On April 14, 2023, Carla and I are to arrive in the South of France to begin a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. But when did this journey really begin? When we decided to go, when we booked our trip, when we started training, when we first learned of the Camino and thought about doing it, or some other point in our past that set us on this course? This is our third attempt. In 2021, we were thwarted by COVID. In 2022, a detached retina scuttled our plans on the eve of our departure. Another question- why are we doing this? We hope to reaffirm our faith in God and each other, to reflect on the life we’ve lived and the families we came from and the families following us- kids, spouses and grandchildren. It’s a search for spirituality which we both believe is a power which will sustain us in good times and bad and guide us to make decisions that enrich us and others around us. That being said, we begin this journey with open minds and suspect the journey will impact us in ways we’ve yet to contemplate. Pictured below is a Camino Souvenir I purchased when my college buddies, John Vulanich and Chris Schweikert, and I biked 250 miles of the Camino back in 2013, another possible starting place. With God’s grace, over 40 years ago Carla and I started on a journey together. The Camino presents another chapter in our journey. With this blog, I hope to chronicle our journey and I am most pleased to share it with anyone willing to read it.

I know God is watching over Carla and me. The proof- my setting up this site is nothing short of a miracle. For those who know me, my lack of computer skill is legendary. I’ve been practicing for months and I just hope I can deliver. For Carla- she has packed clothing for 6 weeks and kept it under 15 kilos- indeed miraculous