisters, Wendy and Dee.  We invite you to join us on our Camino journey, as we find "Our Way" from the south of France to the End of the Earth, Fisterra - a journey of close to 1,000 kms.

Tres Pelegrinos, Christmas 2014, out for a walk

Before we leave, we will be sharing some thoughts about the Camino, what we are doing and feeling in the final days of the count down. In doing my own searching of blogs, I found the following quote, which sums up how I am feeling right now - I am driven by this irresistible urge to walk the Camino. In my soul I know I must do this journey and that is how it has been, since we learned of this pilgrimage, almost three years ago.

"I talked to a monk in a monastery ... and I asked him, 'You see tens of thousands of people coming through here; is there one thing that unites us all that we all have in common, whether we're atheists or believers?' And he said, 'Yes, actually there is. Anyone who does this pilgrimage — or any pilgrimage — is driven by an irresistible urge to do it, and they don't know where it comes from. And sometimes they figure it out while they're walking, or afterward, or never.' And, you know, the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right. I set out with a zillion questions in my head, and I didn't come back with a lot of answers; I came back with more questions. But I really do think that the question is the answer."

David Downie - Link to Paris to the Pyrenees

If you can't wait to learn more about the Camino, you can do some reading ahead! Find out about the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James.