I’m not here on a journey to find myself nor am I here to make a big decision. Inevitably I will make some decisions and find more of myself. How can I not? Walking each day, pushing a little more into my comfort zones stepping into the stillness and calm of the landscape as I step closer to Santiago and educating a class of 25 girls in Africa.

Days on the Camino – 10

Kms – Today 29 kms. Our total is now around 260 kms.

Starting point today – Grañón, Spain.

End of the day – Villafranca, Spain.

Number of girls in Africa educated – 20

Total funds raised so far – $6,030.00. 

If you’d like to contribute you can do so here.

Frances Antonia – Do it in a dress.

Thanks for the help Kimmy from the Women Who Hike team.

Today was dedicated to – The anonymous donaters! The last of which from Santiago (I might know who you are ;)) just lifted us up to 20 girls who can educated next year. I am so grateful to your quiet support. I like to do a thank you because your contributions are so generous and I am so very grateful. It honestly makes this walk so much more meaningful. I don’t know who you are. But here I can say it – THANK YOU for your BIG love. I hope you read here and can take this big hug.

Accommodation – We’ve taken the leap back into dorms. Landing in Villafranca in a €9 room at San Antón Abad. A pilgrim albergue built by an owner who walked the camino and wanted to give back. There is a room with single beds which I think you can pre book so do that! It’s the first time we’ve arrived and it was busy. There’s a 12km walk from here with no towns so I imagine it’s the last town to stop if you’re at your limit.

Food highlight – It has to be pinchos for the second breaky right? As usual we walk once we’re packed and we eat fruit on the way. Normally our second breaky with coffee is at the 8km mark … with closed towns we had to wait until the 15km mark today.

In a word(s) – I’m not coasting here or in life anymore.

This morning as I gazed over the green hills and took deep breaths of fresh countryside air I had this feeling that I’m awake in my life. Not just because I can feel my feet, knees, hips, legs and shoulders at different intervals throughout the days. But because here I stare in the face of my comfort zones.

The physical push is not the biggest challenge for me. It hurts but I can move through that … I almost enjoy that. The biggest challenge for me is being an introvert in what can be quite a social environment. From what I see the social aspect is what most people enjoy the most and sometimes expect that everyone is the same.

Last night I was worried that maybe I needed to delve more into that, try harder. Today we are back in a hostel (after recovering from the bed bug incident) and I realise that I don’t. I’m happy being around the action but I don’t need to be in the action. I can quietly sit it out in my own space amongst the crowd. I’m the kind of person who meets people slowly and we are, some brilliant people (I’ll tell you about them tomorrow).

This blog writing has been a helpful boundary … after the shower, the San Miguel and the sandals are on I start working on this. Writing each day is also pushing me out of my comfort zone. I love that I’m documenting my trip here for you and for me. For this One Girl story. It will be lost otherwise … I can’t write retrospectively and ultimately my purpose here is to hike for One Girl.

Today in that stillness I realised that I don’t want to waste a second of this valuable life of mine. I want to face my comfort zones rather than coast. So as I walk I’m thinking about this … what do I want or need to learn? Which comfort zones are the ones that are going to make a meaningful difference to my life? The world is big and in my small world I have much still to do.

Buen Camino,

Fran x x