Annie P. Woods

Our trip is almost over, and through journaling about every single thing I can remember about the Camino, our time in Barcelona, and now filling our cup in Valencia… My soul is craving freedom and simplicity.

For a long time I have wondered what this app is for, considering that this is not where my clients come from. I enjoy creating content, but only when I feel like it, and just about the things I feel like… the algorithm doesn’t really like that, and that’s okay… I like having who I have around… But is not the creation that concerns me, but rather the consumption.

I feel like I have lost a lot of life while witnessing other people’s, and the small hits of dopamine make it really hard for me to use this platform with moderation. After all… I am an abstainer at heart.

So, for the sake of following my gut… I will be back (maybe) sometime after the fall equinox (Sept 22nd) and maybe by then I will have found a way to relate to this app that actually works for me. In the meantime I will only post through my computer on the days I publish my substack essays.

Substack is where you will be able to find my writing and life updates. Please go follow me there, it would mean the world to me.

See you in the fall!

Day 7. Pedron to Santiago de Compostela- 14.2 miles

We did it! I cried, it was epic. Today was probably the hardest physical day for Cade (day 2 dehydration not withstanding) carrying our daughter through some steep uphills, through pouring rain… I could cry all over again just thinking about how grateful I am for who he’s been this whole trip, and specially today. He told me at the start of our trip that his trail name on the PCT was “porter” because he carried everything… this is still true… but his Camino name shall be “Pappa Bear.” I will always love how much you enjoyed showing our baby the world, and showing her to the world

Today, we first saw the pointy ears of the chapel from a Tony chapel consecrated to Mary Magdalene, I took that as the best sign…such a symbol of the sacred feminine announcing the end of this journey was more than what I could’ve asked for. Thank you Mother for guiding your children.

Soon I will write more about today and all the days… but for now, we rest.

Day 6. Caldas de Reis a Padron.- 12.5 miles

Today was a wet one! We keep moving fast but had to make a lot more technical stops to secure trash bags over our bag and carrier. Cade loves creative problem solving, and I regret not buying the rain covers 🙄

It rain from the moment we woke up but we chose to march on, saying goodbye to our good friend Fatima who will be getting to Santiago on Wednesday, making some successful stops and making new friends on the way.

We had heard of the “other” baby on the Camino, but we finally stopped at the same cafe and were able to photograph them together. Sara was accompanied by her mom and her grandma 😍 and seeing them made me think about what is possible for fio and I, maybe, in the future. For now, I just adore that we got to meet them.

We hikes about 3 miles with the coolest Italian couple, and I am so grateful because the last lonely mile was really tough.

Now we rest… because tomorrow we complete the journey. ⛪️

Día 5. Pontevedra to Caldas del Reus. -13.7 miles

Our favorite day so far, a reminder that you can’t skip “day two,” in order to get to the best part you get to overcome whatever is in the way… for us it was an absurd heat and terrible scenery.

Today we started at a parador, and “early” por our standards… We had a great breakfast (which I insist on every morning) and we were like speedy Gonzalez on the trail.

An hour in we were stopped by a group of Portuguese teachers that were doing the Camino in stages. They of course were obsessed with the baby on the road and offered us wine and bread… happy, thank you, more please. (Last photo is one we requested of them when we ran into each other at our final destination.)

Caldas is the most compact city we’ve visited so far and I really like it.

Day two with Fio in the Poco was amazing! She only complained when she was sleepy and she fell asleep twice. Now that the Camino central and coastal are just one she gets lots more attention.

We have two more days to go and I am so excited!

Today’s lesson is: If you have the energy, go for it!

Say 4. Redondela-ish to Pontevedra. 11 miles

It was D-day to mail our stroller and start carrying Fio in her back carrier. We made it in one piece through some of the most beautiful nature I have ever seen. It was a bit of an expensive adventure to get the stroller sent out, so I wish we would have planned ahead for that… lesson learned.

We also finally started making talk with other pilgrims, and the two routes we were one Camino Portuguese Central and Camino Portuguese finally converged in Redondela.

Fellow pilgrims are obsessed with Fio, and we learned at the Parroquia de la Virgen Peregrina that she is one of two babies to be on the route this year.

Today felt like a huge WIN on the road, and tomorrow should bring it’s own challenges with the length of the trek.

Here is the prayer I have been reciting every morning when we head out:

Pachamama,

May we find ourselves and each other on the trail, may we listen to you, may we love you, may we walk beautifully on you.

Amen

Day 2. Baiona to Vigo, A po la costa.

Today was beautiful and brutal. We chose to sleep in, didn’t leave the palace until checkout time (because who the hell would?!) And by the time we made it on the trail we realized we couldn’t take classic Camino Portugués because of the stroller.

Fast forward like an hour and we got a bit lost 😬 and got on the coastal route to Vigo.

The view was absolutely breathtaking, the beaches were beautiful, but the trail itself? Boring!

We know we made the right decision taking that route, it was the safest for all of us… but man, we wished there would have been a bit more oomph! And a little less concrete walking because to killed us!

My feet are very sore at the moment, and Cade had a scary (to me) dehydration episode. So we are currently regrouping and making plans to hike with her in her backpack carrier and send the stroller to the next stop to other our backpack.

Biggest lesson today: take care of yourself so you can take care of your team.

Also! I decided to have my first beer in over 7 years, it felt appropriate, and I am happy to announce that I didn’t miss it 🤷🏽‍♀️ and don’t think I’ll be experimenting with that again. I’ll write a bit more about that on a future Substack essay.

In the meantime… send good joo joo! Tomorrow will be physically demanding but possibly the most beautiful part of the journey!

6 years ago My favorite prayer found me again and it stayed with me. In this week’s short essay I write about how it changed me and how it can do the same for you.

Don’t mind the lighting 😂😂😂 this is a post of appreciation to myself…. A lot is happening in this photo that less than a decade ago felt impossible:

🦄 I just ran my second 5K of the year, and I used to say “I hate running” pretty religiously after a CrossFit workout.
🌈 I am an out and proud bi-woman which is a gift of authentically stepping into myself after my immigration.
🧑‍🧑‍🧒 I have a daughter and a beautiful, healthy relationship with someone who is committed to growth.

Just a round of applause to present me, from all the past versions that got me here. We did it!

Today is Mother’s Day in the Dominican Republic… let us never forget that our world runs on Mother’s unpaid labor… and FIX IT!

Feliz día de las madres!

👚 by

It’s very hard to make headway when you’re trying to please everyone but yourself, when you don’t even know what you want, you will most likely self-sabotage on your way to someone else’s dream.

What do you want, darling?

Do you know why you’re stuck? Let me know if any of these resonates with you? 👇🏽

How the Amazon experiment went… let me know if you’d like to know more and answer the poll below 👇🏽 Would you give up Amazon for a month?

How the Amazon experiment went… let me know if you’d like to know more and answer the poll below 👇🏽 Would you give up Amazon for a month?

Started a series reviewing my latest round of goals, my efforts, my lessons, and what’s next. Here are some reflections on work, and how ai think it went.

Subscribe to my substack to keep up with this saga, find it in the link in my bio.

This week I felt like there was no real energy to create something new… so here’s a collection of poems with no through line 😂… May you find yourself in a line or two.

This one was a vulnerable one… talking spirituality so openly feels like opening myself up to be judged, but I am more and more committed to standing in my truth. I hope you enjoy it and consider subscribing to my newsletter.

As an enneagram type 8, innocence is both my lost virtue and holy grail… my daughter is constantly mirroring it for me, and it is scary. Read about it on my latest substack.

TW childhood sexual abuse.

Read about how “Blame” molds interactions in my home country, and what I’ve learned is the antidote to a shame ridden practice.