Every woman is the architect of her own fortune. And you're never alone on the road. You meet a bunch of people, and sometimes you forget their names. My memory retained those who stood out and were right up my street.
Supporting roles on The Road were played by:
MASSIMO: We hung out for one week only (unfortunately) but it was unforgettable. He was neither slow nor fast when walking, but when it came to everything else, he was fucking slow-motion. Since he was a jester, I dressed every pissed-off-ness as sarcasm. I think he enjoyed my tantrums and I will never forget how he stirred his cup of tea extremely slowly for half an hour. I can still hear the tinkling and clinking of the spoon. When I inquired about the state of his sanity, he didn’t even notice he’d been doing that for thirty minutes. Then, he finally realized the cup was empty. We laughed about that for quite some time. We danced, and we sang along to good vintage music playing in various bars. I’m not sure who was a worse singer, though. We also had our own Titanic, but that’s another story. It was his first Camino.
SIMONE: Italian by nationality, gentleman by nature, and someone who needs to turn a new leaf if he wants to be happy again. He recently left his wife for simply not loving her anymore. It’s fair, although painful. I’ll never understand those who stick around out of habit, despite being unhappy. Isn’t happiness something we’re all looking for? He isn’t happy in the family business either, but his dad doesn’t understand that. He’ll have to face him when he comes home and tell him the painful truth. He was my company the longest since he needed my help the most. He was chasing the white rabbit in vain and ended his first day with a painful knee. We loved to joke that I was his personal trainer and a doctor. But as it usually happens, the pupil overshadowed the teacher. He reached Santiago two days before me. In twenty-six goddamn days. KUDOS! We had a deal that I’ll send him a check in case he doesn’t make it. He’s happy now that there is no extra bill waiting for him. I’m also happy because he made it and cleared his head. Now it’s time for actions. I hope his story is the one with a happy ending, because he deserves it. When you beat Camino (yourself) nothing is difficult anymore. And if we’re lucky, he’ll visit me in Slovenia. It was his first Camino, but he’s already preparing for the Japanese one, 1.200 km long. I’m a bit jealous.
CAMILA: Also Italian by nationality, but it’s a she. If you ask me, she says the right amount of “FUCK!” in the morning, but others might disagree. She was my personal interpreter. She also got lost a lot and consequently has the highest mileage. She loved eating – too much, if you ask me. Sweets for breakfast… You know what my opinion on morning sweets is. But I convinced her that “proper” food for her body comes first and food for her soul comes second. It was her first Camino, too.
FILIPE: If I was the fastest woman of the month on Camino, he had to be the fastest man. I reckon he missed a lot of beauty as he darted along. It was his sixth Camino and possibly not his last. I totally understand. It’s not my last either. He’s a psychologist from Spain. I’ve wanted to become one since I was fifteen, but unfortunately my butt wasn’t made to sit. Fuck it, you can’t be everything. He’s also a gentleman, but he wanted to be my second father. I trust that role to one man only, and he’s more than capable at it. He always thought of other people and really cared.
ANGUS & ALBI: They were my mirror and I had so much fun with them. They were a perfect drug and you can easily get hooked up on that wonderful energy. Angus is a math professor from Ireland and an avid swimmer. I’d call him a mad professor. Albi, on the other hand, is a Deep House DJ from Italy. He takes care for his company from Monday to Friday and makes sure nine people get their salaries and enjoy the work. It’s a known fact that DJs and music have a special place in my heart and that they occupy most of it. He wore his headphones as he walked and produced weird sounds. Just like me – but I do it silently.
It’s an old story: An Irishman walks into a bar, followed by a DJ and me. Absolute clusterfuck. Sleeping in a church was also a big event. It was a huge church and it was occupied by compelling priests who couldn’t stop smoking. Now you know where that money you put on a collection plate ends up. We also got drunk by accident that day and I also said “fuck” by accident in front of the priest who was making a guest list. That “fuck” was followed by another “fuck” and Albi asked me to tone it down a bit with that word. But the more I tried, the more I failed. Fuck it, you can’t master everything. The priest was laughing, though.
Angus: “Tina, do you think there are cameras in the bathroom?”
Albi: “Hahaha, good question.”
Tina: “If you ask me, there are cameras in the boys’ bathroom. Just make sure you don’t drop the soap.”
You gotta love conversations sprinkled with good sense of humor. They were good at it and I will miss them for it. They could easily become my FRIENDS, but unfortunately they live far away, in different countries. I hope we stay in touch.
Keep close to those who have a good but not perfect relationship with their parents.
It has become evident once again that people are the best gift one can receive. That’s why I’m crying today. I had a really good time with them, but I had to say goodbye.
I was lucky to meet a group consisting of three Spaniards and on Mexican lady on the Portugal Path. It’s a shorter path compared to the other two, so you can be a bit of a tourist. For them, the path was a challenge and quality time with one another, since they’ve known each other since they were kids. It was a band of people with a good sense of humor and a good taste for food. Why wouldn’t one follow them? I’m still following them on social media, while Alex and Gabi visited me last winter. It was a special kind of vacation for Gabi, since she saw snow for the second time. (As I said, she’s from Mexico.) Come spring, I’m the one visiting them, if we’re lucky.
On Camino Frances, Tina and Henry kept me company. If they weren’t enjoying this, it wouldn’t be their third time on this hullaballoo. Some things should remain secret, so I’ll conclude here.
Goodbyes are the hardest; especially if the energy among people is great.