The Camino Begins

This is my attempt to document our journey along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. They say your Camino begins the day you begin planning. For us, that began a while ago when Eric began the process of applying for a Lilly Grant for his sabbatical. We learned about the Lilly Grant from a fellow priest.

The application for this grant was a lengthy process of figuring out exactly what Eric wanted to accomplish on his sabbatical (12 weeks). Then we had to document all costs associated with it. And then the waiting began! If I remember correctly (and I have problems with that these days), we (and by that I mean primarily Eric) began researching and collecting information around November, 2014. The package for the Lilly Grant was due April 15, 2015, and we found out in August, 2015 that Eric was one of the recipients.

And then the REAL planning began. Clothes to purchase, backpacks to order, passports to renew, airline reservations to make, and LOTS of decisions to make.

We are blessed to walk as a family--myself, Eric, and our youngest daughter, Rachel. Our oldest, Katie, decided to remain behind. She just graduated from college and is excited to chase her future. So, we will carry her in our hearts and Skype and Facebook message her when we can.

And so we begin.