growing slowly

The camino gives you what you need. Not what you want, oh no, what you need. And most often what you need is what bugs you the most, itches teh most, hurts the most. The people who push every annoying button of yours and you try to escape them, walk faster than them, slower than them, avoid them, hate them, dirt talk them. But you cannot escape them. And you end up havign to forgive them. And love them.

The man hurting and drinking and carrying wine instead of water in his bottle. The woman who went off anti-depressants and is like a loud, annyoing wound bossing others around. The couples who are desperatly falling in love and triggering every jealous thought a single person could have. The man who is desperatly attractive and has a Not For Me sign all over him.

Living together isn't easy. Loving and forgiving isn't easy. The camino gives you what you need. Not what you want, oh no, but what you need. And in the end, what you do not want, what you try the hardest to avoid, is actually what you most of all do want.

And when it all gets too hard, I do have norweigan Anna, and she sure helps me grow. And laugh.