In my day job back in Seattle, I help writers revise and develop their work, which are often works of fiction. One of the things I’ve learned to look for is what we call the “sagging middle.” A good story starts off with a lot of drama and tension. Things happen. Everything is new.Continue reading “The Sagging Middle”
Tag Archives: hiking
This Is Your Brain On Walking. Any Questions?
I came across this story last week about Vancouver author John Izzo. A popular author, business speaker, and consultant, Izzo had a successful career writing and teaching about how to live and work better. But he wasn’t happy. So where did he go to rediscover himself? The Camino, of course. “Izzo hiked in Spain forContinue reading “This Is Your Brain On Walking. Any Questions?”
How to Take a 3-Month Camino Sabbatical
“How long will you be in Europe?” said the bored-looking customs agent in Iceland. It was not yet 7am,Reykjavik time, and he looked like he needed coffee as much as I did. “Three months,” I answered. I’d found out (after I bought the plane tickets) that were pushing the limits of the 90-day automatic visaContinue reading “How to Take a 3-Month Camino Sabbatical”
3 Camino Mantras for 2017, Part 3: Choose Your Focus
The walk from Castet to Romieu was 30 kilometers (18 miles), a distance we’d walked before, but longer than I ever wanted to do in a day. We’d looked at the maps, though, and talked to our friends on the trail, and decided that a longer walk day while the weather was good was theContinue reading “3 Camino Mantras for 2017, Part 3: Choose Your Focus”
The Pyrenees Crossing in 3 Minutes (Video)
Before I walked my first Camino, when I looked at the whole trip spread out before me, there was one part that scared me more than any other: the day I would walk over the Pyrenees. I’ve written about my own walk from St Jean Pied-de-Port to Roncevalles before. Every pilgrim who’s done itContinue reading “The Pyrenees Crossing in 3 Minutes (Video)”
Why I Turned Off My Cell Phone on the Camino
I admit it: I have the twitch: The instinctive urge to reach for the phone every time there’s a pause in life: waiting in line, or before a show or movie starts, or on the bus…or when there’s just a break in conversation. Am I missing something? What are other people doing? The desire toContinue reading “Why I Turned Off My Cell Phone on the Camino”
On a Hike (Almost Wordless Wednesday)
“On a hike, the days pass with the wind, the sun, the stars; movement is powered by a belly full of food and water, not a noxious tankful of fossil fuels. On a hike, you’re less a job title and more a human being….A periodic hike not only stretches the limbs but reminds us: Wow,Continue reading “On a Hike (Almost Wordless Wednesday)”
How the French Camino (Almost Wordless Wednesday)
Spotted just outside Saint Come d’Holt. Note the beer holster, keeping one within reach, and two more tucked safely in the bag, just below the Camino shell.
Spend 4 Minutes on the Camino Frances
What is it like to walk from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela? I just found a video that sums it up and edits it down to just 4 minutes. It looks like they walked about the same time last year that we did, and so everything here is so familiar IContinue reading “Spend 4 Minutes on the Camino Frances”
The Day We Walked Over the Pyrenees (A Photo Tour)
I call it the most amazing day that I’m glad I never have to do again.
camino times two 