When God gives you Covid – You Make Vodka!

September 9, 2020

So… Here I am planning another long distance walk (ok, escape). 

I marched some 500 miles across Spain four years ago and I loved it. Loved it! I pushed my fat ass further and farther than I ever thought possible and I fukkin loved it. I dream about going back to the Camino de Santiago and rejoining the pilgrims as they push themselves past the wine, windmills, and wild paths. 

But- 

It’s a big ass world out there and I’ve got a big ass waiting to see it all. 

I’ve decided I’m going to try to plod along England’s Pennine Way-the Brit’s granddaddy of grand walks. 

The Pennine Way (to be known to all as TPW) has a reputation of being a soul crusher. TPW runs some 250 miles up England’s spine up and down its famed hills (I’m from Colorado and I’ll be damned if I’m going to call a molehill – foot hill a mountain) 

But, it’s not the elevation that reportedly kills you – it’s the bogs, the wind, the rain, and the assumption that walkers will and do get lost! TPW is earth’s “Black Hole” – there are scores of stories of amateurs and professionals getting lost along the way. Not encouraging news to me considering I get lost in my own home. 

HOLD THE PHONE – I’m not doing this!! I’m going to Iceland! 

Whaaaaat?!

Yeah, I know-fukkin Covid! 

I was all prepared for the green, lush English landscape, pub crawls, chips, and fried fish – but the gods had other plans. 

I’ve had to scrape my plans and luckily, my little brother is my big savior! We’re off to the land of Fire & Ice. Two weeks of traveling around Iceland. 

This should be fun(ish)

I haven’t spent this much time with my brother since he was a college student teaching English in Bordeaux and I was a 20-something young TV producer teaching everyone everything I knew about anything. We traveled together through France in the early 80s long before there was Google and Tripadvisor. Back then there were no spouses, no children, no iPhones, and no Trump! We had a blast. 

But that was nearly 40 years ago! Since then, I’ve gone grey, gained weight, had twin daughters, and have gained a huggge dependence on white wine. He’s gone grey, had 4 children, and his weakness is the lager. 

We’re not the same people we were when Madonna was worried about her “Holiday.” Our holiday will be a test of our enduring love, independence, and discovery of us as adults. I can’t wait to discover what we discover!