People Worth Packing

I just got back from a wonderful trip abroad in Spain. I will go more in detail about this trip at a later time but I just had to share what is on my heart currently. While in Spain, I completed part of the El Camino De Santiago which is a pilgrimage across the country of Spain. I walked over 130 miles and met so many people from all over the world. While walking, I could tell I was gaining so much knowledge through the conversations I was having. I began reflecting on others words and how they could be related to my own life. As the miles went on and the distance to our destination lessened, I felt the affect of this trip starting to change me. But it wasn’t until I finally took off my hiking boots and my feet touched American soil that I could see the new perspectives I had gained.

Through this trip, I realized how much of an impact the people around me have on my personal happiness. On my fifth day of walking, my friend Claire and I were strolling along the dirt road when a pilgrim came up to us, pointed at our bags, and said with a chuckle “muy grande.” He could tell that we were physically exhausted from all the walking and probably the weight of our “very big” bags. When we began to walk up the hill, the man picked up Claire’s bag off of her back so that he was holding the weight. This one act of kindness, has been instilled in my mind and caused me to realize…

1. Be with people who lift you up and help ease your burdens.

This stranger who we had only briefly exchanged a few words to, went out of his way to help my friend. He was walking the same distance and yes, his bag was a bit smaller than ours but he was clearly still physically tired. Yet, he voluntarily made his pain worse in order to lessen Claire’s. Not only should I follow in his footsteps and help those around me, but also surround myself with people like that. I need to spend time with the people who push me to be the best version of myself. The type of person who goes out of their way and makes sure that you are okay. The people who are there for you in the good times and the bad. Those are the type of people who truly care for you.

2. Do not let things weighs you down.

Although, it might be hard for that fellow pilgrim to imagine, I packed the lightest I ever have for this trip. There is something truly humbling when you carry all of your possessions on your back. I realized how happy I was during this trip with no unnecessary material things. The people I walked with filled me with pure, unfabricated joy. I was watching “Up in the Air” with my mom last night and some wise words came from the main character played by George Clooney. He was advising people to fill an imaginary bag with people and “Feel the weight of that bag. Make no mistake – your relationships are the heaviest components in your life. Do you feel the straps cutting into your shoulders? All those negotiations and arguments, and secrets and compromises. You don’t need to carry all that weight.” I have always struggled with losing friendships, because I have always had the mindset the more the merrier. But I have unfortunately had to learn the hard way, that is not always the case. There comes a time where a certain relationship becomes toxic and causes more harm than good. Sometimes you have to empty the backpack before you know what to put back in it. My wise aunt once told me “a crappy person in your life is not worth hanging on to. It’s hard to let go. Like really hard. But that crappy person is taking up space that could be held by something else… like biking, painting, or a friend you actually like being around.”

You have the choice on what type of people you “fill your bag with”. You can either choose a person who lifts you up or someone who weighs you down. So make your decision wisely because those are the people you carry during your walk of life.

Sincerely the pilgrim with the big backpack,

Erin