Just keep walking...

Hello to everyone who´s been patiently waiting for another blog post.  Kind of a fail, sorry, but this is only the 2nd time I´ve had internet since Salamanca (May 10).  Going through such tiny towns, some of them don´t even have internet, let alone a public place to use it.  I´m loving these villages more and more every day - watching the people working in rural areas, striking up random conversations with villagers (always getting reactions like "You´re from WHERE?" when I tell them Estados Unidos (USA).  Not too many Americans pass through this route.  In fact, I haven´t talked to an American face to face since May 3.  Now that´s crazy!  There was an American flag in one of the pilgrim hostels because the American society of Pilgrims on the Camino built a bunk house.  I properly saluted and said my Pledge of Allegiance (thanks Whittier), and my international companions probably thought I was crazy.  Other countries aren´t patriotic like the US.  Kind of weird.  But I digress....  The Camino has been going FANTASTICALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is such a life experience - and I´m really trying to enjoy it and not focus on what´s coming in a week.  My return to the US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Also very excited about that, but I´m also content to be here, walking across Spain, eating the delicious menú del día, talking lots of Spanish and seeing new areas of the country, meeting people from all over the world, in the end, just really enjoying it.  It´s hard not to enjoy when the weather´s been so nice.  Lots of that Spanish strong sun - glorious for afternoon relaxing after a tough day of walking.  Today it was in the 90s which is a little hot and not normal for the north of the country, but it´s not too bad.  Perhaps some thunderstorms tomorrow, but come what may.  I´m prepared!  That´s one of the great things you learn on the camino.  You have to roll with the punches.  Now, we´ve entered in Galicia (the province where Santiago is in), and the scenery has changed from flat and lots of cows grazing to mountains - not anything too tall, but enough to have pine trees and seem like the Rockies - I´m so excited to get out there again this summer.  Have climbed a few short mountains that present themselves during the day.  Really gets your blood pumping, your breath a going, and just makes you feel alive!  And with the ups comes the great views - can´t wait to post pictures once I get back!  The going down is kind of bad, it hurts my shins and jarrs my feet, but my body is holding up really well.  After about 10 days of walking my body just got used to it, which was pretty amazing. The blister has completely healed and now its just dry skin flaking away.  The lack of arch support in the shoes has started to present itself, but nothing bad, and with only 4 days to go I´ll be fine!  From here just 4 days of walking until we reach our "goal" (but really on the road to the goal the road is the goal).  Will be nice to get there at any rate.  I´m excited to reunite with all the people that have left me behind or that I´ve left behind on the way.  And of course get my certificate.  I´ve heard the lines this year are pretty killer for getting it, but I´ll wait.  That´ll be suitable for framing!  Should be a fun time.  I was going to rest a day in Ourense, but I´m feeling great to walk, got internet here, already went to the natural thermal baths and did some relaxing (totally free too.  Spain is awesome).  And, I want to give myself some buffer time in Santiago, just in case.  I´m very sad to be ending this incredible journey, but there will be so many things to remember and take with me.  As many people in the hostel guestbooks say "the camino starts on your arrival back at home."  That might be the biggest adventure of all. 
So, en fin, things are going great, and I´m excited to be stateside in a week.  We´ll see how tall the corn´s grown while I´m away.  It has a tendency to do that...  Ciao from Spain, and talk to you soon!