road to rome Archives - Cruisin with the Colemans

What Do I Bring on Pilgrimage? Camino Packing List

Posted on March 3, 2025 by CruisinColemans

It’s easy to overpack for a pilgrimage—believe me, I’ve learned from experience! On my first Camino, I carried way too much gear, and it was quite a burden, especially since I had to carry it all on my back. Fortunately, on our planned trips, you’ll have luggage service, so you won’t need to carry everything with you. Even with luggage service, this is not a trip of luxuries. We are on pilgrimage, so we are not carrying much “stuff” with us.

For the trips we lead on the Camino, each person is limited to one backpack or one small suitcase weighing no more than 15 kilograms or 33 pounds to manage the luggage for everyone. However, Brian and I take one suitcase (no more than 15 kilograms) between the two of us. We encourage everyone to pack light! Whether you have luggage service or not, having one backpack that weighs under 15 kilograms (the lighter, the better!) will help you, as it eases the burden of carrying your luggage day after day.

Our two backpacks from our 2019 Camino. This was everything we carried for 2 months in Europe

We believe in the principle of washing and wearing your clothes. What does this mean? It means you are either washing your clothes or wearing them. After hiking for the day, you should shower and wash your clothes. In the evening, you can wear hiking clothes for the next day. Any other clothes would be considered a luxury. You can have luxury items if you keep them in one backpack or suitcase under 15 kilograms (33 pounds).

Ultimately, this is your trip. We will never tell you exactly what you “should” or “should not” take with you. This blog post offers suggestions and our perspective. Please feel free to use this information as you see fit.

This is our suggested packing list for any of our Camino trips.
Where there are differences between Brian and me, Michelle, we have identified them. These are just suggestions. You have to pack what you feel is best for you! Also, where we travel, you will be able to find what you need in local shops (band-aids, hiking poles, ibuprofen, etc)

Toiletries: toothbrush, soap to wash clothes and body, shampoo, nail clippers, tweezers, comb, hair ties, etc. Some type of washcloth because they don’t use them as we do in the US. Here is the lightweight bag that I carry my toiletries.
Sunscreen
A bandana or something to wipe the sweat off your face. I use this towel as my sweat rag and my washcloth in the shower.
Headlamp if you want to leave before sunrise to walk
Clothesline: We use something like this, with safety pins to hold our clothes on the line
A notebook or something like that for journaling
Towel: When we take a group trip, the places we stay will provide towels. Some people like to have their own towels. This is Brian’s favorite towel, and this is my favorite towel. We carry a towel because sometimes we stay in places that don’t provide towels (outside of group experiences).
European plug adaptor
Portable backpack for evenings to get snacks or groceries or to take your laundry to the laundromat
Sunglasses with UV protection
Lightweight Sunglasses Case that clips on your pack.
A hat: Here is what Brian likes to wear. I have worn my Nike hat but have no particular preferences.
Merino wool lightweight socks are my favorite brand. I take two pairs, and I always have an extra pair in my daypack, so if my feet are sweating, I can change my socks. If your feet sweat a lot, I would suggest three pairs in case your socks don’t dry overnight.
Some like sock liners to help prevent blisters. These are what I wear under my socks.
Hiking shoes—this is quite a debatable conversation. Brian hikes in Chacos all day and wears Croc flip-flops in the evening. I hike in New Balance tennis shoes (a full size larger than my regular tennis shoes). I wear Chacos in the evenings and on shorter walking days. We have hiked for many years in other shoes, but this is what we have hiked in for more than three years. We can talk to you about all of the hiking shoe options, but it’s a decision you have to make.
Some like a sun umbrella when they are hiking in the summer. This is our favorite brand because it’s super lightweight
Lightweight underwear that fits well and has no lace that can rub and irritate the skin and will dry quickly—no cotton underwear! You just need two pairs—remember you are washing and wearing. These are the underwear that Brian wears, and this is the underwear I wear. We don’t buy expensive underwear; we just ensure it’s not cotton!
Bras—ladies, that is up to you! Wear a sports bra during the day and a regular one at night; you decide. I can help if you need ideas. I hate sports bras. I have to pull them over my head because that is hard to do when you are hot and sweaty, so I love this sports bra.
Lightweight jacket for cool evenings or early mornings. Remember, no cotton; this is the brand I prefer to wear.
Rain jacket: You can make this your lightweight jacket if you want to save space. We love Marmot jackets
T-shirts: Brian loves button-down shirts, and I prefer t-shirts. Either way, just make sure you are comfortable. Avoid wearing anything tight; you don’t want to feel self-conscious! Some people like tank tops. The problem with tank tops for hiking is (1) the rubbing from your daypack strap and your bare skin can become uncomfortable, and (2) many churches frown on those who don’t have their shoulders covered. You must have your shoulders covered in Italy to go into a church.
Shawl: Some people like to have a nice shawl with them for cooler nights as a wrap or for churches.
Pants: Brian likes zip-off pants (no more than two pairs). I like skorts and shorts
Sleepwear: Brian sleeps in his underwear. I sleep in my evening dress or t-shirt and underwear. People on the Camino are not modest.
Sleep liner: We travel on Camino in the summer; therefore, a light sleep liner is all we need when sheets are not provided. Sheets will be provided for our group travel experiences. Every albergue we have stayed at has blankets available. However, if you stay somewhere where sheets are not provided, this is our sleep liner.
A swimsuit if you think you might be able to find a place with a swimming pool (on our trips, we always try to find a pool!)
A swim cap. In Europe, people are required to wear a swim cap in most public pools (we have been required to purchase swim caps in some hotels but not all hotels). Brian loves this one because it’s comfortable. I love this one because it has room for all of my hair. It’s not waterproof, but it is comfortable, and that’s what I like about it.
A fly swatter, you will thank me if it’s fly season!
A sink stopper to wash your clothes in the sink. You would be shocked at how many people take or don’t provide a sink stopper.
Some sort of stain remover pen. If you truly have a limited number of clothes, a stain-removing pen will be a blessing, so you don’t have to live with a stained item.
Arnica Montana homeopathic medicine. Pills you put under your tongue that melt in your mouth. These pills help with muscle stiffness, cramping, bruising, and swelling. You can take these up to three times a day.
Anti-chafing cream is a good thing to have if you have parts that rub. Haha!
We always take a bit of Advil and muscle relaxers (non-drowsy script from the doctor).

In your daypack – If you are not carrying a backpack but rather a suitcase and daypacks, this is the daypack I use and the daypack Brian uses. You can carry something smaller, whatever you are most comfortable using. But ensure you have a way to cover your backpack if it rains. You should have the following at a minimum in your pack:

Water bottles, a water bladder, or both. We both like carrying a water bladder to drink from while hiking. We also like a water bottle to make a drink with electrolytes or a flavored drink. Water bladders should only contain water to prevent mold or bacteria from forming.
Water bladder cleaning tab. For a trip that is two weeks or less, you just need one tab to clean your bladder halfway through your trip
Electrolytes. If you are feeling dehydrated, overheated, weak, or sluggish, drinking electrolytes will help. I love this brand of Salt Sticks for quick relief, and this brand for putting in my water bottle.
Snacks. We find snacks in a local grocery store and only buy what we may want for the next day. This can be fruit, trail mix, chips, etc. Whatever makes you happy
You should bring a few toiletries, such as tissues, toilet paper (yes, some places will have toilets without paper!), and maybe ibuprofen.
You could also consider a small notebook if you like to journal with pen and paper or give your number to someone you meet along the way.
Your cell phone charger, if you think you will need it during the day
Your pilgrim shell should be attached to your daypack, as this identifies you as a pilgrim to other people
Bring a fanny pack with your essentials. This includes your pilgrim’s passport (also called a credential), your US passport, and money for the day.
A hat or a sun umbrella
Some sort of stain remover pen. If you truly have a limited number of clothes, a stain-removing pen will be a blessing, so you don’t have to live with a stained item. Have one in your suitcase and one in your daypack unless you are using just a backpack.

AirTags: Be sure to place AirTags in everything from your suitcase to your daypack and even your fanny pack. It might seem like overkill, but you never know when you might misplace something, and you’ll be glad you have your AirTags!

You will find plenty of ATMs along the way. We carry a Charles Schwab card for our ATM transactions. CS reimburses your ATM charges, and there are no upcharges.

What type of SIM card do I need for my phone? We used to use Orange eSIM cards when we traveled abroad; however, we currently have an international Verizon cell plan. Choosing a phone plan involves several considerations. Contact us if you have questions about phone plans and traveling abroad.

If we have forgotten to include something on the list or if you have any questions, please let us know.

Thanks for reading! – Michelle

VF Day 39-43: The Lows of Pilgrimage

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Cruisin Michelle

I didn’t know my body could be this tired. Even though I see new muscles every day, I am tired. Besides how exhausted I feel, what has surprised me the most on this pilgrimage is a roller coaster of emotions. Put your seat belt on because I am going to talk about the tough times.

I expected it to be tough. I expected it to challenge me. I didn’t expect to be so worn out at this stage of the pilgrimage. Being that we are going into the final week, I expected to be more energized.

Every photo will include us squinting in the sun

I think I was hoping that by this point there would be more pilgrims to chat it up with every evening. I was hoping for more little villages throughout the day. I was hoping to feel something more that would energize me for the home stretch.

The heat is tough on us both. It makes every pilgrim push a little harder to be done walking before noon. Then we deal with accommodations that won’t let us check in until 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. So we wait, in the heat, before we can find relief. If you are lucky enough to find a room with air conditioning, you better pray it works well. Many places we have paid extra to stay at because we wanted the air conditioning which unfortunately has either not worked at all or they set limits to how cool it can be. Seriously, limits on air conditioning, that’s a new one to us.

The lack of new pilgrims has been disappointing. We hoped to have made connections with many others by now. We had hoped for a nice “pilgrim family” but there just haven’t been that many pilgrims. Of course, we expected it could happen because of our pace and our rest days, but it’s still tough.

Then there is the walk. The days are full of walking in the full sun. This is the best farmer’s tan we have ever had! Haha! The heat is extremely intense. We are lucky if there is one village along the way and even more lucky if there is a bar/cafe open. We had heard many places are closed on either Sunday or Monday so we always plan our day before we leave the village we are in. However, what we’ve experienced is that a place could be closed any day of the week.

On our walk from Radicofani to Acquapendente there was one village, Centeno, where we could stop for food. However, it was Saturday and the only place in town was closed on Saturday’s. I really struggle with the lack of pilgrim stops along the way.

Working by the pool since the hotel has no power

We have been looking forward to our final rest day in Bolsena. We booked a “nice” hotel with a pool, wi-fi, and air conditioning. You’ll never believe what has happened since we arrived. The first room they put us in, a ceiling tile fell because water was leaking from the air conditioning unit. Fortunately we had just finished washing our clothes and showering. They moved us to a new room. Overnight the power went out which meant no air conditioning, no phones being charged, no wifi, and a limited breakfast. They teased us with eggs and bacon for breakfast but not without power.

I guess this summer is about learning to pivot because it seems to be the theme, see my earlier blog. We’ve had to adjust our expectations, learn to be ok with less than we wanted, and pivot when things don’t go as planned. I’m not saying it’s easy but I guess it’s something we needed to learn.

Now we enter the home stretch. My main motivation going forward is that we finish what we start. It’s the way we raised our children and something we feel is important. The tough moments help us grow. They nourish our soul and stretch our adventurous spirit.

We will walk into Vatican City in 7 days. I don’t know what our attitude will be like, except that we will be thrilled with what we have accomplished. My prayer is the next 7 days have services along the way, the heat isn’t quite so intense, and we meet a few pilgrims to connect with along the way. But if that doesn’t happen, we will continue to pivot because ultimately, we will finish what we started. This pilgrimage is full of memories already, I am sure we laugh about that summer we spent walking into the sun.

Walking stats from Sienna to Ponte d’Arbia – 25.21 km

Lodging at the Centro Cultural Center – donation

Walking stats from Ponte d’Arbia to San Quirico d’Orcia – 11.39 km, with a bus for 14.8 km

Lodging at Ai Portali B&B – €100

Walking stats from San Quirico d’Orcia to Radicofani – 16.82 km, with a bus for 16.81 km

Lodging at Casa del Ciliegio – €66

Walking stats from Radicofani to Acquapendente – 19.63 km, with a taxi for 3.5 km

Lodging at IL Borgo Ristorante Pizzeria Camere – €60

Walking stats from Acquapendente to Bolsena – 18.8 km (we did some road walking to shorten the day)

Two nights of lodging at Hotel Holiday Sul Lul Lago – €296 (too much, I know! But it had a pool! 🙌🏼)

*Listing our accommodation is not an endorsements. This is just a point of information for fellow pilgrims. See our reviews on Booking.com, the guidebooks, and fellow pilgrims for more details to make the decision best for you.

VF Day 34-36: Change, Pilgrims, & Energy

Posted on July 10, 2022 by Cruisin Michelle

It is amazing what a change will do for the soul. We experience changes all the time from a new week, beautiful sunset, shift in the weather, a refurbished home, a new pet, or even new neighbors. Whatever the change, it’s all around us, happening even when we don’t notice it.

Change is good for the soul and I believe we all need bigger changes from time to time. Because Brian and I live in the Midwest, we experience change all the time in the seasons and as teachers we experience change at the start of each new semester. Maybe that makes us more aware of change or maybe that makes us need change more? Maybe it helps us be balanced? I don’t know and it doesn’t really matter. What I do know is how much I love change.

After a month of walking, I was in need of change. I was seriously in need of it. I am not alone in that need for change, other pilgrims have said they are looking for it too. Change doesn’t have to be some big metaphor for life, sometimes a change in scenery will do just fine. Other times, seeing and chatting with other pilgrims is enough change.

This is our longest pilgrimage, specifically walking on one trail. We’ve walked/biked other trails but there were always more types of change and more pilgrims. This trail has moments where change is obvious like going from Switzerland to Italy, from the Po Valley to the Apennine Mountains, and now we’re in Tuscany.

At this point, I needed more than just a scenery change. I know, it’s Tuscany, what more could I possibly need!? I can’t explain. But of course, just like it always happens on pilgrimage, you get what you need which was confirmation enough for me.

Just holding up the tower like every other tourist

Leaving the trail for 24 hours to go to Pisa was a risk. Would we be distracted by tourist life? Would we be able to just hop back on the trail? Would the change be what I actually needed? Would I just be done.

It was the perfect amount of change. Pisa is a small tourist town. I couldn’t imagine going to Rome and then coming back to try to appreciate Pisa the way we did. I’m surprisingly more excited about Rome and the rest of our walk because of going to Pisa. Maybe it was imagining what I’ll buy when we are tourists, maybe it’s wandering around without my backpack, or maybe it was just the distraction I needed.

Because we didn’t plan a day to Pisa, we sacrificed the walk from Altopascio to San Miniato. We got back on the trail shortly after San Miniato to walk to Gambassi Terme. That all goes back to my last blog about owning the exceptions. I have zero regrets.

It’s moments like this that add to the memories

When we got to Gambassi Terme we checked into the Ostello Sigerico. There were 10 other pilgrims in the ostello (aka – albergue or hostel)! That’s the most pilgrims we’ve been around at one time the entire trip! Change is so very good!!

We left for San Gimignano this morning and it was an epic day! Not only was it a shorter day but there were pilgrims o’ plenty on the trail. We took a million photos. The weather was outstanding. We smelled the pine, cypress, and olive trees all day. We even went a bit crazy and stopped at a winery at 10 a.m. with 7km still to go on our walk! The wine was so good we had a case shipped home!

We only have 14 days left to walk to Rome. I know we’ll continue to see more pilgrims. The scenery will continue to shift. We have a lot of days ahead we’re looking forward to. I know our energy will dip some but I anticipate the emotions I will feel is sadness because it’s coming to an end along with great anticipation to see Rome!

I can’t believe it’s all happening! Change is good! ❤️

Subscribe to our Travel/City Guide playlist on YouTube so you will be notified when the Pisa video is out, just click here.

Click here to enjoy our YouTube video of our time from Lucca to Gambassi Terme.

Walking stats from Altopascio to San Miniato. 0 on the Via Francigena but we walked 10 km in Pisa. 🙌🏼

Walking stats from San Miniato to Gambassi Termi 10 km

Lodging at Ostello Sigerico €40 plus dinner at €14 a person

Walking stats from Gambassi Termi to San Gimignano 15 km

Lodging at A La Casa Dei Potenti – €75

VF Day 19-20: Need Camino Magic?

Posted on June 21, 2022 by Cruisin Michelle

As we continue to meander through the Po Valley, I am constantly surprised by what the famous Camino magic brings our way.

Camino magic is a term we learned on our first pilgrimage. I don’t remember where specifically but probably on Dan Mullins Camino podcast. If you’ve never heard of it, you are missing out! Dan is an outstanding interviewer and the stories about the Camino are magical in and of themselves.

I believe in the power of Camino Magic. Whenever I doubt the magic will happen, it does, just like that. Oh my, has my doubt appeared more than once during this hot, flat, repetitive section of our pilgrimage.

Camino magic came when a bar appeared during a hot afternoon when I was out of water and starving. That happens more often than not.

Camino magic came when I was struggling with everyone speaking other languages around us for days. I was feeling extremely low, we walked up to a bar, and I heard a table full of people speaking English.

Camino magic came when we had been visiting a lot of churches but there were never people in any of them. Then we entered a church where music was playing, people were singing, and there was life all around me.

Camino magic came after we passed through multiple deserted villages when we walked into a village that wasn’t only filled people but it was market day!

Camino magic came again yesterday. We’ve seen very few pilgrims at all thus far. After 20 days of walking we haven’t shared a meal with any English speaking pilgrims. Yesterday, we stayed at the local church and there were 4 other pilgrims. We shared rooms, shared a drink before dinner, enjoyed a fabulous meal together, and there was plenty of great conversation I could understand. It was just the magic we needed.

Last night with our 4 new pilgrim friends

Finally, tonight we are staying in Cort Sant’Andrea, population 22. There is a restaurant in town so we skipped lunch to arrive early and beat the heat. Bad decision, the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays (today). This is where the key to the church hostel was located so we were quite surprised it would be closed today. We found a back door to the restaurant and when we walked in people were laughing and eating. I smiled so big because up until that point we had barely eaten. Unfortunately, the woman running the kitchen told us she was done serving food. I gently begged, “maybe just a panini?” She looked at my pathetic face and then her husband. They exchanged looks and she brought us both a sandwich. When he offered us water and a beer, we joyfully said yes! Finally, he offered us a little dessert. Life was ok again. Mind you, the others in the restaurant were being offered fresh fruit, coffee with liquor, and more. They must have been locals or family, with a population of 22 that is probably one in the same. I didn’t care, much, we were fed and spent €16.

The dinner we made tonight with the ingredients left for us by Giovanni who runs the hospice. We made spaghetti with fresh zucchini & garlic sautéed on the side

Camino magic isn’t about getting what you want, rather it’s about getting what you need. We’ve never gone to bed hungry, we’ve always had a bed to sleep in, we’ve experienced the kindness of strangers, and we hope to have a few lasting friendships before this experience is over.

Camino magic is ultimately experiencing faith. Faith in others, faith in yourself, faith that someone is watching out for you and guiding your way. In this case, it’s our way to Rome and I have faith we will arrive there well taken care of and with a bit more faith.

We got a little crazy in our video to Pavia. Hint: There’s a lot of singing going on! 🤦🏻‍♀️ Check out our video here!

Here’s our video from the days listed below.

Walking stats from Pavia to Santa Cristina e Bissone – 14 km

Lodging – Parrocchhia di Santa Cristina e Bissone – donation

Walking stats from Santa Cristina e Bissone to Corte Sant’Andrea – 23 km

Lodging – Hospice Ad Padum including a kitchen with what we needed to make dinner – donation

*Listing our accommodation is not an endorsement. This is just a point of information for fellow pilgrims. See our reviews on Booking.com, the guidebooks, and fellow pilgrims for more details to make the decision best for you.

The VF Day 14 & 15: Toilet Paper, Food, & A Soft Bed

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Cruisin Michelle

Ramblings from the Via Francigena…

I don’t ask for much when we’re on pilgrimage. Having our most basic needs met is really all we desire which means availability of decent toilet paper, food, and a soft bed. 😆 Unfortunately, that is asking too much at times. 😏 The biggest difference between the pilgrimage we are on and the traditional understanding of backpacking is the aforementioned luxuries.

Remember the toilet paper crisis of 2020? How could we forget! Toilet paper is still an important topic though, right? Let me tell you during the first week of this pilgrimage, we had outstanding toilet paper. Oh Switzerland, I don’t know what you do to make your toilet paper so grand but I would love to invest stock in it and bring it to the United States. I mean, it’s that good, friends. Since we have arrived in Italy the quality has diminished. I think you understand the challenge and I’m sure I have said enough on the topic.

You read about my challenges with finding food in an earlier blog, if you didn’t, click here. Lately, finding food has not been too much of a problem. We do need to review where we are walking each day to ensure there will be a stop for food. If there isn’t, we have to prepare for the long stretch without food by finding a market the night before. We start walking early in the morning to beat the heat. Unfortunately dinner isn’t typically served until at least 7 p.m. but I am grateful at this point for finding food at all. I’m sure there will be more on good in future blogs.

My last rambling today is about the importance of a good nights sleep. Let me say, as a backpacker, my lightweight backpacking inflatable mattress is often more comfortable than the beds we have slept in since entering Italy.

I wish I would have brought my inflatable mattress but I didn’t know it would be this much of a problem. I thought the snoring of other pilgrims would be my biggest issue. But, nope! Don’t get me wrong, I am not looking for the most luxurious feather bed. I would just prefer the bed be more comfortable than the ground. It is hard enough to walk this many miles day-after-day but when you add a bad nights sleep to the mix, it makes the walking even more challenging.

Last night was the first time in a week I had an outstanding night’s sleep. I wish I could take that bed with me. Today’s walk was easier because my low back and hips weren’t screaming at me.

Maybe I’m asking too much. Maybe I want to think about more than just my most basic human needs. I am a researcher of Maslow and I know I can’t self actualize if I am always worried about my basic needs. Maybe I should stop worrying and be thankful for a roof over my head and any toilet paper at all. Maybe I shouldn’t worry about self actualizing. Maybe I already have or maybe I should just stop rambling about all of it.

That’s all I have for you today. Be thankful for your bounty, your bed, of course, your toilet paper!

Stats walking from Santhià to Vercelli – 10 km plus a train for 16 km so we could enjoy an afternoon in Vercelli. We definitely should have planned a rest day here, what a great town! Check out our YouTube video too!

Lodging at La Terrazza Vercelli Bed & Charme – €118 – outstanding bed and air conditioning on a very hot day. Paid too much but worth it for an outstanding nights sleep!

Stats walking from Vercelli to Robbio – 17.64 km. Check out our YouTube video here!

Lodging for at Agriturismo Pescarolo/Casa del Pellegrino – €60 for a private room with a shared bathroom and back to the typical bed with no air conditioning.

Living a Life of Adventure = Achieving Goals

Posted on February 27, 2022May 26, 2024 by Cruisin Michelle

It’s critical to focus on the positive when you’re deep in the weeds working on your goals. And, oh my gosh, these weeds are thick! At the of each day, we want to be able to say, “we did everything we could.” We want to say that but some days we just soak in our hot tub and figure out how to do better the next day.

Alas, I am going to look at the positive – we have achieved 10 of our 50 goals already! We have been plugging away for 5 months and we are giving ourselves all of 2022 to finish them. Have you seen our “Year of 50” Goals? If not, click here to read the last blog post about them! Will we achieve all 50 goals in 2022? Today, we are going to be positive which includes not focusing on the finish line.

“If you really want to do something, you will find the way.”
– Jim Rohn

Our approach to our “Year of 50” goal-setting has been to stretch ourselves, challenge ourselves, do fun stuff, and remember a life worth living is a life worth living well. When I am deep in the weeds, sulking about what isn’t done, I remind myself we are blessed to have choices. We know the burdens many are faced with mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially. We don’t take our blessings for granted and we share in many of their struggles. But we stay positive and continue to live a life of adventure; one that makes others feel like they are right there with us even when it’s something they cannot do, don’t want to do, or are too scared to try.

In order to live a life of adventure, step one is meeting with your financial planner. Haha! We never want to go into debt – period. We have been deep in debt, both before we met and as we merged two families. It stunk! We have learned that no house, no RV, no adventure is worth living paycheck-to-paycheck. We sought out advice from professionals and friends we trusted. It took the first 10 years of our marriage but we are better off now than we ever have been. If you are struggling with your finances, please get help. When I was a single mom, I got help from our local Consumer Credit Counseling office and they changed everything for me. I am thankful I was able to admit I needed help because I was not raised with a good understanding of how to manage money.

We are not completely debt-free yet, but we are getting there and are definitely smarter about money. We analyze our finances monthly, we strategically pay off debt, and most importantly, we strategically spend money. Would we love a bigger RV? A bigger truck? Stay in the best hotels? Absolutely, sure! We would love to win the lottery too but we don’t play the game. What we do have is a great 30-foot rig that takes us on adventures and has become our second home, we have a truck that can pull it, a comfortable home base so we can work the jobs we love, and backpacks that help us see the world through the eyes of slow tourists.

Another goal we’ve completed is planning our pilgrimage. As I type this blog, we are 90 days from go time! This goal accompanies other goals that we have struggled with but we continue to plug away. We have no idea how this pilgrimage will go but we do know this: We are going to see Switzerland and Italy, we are going to be together, we have planned an outstanding trip, we will do what is necessary every day so we can do what is possible, and Lord willing, we will have a blast doing the impossible. Thank you, St. Francis, we pray for support along our journey.

Because balance is the secret to success, another goal we’ve achieved that I have to mention before this blog is over is that we’re swing dancing again! 💃 🕺 I cannot explain how fun it is to dance with your partner. We started swing dancing in 2016, and though we certainly don’t do it enough and will never win any awards; we love it when music is playing we can joyfully hop on the dance floor. We are thankful to VuDo Swing for teaching us what we know and for continuing to teach us more about swing dancing. It truly adds to the breadth of our adventures.

We challenge you to live your best life. Don’t live with regrets about what you have not done. Rather, wake up every day and do what is necessary, so you can do what is possible, and believe it or not, before you know it you will be doing the impossible.