I’m going to keep this short. Not because I don’t have a lot to say or a lot of reflections for the day, but because I was really busy being present and it got late.

I sat outside with my new friends tonight and contemplated when and how to set the boundary that I have struggled with setting in the past; the boundary between respecting myself and what I want, and shelving what I want in favor of fun.

We sat around cheering and laughing, sharing bits of our day between a few games of spoons and Kemps. It felt good to have friends; the kind of friends I always meet on vacation. Open to fun, open to sharing and open to laughing. When I meet these friends, I often enjoy the moment so much that I don’t take care of my basic needs. Tonight, it was more than basic needs. I want to write, I want to meditate and I want to be asleep on time so I can have my night time travels and gather information…I also want to be present and have as much fun as I can. I guess I am looking for richness and that can come in many ways.

So as we burned through rounds of Kemps, laughing all the while, I paused and made a decision I had never made before: I was the one who suggested that we wrap the game up, in favor of going inside to write and meditate.

Some background: I absolutely love games. I will sacrifice sleep, eating, etc. if I can keep playing, since it is so rare to get a game going. For me to make the choice to cut off a game that has no need to end, is a significant sign of change for me.

Earlier in the day, I was struggling with doing something that I wanted. I was trying to base my decision of whether I walk the coastal route or the central route of the Camino on other people. I even asked a local man at one of the stamp locations for advice, and his response essentially was that only I could choose what was best.

When I made the announcement that I was ready to stop playing the game, I also felt clear on my decision of which path to take the next day. I looked around the table at the new friends I had made and knew that walking the central route with them was what I wanted to do. We may stay together, we may not, but I felt confident that the universe had given me exactly the experience I needed to allow my heart to give clarity to my mind.

I know that whichever way I go, I will continue to have exactly the experiences I need. I’m just happy to be able to be present and evolving. And each day, I’ll gain a little more trust in the unknown, and in I AM.