Day Nine

Day 9, Carriòn de los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios
Walked today: 26 km
Total walked: 239 km

Life lessons.
Today I was about 5 km into walking when I felt thirsty. But for some reason I was having a hard time opening my water bottle. I'm not sure why, but it was closed very tightly and I was struggling. A fellow pilgrim asked if I needed help. "No thanks," I replied. "I like to do things on my own." Finally, after a few minutes I managed to open the bottle and take a sip. 'It feels good to self-reliant,' I thought to myself. A few minutes later we took a break to have lunch. As I ate my sandwich, I noticed my pilgrim friend holding my water bottle, but I didn't give it much thought. After lunch I tried to open the bottle only to find it closed even tighter than before. "Need any help?" my friend asks with a smirk. I laugh and continue walking on the path, all the while trying with all of my strength to open the bottle. As my friend was walking meters ahead of me I was determined to open the bottle myself. Why is this so important to me? Being independent is something I take pride in, but it can be lonely without others around. Suddenly, my self-sufficiency seemed like more of a curse than a gift. On the camino I can walk alone, or I can walk with friends who teach me the importance of community. Right now I'm finding the balance. Eventually, I resorted to using my teeth to finally get the bottle open. My pride and stubbornness are still aptly apparent. But these things are what this walk is all about. Thinking and reflecting on yourself and your life and what you can do to improve both.  As I drank from my water bottle, I looked at my fellow pilgrim with a smile. Gracias peregrino y buen camino...