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Leaving 80th Street
The first time Ben and I visited our 80th Street apartment, we didn’t have a lot of hope for the place. The rent was just $50 more a month than an apartment we’d looked at in a much less expensive neighborhood uptown, so I said something like, “I’m sure it’ll be a dump,” as we…
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The Fourth Camino: Part 13
There are two battling forces in my mind on the final day of a Camino. The first one wants the day to move slowly–to savor all the greatest hits of hiking. A long second breakfast, another cup of coffee, photos of every field, pretty tree, and flock of sheep. The second one dreams of the…
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The Fourth Camino: Part 12
We packed up before sunrise. It was my 90th day walking the Camino. The tiled hallway reverberated every swish of our backpack straps and squeak of our hiking boots, so we moved slowly. The last thing I wanted to do was wake anyone up after making the wrong impression the day before. Without the sun,…
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The Fourth Camino: Part 11
There were three hiking days left in the trip. Years of planning and we were just an hour’s drive and a three day’s hike to Santiago. No matter the length of each Camino I’ve walked, the questions, “What comes next?” and “What was the point of all this?” start to creep in and distract you…
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The Fourth Camino: Part 10
It’s been a minute since I’ve written here. Ben and I had an incredible trip to Iceland last week so I’ve been slowly coming out of vacation mode. But after starting this blogging project more than three months ago now (!!), it’s time to get us to the end. And so…here’s the fourth-to-last Camino day.…
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The Fourth Camino: Part 9
Hello! For those just joining, here is part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, and part 6, and part 7, and part 8! I want to start this post with a note about burnout. We’ve all been posting and talking about it recently, especially at this incredibly confusing and exhausting phase of the pandemic. I’ve been finding that I’ve been living…
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Answering a Few Camino FAQs
Last week, I posted a question on Facebook and Instagram for a new writing project. Outside of these weekly blog posts, I’m outlining a book that attempts to pull off two things: tell the story of my 2017 Camino and directly address the reader as if they are on the verge of their own hike—even…
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The Fourth Camino: Part 8
Hello! For those just joining, here is part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, and part 6, and part 7! After the experience with the erupting shower, the desire for normalcy overwhelmed me. You should expect challenges on these hikes, but there was something glaringly different about this one. I knew the pandemic would make this harder and I…
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The Fourth Camino: Part 7
Hello! For those just joining, here is part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, and part 6! Let’s take a moment to talk about plan A. I’ve always had an inexplicable attachment to the small village of O Cebreiro. It sits on the edge of a mountain just after you cross into the province of Galicia–a staggeringly…
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The Fourth Camino: Part 6
Hello! For those just joining, here is part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5! Before you leave for the Camino, it’s easy to daydream about what a typical morning might look like. Maybe you open your eyes to the first signs of sunlight, breathing in the smell of woodsmoke from the…
Maybe There Will Be Cupcakes
travel, creativity, and surprisingly little about baked goods
Maybe There Will Be Cupcakes 