<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SCRIPT" FACE="Comic Sans MS" LANG="0">Martin, your e-mail is beautiful, thank you for including me in such august company! <BR>
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I believe that "this thing" about wanting to do the C is like a bug that once it gets into your system you know you have no choice but to do it. There are so many people with whom I talk about it that are nonchalant, &/or uninterested. I get the feeling that am thought of as some kind of a lunatic for wanting to "walk" 600+ miles up northern Spain, wherever Spain is! (well, yes, I do know people that fall into this cat., what can I say...). New age folks r easier to talk with, u know, what with the Milky Way, Shirley, Coehlo, et al...<BR>
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I believe we are special-ok, let's get mystical about, why not? It's a call for reasons we may or may not know. And so we have to follow it wherever it leads us-somewhere over yonder in northern Spain!<BR>
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It's such a joy every time I hear when first timers like myself and vet pilgrims are just days away from <B>zero+ Camino time</B>! In a strange way I feel that a little bit of me is going with that person, and I think about people like yourself that are starting the C before I plan to, at times during the day and...I get further energized to continue making plans for this dream to come true.<BR>
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Cannot wait to hear about your experience when you return, which leads me to think..do we have to, return, I mean? Couldn't we just keep on walking, and walking, and walking, among the freeways, misty hills, mud, etc., over yonder? Ay, reality, why do we have to face u every single second that goes by...<BR>
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One last thing-Trigo not singled out in ur e-mail! This cannot be, my man! (somebody called La Academia & reported you. You will be stopped at the Praza Cervantes once u get into Compostela and fined, unless you make it up within the next three minutes!<BR>
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Buen Camino and abrazos d Xosé Manuel<BR>
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In a message dated 3/17/2003 1:24:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, brermartinaWEBTV.NET writes:<BR>
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<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">...many of you have already carried me with so many wonderful tips and encouragement, far beyond my expectations. Like a family helping a brother, this whole thing has already been a huge success, and truly a collaborative (ad)venture. You know who you are -- Sue, Maura, Daniel, Laurie -- and Xose, Pieter, Maybeth, Lloyd, Bob, gosh there are many more -- thank you all for carrying me! (though<BR>
there's still no substitute for the training) 23 days until departure, 29 days until the Camino. <BR>
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