Saturday, July 30, 2022

Learning my limits






 I am lying in my hammock sipping on a small bottle of Rosé. I just finished a dinner of teriyaki chicken over noodles, cooked by yours truly in my little pot over an open fire.

I walked over twenty miles today, mostly along the beach that makes up the northern coast of Wales. Though not nearly as wild as Anglesey Island, it still is a place of great beauty. 

I’m tired. 

Four days ago I connected with some folks, Lisa and Stefan, in Bangor,  a beautiful little university town overlooking the sea. They put me up for a night in their sea shanty, a charming house with a view of the harbor. That first night they asked if I would like to stay two nights, and my feet did the talking. I stayed two nights. 

They treated me like family, cooking delicious meals for me and sharing their wisdom about life and travel. One night we went out to eat with some friends of theirs. We were seven people, from five countries, and it was a delightful evening.

It was hard to leave them, but I headed north after two nights. Lisa had suggested I go south down the Llyn peninsula, a wild and beautiful walk down a ragged coast.

I was very tempted to follow her suggestion, and I will some day. But there are no trees along that coast, and my hammock wouldn’t have worked. I headed north. Part of me still wishes I would have followed her advice. 

I’ve mostly walked along the coast, on sandy beaches and seaside walking paths. I also crossed some mountains heading into the town of Conwy. Conwy is home to Britain’s smallest house. North of Conwy is Britain’s smallest church, the chapel of St Trillo. I spent some time in prayer there.

These last few nights have been hard, it’s been hard to find a place to camp.

Honestly, there’ve been moments when I’ve thought of giving up and heading home. But I’m still going to keep walking. I’m learning a lot about my limits, about what matters, and about Saint Kevin’s journey.

I have a few rules I’ve been following: 

1) Unlimited calories- this body needs all the nourishment it can get

2) Unlimited sleep- this body needs all the rest it can get

3) My feet are in charge. If they say it’s quitting time, it’s quitting time!

Anyway, hopefully I’ll be able to post more regular updates. 

In the meantime, blessings on you my friends!


2 comments:

  1. Hi Kevin . Dean Holly and Rabsie here . Keep on truckin’ you’ll nibble away at those miles. We are thinking of you mate 👍

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  2. Awww miss you guys! Thanks for the encouragement!!! Please give Rabsie a hug for me, Kevin

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