Chasing Dreams

A new way of living – on purpose

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Guided by curiosity, shaped by experience, and still discovering what’s possible.

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  • What I Take With Me From The Camino

    Final Day – Porto, Portugal I had a full day to explore Porto and chose the seaside to be where I would spend my final moments in Portugal. I had booked a hotel in Foz do Douro, close to beaches and restaurants. In typical Camino fashion, I woke early, put my shoes on, and went…

  • Slowly, Slowly

    Day 11 – Agueda to Albergaria-a-Nova 24km The night before, we were warned the heat would arrive by 10 a.m.10 a.m.! So we woke early and stepped out into cool air and morning fog. Two local roosters battled over who could be heard the loudest while birdsong carried through the stillness around them. Everyone at…

  • Heat, Rain and the Gifts Along the Way

    Days 7–10 | Ansião → Rabaçal → Coimbra → Sernadelo → Águeda110 km over 4 days The last four days have felt both very long and very fast. Early alarms. Quiet departures in the dark. Walking before sunrise to get ahead of the heat. Long stretches of trail with only footsteps and thought. Then afternoons…

  • Small Awakenings

    Day 5 – Tomar to Vila Verde20 kmTwo beers. One ice cream with fresh orange rind. Our walk out of Tomar led us into a dense forest still wet with morning dew. The aroma of damp earth awakened the body to a new day. Spring flowers erupted with colour in the soft morning light, while…

  • Camino Connections: Listening to the Land

    Day 3 — Vale de Figueira to Golegã22 km walked + 8 km wandering around GolegãOne pastry, one wine, one bug (unintentional), and one bowl of snails (intentional) Similar to the roads of Portugal, my travel plans have taken a new shape. I arrived focused on reaching my final destination; now I pay attention to…

  • Camino Connections: When the Road Feels Different

    Day 1 and Day 2 on the Camino could not have been more opposite of each other. Same backpack.Same shoes.Same country. Completely different experience. And honestly, it felt symbolic of life itself. Day 1 Sacavém to Vila Franca de Xira27 km walked.One espresso. Two beers. Two pastries. My cup was so full I don’t think…

  • Camino Connections: The Space Between Departing and Beginning

    The journey began long before I stepped onto the trail. It started in my driveway, when my family drove me to the airport. I didn’t think I would cry, but suddenly there I was — hugging everyone goodbye and apologizing.“Sorry I’m missing track.”“Sorry I’m missing your birthday.” The guilt took hold for a moment. Then…

  • The Work Before the Walk – Part 3: What I Carry

    Less than two weeks. I can hardly believe it. I feel genuinely blessed to be doing this — physically, mentally, and financially. Not lost on me, not for a second. As the date gets closer, I’ve been paying attention to what comes up. The fears. The uncertainties. I know I carry decades of conditioning, experiences,…

  • The Work Before the Walk – Part 2: Body

    Moving my body has become one of the ways I steady myself. It’s physical, yes—but it reaches far beyond that. A couple of years ago, I found myself in a season that felt heavy. Winter felt longer than usual.Life felt harder than it should.There were things happening that were completely out of my control—and they…

  • The Work Before the Walk — Part 1: Mind 

    I’ve heard people say you don’t need to prepare for the Camino—you just need to walk.  That everything you need will be provided along the way.  There’s something really beautiful in that. A kind of surrender. A trust in the unknown.  And part of me loves that idea.  But for me, preparing has mattered.  Not in a rigid, have-it-all-figured-out kind of way— more in…