A Sweet Journey: The Walk Begins

A journey of 240 kilometers starts with a single step

I’ve been on “𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺𝘴” before.

The last serious one, just before turning 50, was inspired by my wife and fueled by a desire to check a few things off the bucket list. One being to run 5K races. I lost over 50 pounds. But more importantly, I gained something far greater: 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙮, 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙢, and 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.

Then - 𝗣𝗢𝗣.

A sharp reminder from an old childhood injury, the same one that kept me from joining the Navy, came roaring back. Just like that, I remembered why I shouldn’t be running 5Ks. My momentum slowed. Over time, life crept back in - with a pile of excuses and a handful of attempted restarts.

Now, several years later, I’m back at it - with a different mindset, a deeper purpose, and a renewed focus.

Over the past few months, I’ve lost nearly thirty pounds. But the goal this time isn’t just about the scale. It’s about how I feel. Sustained energy. Restored confidence. A sharper sense of self.

It’s also about a goal - 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.

A walk in the woods

Since running is no longer in the cards, I’ve set my sights on something different: walking the 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗱𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗼, likely in the spring of 2027. For those unfamiliar, the Camino is a historic pilgrimage route across Spain and Portugal that thousands walk each year in search of reflection, clarity, and connection. My plan - to walk 240 kilometers from Porto, Portugal, combining both the Portuguese Coastal and Litoral routes.

And today, 𝗜 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Instead of driving to our local coffee shop, I walked - navigating sidewalks, roads, and trails - with a lighter pack carrying my laptop and a copy of 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚 by Ron Thurston. It wasn’t a long distance. But that wasn’t the point.

The point is, I didn’t drive. I walked. I started.

Eventually, I want to be able to walk from my house to NAS Oceana and back, full pack. Multiple times a week. That’s the target.

𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙄 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙥?

Well, if you know me, you probably know two things:

👉 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱, 𝗜 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲.

👉 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿 - 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱. Back then, I ignored my body’s signals and pushed too hard. This time, I’m listening more closely.

The halfway point - coffee and a bit of "Human Pride"

So here I sit, drinking my coffee, writing, reading through Ron’s book. One line in the book particular struck me:

“Embarking on a journey of personal growth isn’t just about improvement – it’s about uncovering your essence and claiming your power. It’s about celebrating your humanity and aligning with the life you’re meant to live.”

Yeah. That.

The walk begins.