On the Camino in France. Photo by Jeanne Williamson
If you know me, or if you've spent any time poking around SweetAllium, you know that being a student is a huge part of my life right now. I have the opportunity to reflect on this daily, during my bike commute to school. Maybe it's because my medical college is perched just perfectly so on a hill--a hill with a grade and contour that consistently forces me to question my motives for climbing it. It's perfectly summittable, but it demands my attention and redetermination every day.
Of course, the hill isn't just a hill, it's a metaphor for this whole project of becoming a doctor. This is a slog, I say to myself every day. Is it worth it? How much longer can I keep this up?
Of course, the hill isn't just a hill, it's a metaphor for this whole project of becoming a doctor. This is a slog, I say to myself every day. Is it worth it? How much longer can I keep this up?
Atop the Pyrenees. Photo by Jeanne Williamson
When I was twenty-one, my mom and I spent a summer bike touring from Paris, over the Pyrenees and across northern Spain to a small town called Santiago de Compostela. Our route followed the Camino de Santiago, a centuries-old pilgrimage route, traditionally completed on foot. There exists a whole infrastructure and culture around the pilgrimage; townsfolk along the way are genuinely pleased to witness the travelers' efforts, and fellow pilgrims offer encouragement and support as much as they can.
"Animo! Animo!" would shout the Italian pilgrims. Give it life, little bicyclist, give life to your effort. The French onlookers would shout, "Courage!", rhyming with the English word "garage" and lending the sentiment: Give it heart. Here's a little bit of mine. Give it heart!
The pilgrimage didn't feel like a slog, except for the day that we struggled toward the highest pass over the Pyrenees. We pushed our bikes up the paths on foot, even then gasping for air. The slopes were steep enough that we could hear rainfall from clouds that were meters downhill from us. I suspect (or hope) this is where we are in our medical program right now. Throwing our life and our hearts into the effort.
Courage, little pilgrim.
"Animo! Animo!" would shout the Italian pilgrims. Give it life, little bicyclist, give life to your effort. The French onlookers would shout, "Courage!", rhyming with the English word "garage" and lending the sentiment: Give it heart. Here's a little bit of mine. Give it heart!
The pilgrimage didn't feel like a slog, except for the day that we struggled toward the highest pass over the Pyrenees. We pushed our bikes up the paths on foot, even then gasping for air. The slopes were steep enough that we could hear rainfall from clouds that were meters downhill from us. I suspect (or hope) this is where we are in our medical program right now. Throwing our life and our hearts into the effort.
Courage, little pilgrim.
A Spanish Sunset on the Camino. Photo by Jeanne Williamson
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