Ultreya!

Yes, I would love to be about to start my Camino Frances again.

5 weeks booked away from Essential PA, business continuity plans firmly in place, walking poles by my side, guidebook in my hands, sturdy boots on my feet and 9kg of kit on my back.

Many truly wonderful experiences happened on my Camino but today I simply want to share one simple, uplifting and hopefully encouraging thought that I feel very strongly is relevant at this time.

All along The Way you're looking out for Martin Sheen. No, that's not it.

All along The Way you're immersed in John Brierley's guide book, you're looking at the beautiful variety of scenery presented every day, every part of your body is working really hard, every evening you tell stories with your new found friends over tapas and Rioja, every evening you commit thoughts to paper and patch up your blisters, every morning you repack all your essentials into your backpack and set off again on a new path.

Ultreya simply means "onwards" or "come on, let's go". But when you say Ultreya y suseia it really begins to mean so much more.

"Let's get there but let's go beyond, let's go further, let's go higher".

I apply Ultreya in all my thoughts and deeds at the moment in an attempt to really embrace the enforced lockdown, to make the most of this valuable opportunity for reflection and improvement and to try to make things better and different for tomorrow's new path.