Day 0: Mission Delores to SFO

Mind

In the late 18th century, the Spanish built missions throughout what is now California. They were all a day’s walk from each other. I thought it fitting to start my pilgrimage through Spain at a Spanish mission in the US. Gia and I prayed, had a brief lunch, and I started walking to the airport.

Body

Today I walked 13 miles. Why didn’t you run? I lived in the Bay Area/Silicon Valley for a decade. We enjoyed living there, but love the mountain lifestyle and hope to live the rest of our lives in Tahoe.

To start my pilgrimage, I wanted to move slowly through fast-paced Silicon Valley. (Yes, for those who live in the Bay, I know SF is not technically SV, but close enough to make the point.) I wanted to take the time to prepare, think, and reflect.

Yes, I had to stop myself from running! It’s so natural to my body to move through space at a running pace, so it took intention to stop running and slow down.

Spirit

Have you heard of the book The Way of the Pilgrim? Neither had I until someone recommended it when talking about the Camino. It’s the story of a traveling Russian peasant and tells of his constant wrestling with the problem of “how to pray without ceasing.” I don’t know what this means, but it’s something I will explore on this pilgrimage. During my walk, I said three decades of the rosary. I found myself speeding through the Hail Mary’s, loosing my place, having to start again, sometimes even forgetting the words and having to start over and say it out loud. Wow do I have a distracted mind. With a little practice and intention, I was more present, but I still have a lot of ’room for improvement’. I started reading the book on the way to the Camino.

Common home

I started at the Mission San Francisco de Asis, more commonly known as Mission Delores in San Francisco. Dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, it seemed like a fitting way to start a pilgrimage focused on raising awareness of the work the Catholic Church is doing to protect our common home, the planet. Hopefully St. Francis will be with me on this pilgrimage.

Views from the trail