I've wanted to walk the pilgrimage route to Santiago for a long time. One might ask, reasonably enough, why an idiosyncratic Episcopalian from the US would want to spend a month or more walking several hundred miles across Spain just to visit a cathedral.

I'm not sure exactly what it is about the idea that appeals to me, but it does. Something about the process of walking that far, that dedicatedly, and with a purpose. But I think a big piece of it is the sense of historical connection. Thousands, even millions of people have made that same walk over the centuries, some for the good of their souls, some for the adventure, and some for ulterior purposes of their own. There is something very powerful in the idea of connecting to that history.

So now what? Well, the first step is getting into good enough physical condition to do the walk. That will entail a lot of exercise, mostly, to build my stamina and my cardiovascular health, and making sure my joints are all in good enough condition to manage that much walking over that long a period. I suspect it will take me at least a year to do that, if I start now and focus on it. It might take longer than that, but it will be probably at least 2008 before my father and I can do this, anyway. (He challenged me to get in shape for the walk, saying he'd pay for it and go with me if I did.)

I'll be looking for support and ideas along the way. And posting here, if all goes according to plan. And when the day comes that I actually do this, I intend to use this blog as a place to record the journey as I take it.

Questions? Ideas? Thoughts?