My world is reopening. The pandemic gave me a chance to reset and find new directions for myself, but important pieces of my old life are tugging at me, reminding me of why they were part of my life in the first place. To be honest, the world feels different, and I am most certainly different – I suspect it is the same for all of us.
After a serious knee injury and a long period of rehabilitation, I am walking again – a simple act that feels monumental after two long years of pain and frustration. I want to shout hallelujah as I head out on my daily walks in and around Thundersley. I’m still a slow walker and my toes still blister, but I’m excited for my next pilgrimage. I will head to France in ten days time to join a small group of pilgrims walking from Paris to Chartres, a route I know well and love deeply. (If you’re new to my blog, you can read about my earlier pilgrimages here and here – as these are blog archives, they will show up in reverse chronological order.)
Shall I catch you up briefly on what has changed in my life over the nearly two years since I last posted anything here? To start with, this site will look different to long-time readers because technology moves on when we’re not looking. I’m sure it will continue to evolve as I resume writing, but for now I just made quick decisions to allow us to reconnect as soon as possible.
Just before the start of the pandemic I started volunteering for several different organisations here in the UK and in the US. That kept me busy and involved as the world locked down and nonprofits scrambled to take their work online. For me, it was a chance for my geek nature to really come into its own; I had skills that were needed and enough time to be helpful. Through zoom, I coached individuals, led meetings, and made friends around the world – and I discovered that I still had something to contribute to the world.
I am now working with the Confraternity of St James (CSJ) in London where I serve as the Membership Secretary and fill various volunteer roles. As they are a camino support organisation, pilgrim conversations fill my days and I find myself longing to return to the Pilgrim’s Path.
Meanwhile, Jeff and I continue to run Labyrinthos and my family is thriving. We are so grateful that international travel has reopened.
This post is experimental – I hope that the notifications will go out smoothly and that I’ve made the necessary site upgrades successfully. I also hope that my long-term readers will welcome me back and keep reading, but I’ll understand if your lives have moved in different directions – you can easily unsubscribe at the bottom of the emailed notification and I won’t be offended. This is neither a labyrinth nor a camino blog specifically, but is the story of my walks in the various contextual landscapes of my life which includes labyrinths, pilgrimage, and more. As I say in my introduction, I want this to be a sketchbook, or playground, where I can show up just as I am – this is me, without my makeup!
Over the next ten days I will talk about preparing for pilgrimage and then I’ll catch the train to France and invite you to travel along with me. I’d love to hear what you’re up to – just leave a comment!