yesterday was my first day without blogging since leaving.  of course, there were times when i did not blog on the camino, but that was because there was no internet access (in addition to no electricity a few times).  but yesterday i had access to a computer - my own - but was unable to blog.  i have covered thousands of miles by plane, and dozens by car, and it all just seems to be moving so fast!  i turned on my phone yesterday, but ended up turning it off a few hours later because i couldn't get to it fast enough, then got overwhelmed with answering it, calling people back and texting.  how did i do all of this before?!?!!!  and the noise.  wow.  there is really a lot of noise here.  the noise in the house isn't too bad, but outside the house is full of noises.  beepers, cars, music, cell phones ringing...just the sound of the car is loud, much less driving with a window open, or the radio on.

 i am definitely having some culture shock here.

but it is great to be home.  cotton towels!  bath mats!  and another luxury i had completely forgotten about - a bath robe!!!  holy moly, what a luxury having a step in between getting clean and getting dressed! 

i think the lessons of the camino will continue to unfold.  right now i am feeling very tender, and am trying to be gentle with myself.   i haven't even really told many people that i am home.  i didn't go to wed. night service last night, just wanting to be home, and also, still somewhat on spanish time.   so i did not blog, and am not even sure what to say now.   late yesterday afternoon.  as i was waiting for maggie to  come over i thought about what i would say, or show her.  then i thought what i would really like to do is sit with her in silence.  it just seemed impossible to talk about what i had done, and she has been reading the blog anyway, so she knows.  however, when she got here, we did talk and i showed her some pictures, and it was fine.  but i do feel at a loss for words about the camino.  i wonder if that is because being home means that i am not with pilgrims anymore, but, outside of my friends,  with people to whom i would have to define the camino before even saying what it had been for me.

maybe i am just jet lagged, or maybe i am overwhelmed by all the luxuries.  i mean, really, clean cotton towels, bath mats, AND a bath robe?!??  i left an average life and am coming home to living in the lap of luxury!  i hadn't realized how privileged i am.  a-ha!  another lesson from the camino.