“Trust the process of your life unfolding” – Dan Millman

Five years ago: Ireland. Then, nothing. Some chocked words, trials and errors, mostly errors. Or maybe not, when I look back. Many regrets. More hopes. A perpetual search. And a switch in primary language – who would have guessed? Three different careers, four major changes. Friends lost, disappointed mentors. To find myself here, canvas still blank – freshly primed I should say – to what purpose?

Well, one step at a time.

If I intend to walk that 1000km, I better start practicing to put one foot in front of the other, patiently, consciously. And commit to it.

So here it is: one year from now (actually, in a little over 9 months), I will be walking the Ulster Way in Northern Ireland. I have been thinking about walking the Chemin de Compostelle for years – literally, years, which, in my case, makes it the longest commitment to a plan ever. However, the via Compostela’s religious origins make it rather foreign to me and, to be honest, my father’s romanticised ideas of that path are what drew me to it in the first place. He is here no longer. What purpose would it serve for me to walk this path in his place instead of my own?

Ireland, on the other hand, showed me a glimpse of who I could be; I fell in love with the island when I was there five years ago. Back then, my circumstances were different, yet, it is the same quest for self-knowledge that drives me there today. This path, no matter how inconvenient anyone may call it, is mine. Yes, it will rain, the winds will blow and I’ll most definitely need a map. Do you hate your baby because it cries? No. Well, maybe, sometimes, but the love is still there. It’s the same with Ireland and me.

So “there and back again” is the journey I’ll write about, the one I’ll share with you, 100% natural. Rain included. Stepping out the door is the hardest part. Deciding. In my case, it will take a little over 9 months for that faithful step to touch the ground (or will it, really? isn’t it started already?). In any case, thanks for helping me stick with it 😉

Cheers,