People (mfg)

We’re in Pontevedra, the town where the coastal and central routes connect. From here on in, it’s a straight shot to Santiago, unless one detours to walk the Spiritual Variant, as we will. That is a 3-day add on that will include a boat ride, supposedly following the path of St James body to Santiago.

For the last two days, after a few weeks of walking mostly alone, we found ourselves on Pilgrim Highway. And this is May - shoulder season! It gets busier over the next few months.

It’s actually not quite as bad as these pictures look, though much busier than what we’re used to. This has made me realize how much I’ve valued the solitude and quiet time with Bill.

While we’ve enjoyed talking to people when the day’s walk is done, the trail experience is more fraught. Today, we walked faster to get past groups, only to encounter more. It’s harder to appreciate the views when I’m cognizant that someone behind me might want to pass, or someone ahead could suddenly stop to snap a photo.

I was trying to think of it as fine, just different, though not succeeding.

As my mood start to turn more negative, one man asked, as we were passing, “Where are you from?”

We began to talk and realized we have a mutual friend in New Orleans. We took a photo, which I later texted to her, and just like that, my perception that all these people were getting in my way shifted.

Thank you, new friend, for saving my day and reminding me, unintentionally, that every crowd is actually just a group of individuals with something in common or they wouldn’t be in the same place. Each person has stories, hopes, fears, joys, and value.

I was looking at everyone as an obstacle.