Skip to main content

Day 12. Potato Creek State Park, North Liberty to Howard Park, South Bend: Heart

Friday, August 25
Walk: 17.9 miles
Ox Cart: 0
? Degrees  (I am beyond behind and losing more of the info each day--it's become a tumble of memories.)

It seemed strange to walk through neighborhoods and on city streets.  But it was cool to see the folks who came out to watch us go by.  Some watched from porches and waved.  Others waited at the curb to shake hands, take photos, cheer us on.  School children lined the sidewalk to high-five with us.

I felt pretty much myself but my feet had reached that point--like on the Camino--where they felt like blocks of wood.  Lift, plod.  Lift, plod.  So I didn't really push myself. . .until I reached the rest stop that wasn't a stop.  We could grab a drink or use the toilets on the go.  People wanted to just finish.

The remaing distance was 1.5 miles.  As I continued past, I was seized by the fact that, having traveled over 300 miles, 1.5 was close enough to taste the goal.  Sure, we still had 3 miles to walk the next day, but that was celebratory.  Today concluded the hard.  And, oh boy!, did I want to be done with the hard.

So I imposed my will over my body one more time, stepped up my pace.  I had no idea where I was in the pack when I pushed, but I was within sight of the leaders by the time the park was slso in sight.  Producers and pilgrims who had already arrived crowded at the entrance, lined up left and right to cheer and greet new arrivals.  The feeling was euphoric relief.

It wasn't right, though--finishing alone.  I turned away from the festivities and walked back to find Jim.  We started this journey together; we would finish it together.  And so we did.

After Mass at the Basilica, the core pilgrims met in the Lady Chapel.  There the Producers had a collection of hand-carved walking sticks.  We each chose one and Father Jenkins blessed them to use for the walk the next day.

Dinner was in the Rasmus Family Club of the newly renovated football stadium, where we gathered with Mike and Emma, Bill, Bob, Kathy and Mom J to start enjoying the beginning of the end.


Our room at the Morris Inn looks over this rooftop garden.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 2. Photos

August 15 Sunrise over the fields. Guerin Hall (This photo decided to separate the animals. 😒) Cows give us "I'm watching you" eyes, while any horses prance around, pose, or show off for us. Dessert!
4 comments
Read more

Day 13. Howard Park, South Bend to University of Notre Dame: Hope

Saturday, August 26 Walk: 3 miles Ox Cart: 0 Temperature?  Who knows!  It was a fine day. What can I say?  It was a pilgrim party, a huge pilgrim party that started with photos and music and speeches at Howard Park.  It became a parade, spanning about a mile and including marching band, through town.  There was a somber period as we prayed at the graves of Father Sorin and the brothers who traveled with him from Vincennes to South Bend. It was pretty much contained chaos, especially so when we arrived on campus.  Mass was followed by a huge picnic on South Quad.  Although the school and community celebrated around us, it was a bittersweet day for the core pilgrims. I realize posts have been on the dry side  (just the facts, ma'am) and skeletal.  I had intended meatier recaps of each day but the Trail became bigger than I had ever imagined.  Even if I had retained more, had more time to pass it on to you, I don't believ...
1 comment
Read more

Day 7. Tippecanoe Battlefield Memorial Park, Battle Ground to All Saints Church, Logansport: Sorrow

Sunday, August 20 Walk: 14.5 miles Bike: 23.7 miles Ox Cart: 0 83 degrees; Real Feel 85 (The forecast; don't know what it actually was, but felt way hotter.) This morning, Blue and Gold walked together through Prophetstown since we would participate in a smudging ceremony.  I started the day tired and the heat with high humidity wasn't helping.  Although my stride was at or above my usual, I simply could not keep up with anyone.  I felt like I was battling upstream.  So I quit battling and settled into a pace that didn't feel too taxing.  It was a not agonizing to decide so because vehicles are not allowed on the pedestrian trail--no ox cart looming behind me.  Whew! By the time we arrived at the lunch rest stop, the heat had killed my appetite.  I forced myself to eat the salad out of a boxed lunch and part of a banana.  I tried a frozen fruit bar in an attempt to cool down. We still had half a mile (?) to walk.  Howev...
4 comments
Read more