The art of taking breaks

For about a week since I started my walk, I was in consistently high spirits - despite walking an average of 25 km daily. The exertion finally caught up with me yesterday. I started my day in a bad mood. I usually click many pictures, share them with my family, and call them up while walking, but I did none of that. On top of that, I had a little pain in my left ankle. It was my body’s way of suggesting I should take it easy. 

I decided to take a rest day, which still meant walking around 13 kilometres to the nearest town from Logroño - Naverette. That (relatively) short walk was excruciating under the glaring sun. Somehow, I made it to the small village around 11:30 am and decided to ‘upgrade’ my stay to a private albergue from the usual municipal albergues. What luxury!

I ate an early lunch and partook in some afternoon siesta. In the evening, I went to a local pharmacy, and they gave me an anti-inflammatory ointment for my ankle. I went to a Pintxo Bar called ‘Bar Deportivo’ for dinner. Luckily, they had a lot of vegetarian options, and I enjoyed some rice, sautéed mushrooms and zucchini on toast, along with some vino tinto from the La Rioja region. While having dinner, Mark, a Scottish gentleman staying at my albergue, joined me, and we started getting to know each other. 

Mark had around ten days and decided to walk the Camino. We would stop at the end of the ten days and go back home, returning next year to the spot where he stops this year and continuing from there. I’ve come to know that it’s something that many people do. 

After a good night’s sleep, I left somewhat early for my next destination - Azofra. The skies were overcast, and it seemed like it would rain. I had 23 kilometres to cover. I started the walk feeling refreshed. It started raining soon, but that did not deter me. I was prepared to tackle the rain with my raincoat. So I walked, my shoes getting wet first. Slowly, I realised that my seven-year-old raincoat was almost disintegrating, and I was getting drenched despite covering myself with it. I took small breaks, drank a few cafè con leches (coffee with milk) and got myself a new favourite beverage in Spain - a cold soup called gazpacho. In the final stretch to Azofra, I met an Italian lady who seemed to be struggling to find the way. We had, apparently, drifted away from the usual well-marked path. I checked the handy Google Maps and found an alternate route, and we walked together until we got to the town. Despite all these hardships, I arrived in Azofra feeling happy and purposeful. 

I think I can attribute my good mood to the break I gave myself yesterday (yes, I’m calling a 13km walk a break). It’s crucial to know when you can push yourself and when you need a break. After working for over seven years, usually jumping from one job to the next, I took a break from work. I will be in Europe on my adventure for almost three months. Intentionally, I don’t have a job waiting for me when I get back because I want to allow myself to choose what I wish to do in the next leg of my career. It’s only been over a week, and I feel my head to be clearer than it’s been in a long time; I’m so tired that I fall asleep immediately when I go to bed, and I look forward to the next day despite a challenging, tiring walk waiting for me.

Taking a break is not so rosy as I’ve described. When I decided to take a break in Navarette, it meant that the people who had been walking with me since day one would go ahead and I’d probably not see them again. Just as when I decided to leave my job, I had to leave behind some good friends, and an organisation that I had seen grow from scratch. Sometime, you have to do what you need to do.

Just like Mark will get back to the Camino, refreshed and ready next year, I know that when I get back from this trip, I’ll be in my best physical and mental state, ready to tackle whatever I decide to do next!