Los Arcos: The World is Nuthouse

Trip Start Jul 20, 2009

Trip End Aug 31, 2009

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Flag of Spain and Canary Islands Los Arcos, Navarra, Spain and Canary Islands
Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Stayed in a friendly hostel run by Belgian volunteers in this interesting town. Have seen some pilgrims have to leave about this time, including Jane, the woman working in Barcelona. She had been very encouraging in my interest to perhaps teach English overseas. I�ve been thinking alot about why I turned down doing so with Jen in Hong Kong, and I think it had to do with both the distance and the location... more thinking to do.

Eve, a Catalan young woman from Barcelona, also left today, getting picked up by her Basque boyfriend. Over a few beers, we talked spanish politics. It was darkened by the news of the Burgos bombings that had occurred just hours ago, and only a few days� walks away. It was very interesting to hear their perspective. With tim and someo thers, we also talked a bunch about history, the learning and coping with it, and about America. It is great to be able to talk about such things, mostly WWII, but also very intense. Sometimes the America talk gets exhausting...

Since being here, I�ve had to tell so many people that I am from the United States. With each repetition, I am hearing myself say the words and wondering more and more about their implications. i�ve only met one other American here, and I am becoming more concerned with my identity as an American. I think I have always felt somewhat disociated from the nation... for various reasons... it is so big, i am so young, it is them not me. �America� as some concept that I am somewhat loosely associated with... that is not how it works here. Many people have so many questions, criticism and false perceptions. I am from the United States, and I am thinking more about what that means...

Great fun with the group tonight... much laughter at the very bizarre Italian religious youth group. One boy is lugging a full guitar along their partial camino, and is very nondiscerning about breaking it out. Their rendition of �YMCA�, in which the YMCA part is replaced with �paaaasta ragu� had me almost in tears, while trying not to be rude. Iwish taht i knew german... they try their best to translate important things to me, but i feel like i am missing out. Funniest of all is the dynamic between Simon and his mother... at one point, while watching the crazy Italians, she turned to the group and said �the world is a nuthouse and we�re at the headquarters.�