à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Resistance
The Price of Finishing
“Where are you heading?” asked the man seated next to me in the scenic car as Amtrak‘s California Zephyr rumbled across Illinois. I was multitasking — peering out the window while reviewing photos on my laptop — and glanced over. With his worn sweater, baggy pants and bug-shaped eyeglasses that harkened from the 1980s, he … Continue reading
It Takes a Village (to get a man) to Take a Shower
At one albergue in El Burgo Ranero, a village in the meseta, a hand-printed sign urged Pilgrims to shower before going to bed. Each albergue has its rules (no smoking, quiet hours, etc.) but this was a first. “Do people really need to be reminded?” I asked the volunteer hospitalera, a woman from Toronto. Who … Continue reading
Famous Last Words
Shortly after writing my previous post (A Tourist Demands. A Pilgrim Appreciates), I resumed the Camino after taking a day´s rest at a hostal in Burgos. I bought some warmer clothes, a fleece vest and a hooded top. And I enjoyed a room of my own: a double bed (rather than a bunk bed). A … Continue reading
The Many Flavors of Fear
As a young girl, I marveled at Baskin Robbins and its 31 flavors, a vast universe compared to the standard chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, or, if we were being fancy, pistachio. At one point bubble gum was my favorite, although I couldn’t figure out how to keep from swallowing the gum along with the ice … Continue reading
Inspired or Insane?
Since “(in)sanity” is on the à la carte menu, it’s time to dish out a serving. Last month I attended the Wake Up Festival, a nourishing buffet of poets, gurus, meditation instructors, scientists, musicians, writers and yogis who shared their experiences on the process of enlightenment and practices to stave off “endarkenment”. David Whyte read … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
Recent comments