Didn't quite make it...

[Delphia Dirks]

Hi Russ.... I'm wondering what sort of backpack you had.  I have ordered on
from the mail.. a place in Texas... this is a New Zeland made backpack and
weights only 1.5 pounds.   That is great, but there is not a lot of 'frame'
stiffnes in the back...and I am wondering about that.

Do you think it was just the weight of the backpack, or was it the type..
any thoughts on that.  thanks.   Hope I loose 10+ pounds..  My husband tells
me to do it now, so I don't have to carry THAT along.  :-)

thanks,   delphia


> From: Russ Irwin <rirwinaUSAOR.NET>
> Reply-To: Road to Santiago Pilgrimage <GOCAMINOapete.uri.edu>
> Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 03:00:56 -0400
> To: GOCAMINOapete.uri.edu
> Subject: Re: Didn't quite make it...
>
> I'd like to thank everyone for all the nice replies I received from my
> message. They helped to
> rejuvenate my hopes and desires. I have been keeping up my walking since I've
> been back and did a
> pleasant 6 miles today, and what I used to "think" were hills here seem almost
> like nothing now (of
> course that's without a backpack <g>).
>
> I did, however, receive benefits from my shorter than planned pilgrimage. I
> had lost 10 pounds from
> all the walking I had done since last summer, but I lost an *additional* 10
> pounds during my short
> time on the Camino. So, I now fit very comfortably into my old 34 inch waist
> pants! It's been over 7
> years since I could wear them and I'm glad I didn't throw all of them away
> (even though, back then,
> I never thought I'd see the day again when I could wear them). And also my old
> suit pants, which are
> a 33 inch waist, fit very nice again! :-)
>
> While the top part of my back still bothers me some off and on, the "knot"
> that had developed at the
> base of my spine (from the backpack) is all but gone now.
>
> It's also true how you won't see some of the people with whom you've become
> close to for days at a
> time. And then when you thought you'd never see them again, they appear at the
> most unexpected times
> and places.
>
> There's more that I'd like to tell later. I also took lot of pictures, and
> whenever I get around to
> scanning some of them I'll put them up on my webpage. Meanwhile I'm still
> getting adjusted to being
> back.
>
> Russ