Once upon a time I was walking across Spain, learning about myself, the world, and the wonders of the universe. I was really trying to untangle some of my backwards beliefs, like the idea that contentment equals settling, thus is bad. Where do these beliefs even come from and how do I deal with them? The whole experience had been completely unforgettable, but Day 7 was truly magical.

We were in the town of Logroño, and a couple of other pilgrims explained to me that Logroño was known for its tapas. Normally we all ate the “pilgrim’s menu” at the local restaurants because it was cheaper, and filling, but we decided to deviate from that in this special gastronomic paradise. Javi and Jesús Luis were the two Spaniards who led the way for me, Kyle from Canada, Walter from Austria, and Marcos from Estonia - who proudly declared that Skype was invented in Estonia. We were quite a group, as we bar hopped, gorging ourselves on Spanish delicacies with names like “bomba” and “wonderbra”, and beer. As we sipped our cafés con leche, Kyle declared that it was one of the best days of his life, and I agreed.

After a short nap, I did my laundry, and lounged around, writing in my journal. This particular “albergue” or pilgrim’s hostel was special because it had an enclosed patio with a small fountain in the middle for soaking tired feet. As others started to wake from their naps, we all gathered round the fountain, feet plunged in the refreshing, ice cold water, as we traded tales. Pretty soon a goofy Spaniard I’d seen a couple times on the trail plopped down next to us, groggily bent over, and reached in the water to splash some on his face. Horrified, I watched as he rubbed the water all over his face and neck. Everyone stared. “Dude! That’s foot water!” someone yelled. We all started laughing and he just shrugged his shoulders and asked if we were ready for another round of tapas. And that was how I officially met what would become my live-in boyfriend, Yago.

We had another incredible bout of tapas hopping before I wrote the following in my journal:

“…We all laughed and ate great food and relaxed in a beautiful city. How lucky we are! As I sit on this lovely sun-filled, laundry-covered, enclosed patio with gurgling fountain in the middle for soaking weary feet, I am truly filled with such joy and peace. In spite of the pain and blisters I am overwhelmed with contentment, and for once I am not thinking of it as a negative thing. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere better with more wonderful company. I feel for once that I am truly living and loving life to the fullest. ‘The glory of God is man fully alive.’ I am fully alive.”

Those moments are rare and fleeting, but I pray that I continue to be hyper-aware of them, recognizing and savoring them. That is my prayer for you too. May you have and recognize the moments that you are “man fully alive.”