New Beginnings

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Ever had that feeling like being stuck, whether it was a job, a location, people? Well, I did. For a really long time. It wasn't until recently that I decided that I needed to take control of my life and follow my heart more. I'm most alive when I'm traveling, meeting people, being out on or under the water and in nature. It felt silly that only a small portion of my free time was actually dedicated to that. I keep hearing more stories of cancer affecting people or freak accidents - tomorrow is not guaranteed. I've been so scared about preparing for the future that I felt like I was slowly giving up on my dream to travel the world, really meet and get to know the people in it and try to make a truly meaningful impact on the world before my time comes to an end. So, I quit my long-time job, sold and donated most of my possessions and left Hawaii after over 10 years to chase those dreams. I want to really focus on the things that make me happy in this life and share them with my family and the rest of the world that may not be able to do so.

So here I am... in Bayonne, France of all places, writing to you. It took a lot to get to this point and I want to thank my family from the bottom of my heart for supporting me through this and encouraging me to chase my passions. It's been a pretty eventful couple days to say the least. I managed to accidentally leave the secure part of the airport in Paris before collecting my bag yesterday. I thought I was following signs to my claim and they did not lead me there. I also do not speak or read in French. It all worked out though and I managed to collect it after some walking. Today, I'm sure I looked like deer in the headlights at the train station. I also thought I knew where I was going this morning, but it turned out that I was too early and also confused. There was also a shortage of people who could speak English. I asked one lady if she could speak English and I was in luck. To top it off, it turned out that she was also on the same train, same train car, same level and only a few rows away. That would be what my great uncle would call, cosmic. We both found our train and got sorted out in time. I was so relieved. However, I had to take another train in Bordeaux and I was going to be by myself since she was getting off at another stop. I started to think that I was getting the hang of reading the train signs and ticket information until they threw a curve ball by leaving out platform 6. I could see platforms 2-3 and 4-5. Hmm. Maybe the station goes really far? No. I asked a security guard and I had to go under the tracks which led me to a platform on the other side of the train I just took. From there I could match up my car number with what letter I needed to stand by. I think I get it now... Oy.

Bayonne is nice. It's really hard not to sing Beauty and the Beast songs in my head walking around the town with brick rads, bakeries, butcher shops and shutters on all the windows. Weather is slowly starting to turn though and it makes me nervous for the camino. It's forecasted to be between 35-45 degrees fahrenheit with rain if I stick with my original plans. I may delay as to avoid dying like the guy in the movie,  The Way. Stay tuned for more. Also, my sister made a flat version of herself so that I can take pictures with her everywhere I go. 




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