At Peace At Home

While I originally thought the noise of the city would enter my soul with its stress & anxiety after walking in the quiet mountains of Spain for 5 weeks, I have felt nothing but peace as I step one foot in front of the other into the places God has called me back in Chicago. In the Madrid airport, I felt the dread of Return and Re-entry, the words to describe the Camino were a jumbled mess in my brain as I searched for the perfect phrase or two to sum it all up.

But returning to welcome home signs and birthday presents, hugs and cards, late night tacos and early donut adventures, farmer's markets and tandem bike rides, rooftop movies and local sushi, midnight karaoke and river boat rides, and the genuine excitement of friends & family eagerly awaiting the stories of the Camino have made it feel natural and delightful to be Home.

 Home again.

The lessons of the journey have been a blur in my being until I am given opportunities to practice the simplicity and trust of the Camino in Chicago. It is only in returning to this familiar place that I can recognize Who I am Now compared to Who I was Before. I want to keep the spirit of the journey sacred and safe, and sometimes I fear that this culture of distraction, achievement, and self-absorption will dilute my new self and slowly begin to alter my attitude.

It is my prayer that the Camino is so deeply a part of me that it spills over into how I live each day as I love people, love God, and take life one day at a time.