Before the Departure for the Shikoku Pilgrimage as a Family: Plans and Mindsets

With everything that's happening, what has happened, and what isn't happening... I feel like some of you might be a bit lost! With only a few days left before the start of one of the greatest adventures we've ever experienced, here's a quick update on our situation, our plans, and our state of mind.

But what has happened since we announced our departure for the Americas and the Know Your Home project in January 2016? A lot! A departure that was delayed several times, projects that intersected, almost came to fruition, and others that turned everything upside down.

Since my (replica of) mononucleosis forced us to rethink our plans, we had the project to hike the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) in the US (like in the movie Wild!), we've completed all the paperwork at the embassy for the visa extension, and then we changed plans. We applied for a Working Holiday Visa for Canada just before turning 30, received one for Amandine but not for François, and changed plans again... We decided to have a baby, I needed surgery, and we delayed the start of our attempts by six months. We replaced a trip to Guatemala with a trip to Antarctica. I have strolled with my plump belly to almost all corners of the globe...

And we welcomed our little Manoa, who just celebrated his half-birthday.

So, in summary, this is what has happened over the past few months. A constant emerges: change. It seems that if we have plans, it's to better change them! One thing is for sure, travel has taught us to bounce back and our plans depend on as many letters of the alphabet as necessary...

In a few hours, a great adventure will begin, what can I say, a gigantic journey: the Shikoku pilgrimage. 88 temples, 1200 km... and our feet as our only means of transportation (after the plane!).

We will stay just over two months in Japan for this project (oh joy!) and upon our return, we will have less than 3 weeks before the big departure. The real Big Departure: the one for our Know Your Home project. We will retrieve our car in Halifax and cross Canada from east to west, gaining momentum as we head up to Alaska to better descend along the Pan-American Highway to the fjords of Patagonia... That's the idea at least!

Let's not kid ourselves, butterflies are fluttering around in my stomach, causing some cramps along the way! Excitement, joy, loss of bearings, anxieties over the shrinking deadlines... A true emotional rollercoaster, but even more intense than usual.

It's a question I've asked myself. Especially thinking about the 1200 kilometers ahead of us, all those temples perched atop mountains, the idea of carrying my baby intensively, and the fact that I can only bring one backpack to carry the belongings of the whole family for these 2 months...

Fear? No, that's not it, it's something else. A certain apprehension. Lots of questions, and above all, a real uncertainty.

I don't know.

I don't know if we will complete this pilgrimage, if we will make it through this journey. I don't know how we will experience this first big adventure as a family. And this is the very first time I am experiencing this...

For someone who already has a little traveling experience, it's a rather strange feeling. A little voice in my head tells me, >. Neither good nor bad. Just new.

That's how I've decided to welcome these uncertainties. Neither good nor bad. I don't have answers to provide them, and I probably won't until the end of this journey. So they will wait, quietly, in a peaceful corner of my mind, observing the daily spectacle of our walk. Afterwards, when everything is over, they can resurface, when it's time to debrief and assess. They can say >.

And as far as the pragmatic management of preparations and travel is concerned, we are counting on our great capacity to adapt, communicate, and listen. We want this journey to be a long walk. We expect to face certain difficulties, to live moments that will require us to draw from our physical and mental resources. But above all, we wish this journey to reflect our image, desires, and needs... especially those of our baby.

Amidst all these considerations, when my mind thinks about this journey, setting aside the challenge aspect, it keeps saying in a loop:

We are so happy to return to this country and this island (Shikoku) that left us with wonderful memories. We are very curious to discover it more deeply. My heart does ache a bit thinking that, for the very first time in 5 trips to Japan, we won't be going to Kyoto!

Japan and this pilgrimage will be his first big trip! After spending a few days in Spain and Germany, this will be his first long flight and first trip outside of Europe.

If this pilgrimage is a challenge for any hiker, I have some bonus difficulties to add:

By becoming a mother, I chose to take responsibility for another living being. To cherish him, do everything I can to meet his needs, and accompany him in his growth and discoveries.

I believe that with his dad and mom nearby, food available at all times (long live breastfeeding!), comforting arms, and loving kisses, a baby has most of his needs met. And since our baby has a severe reflux problem, carrying him even more, especially vertically, during this trip should be beneficial for him. However, we have no idea how he will react: to the long flight, to the time change, to changing living conditions, to the change in rhythm, to daily walks... and we want to support him with as much kindness as possible.

The Shikoku pilgrimage is our project, our dream... but not at any cost. We hope the stars will watch over our footsteps and good luck will accompany us (you always need a bit of luck for any journey to go well)... and for the rest, we will see!

From Europe, it's referred to as the Japanese Compostela. It's a Buddhist pilgrimage, one of the most famous and important in Japan. It involves circling the island of Shikoku, one of the 4 major islands of the Japanese archipelago, while stopping to pray at 88 temples, with some bonus temples added for the more courageous. And when it comes to elevation, this pilgrimage is not to be taken lightly. François said with a smile this morning:

No, I didn't know. Sometimes, it's better not to know...

It seems that the Japanese tend to do this pilgrimage in a motorized way, with the important part being stopping to pray at each temple. While foreigners who come to Shikoku seek a complete Japanese immersion experience, and the walking from one temple to another is just as important, if not more so, than the temples themselves. We are particularly drawn to the immersive experience brought by walking, and hope to succeed in covering all the ground on foot.

A big question that might find a more tangible answer once the trip starts or finishes... Looking back at all the trips we've almost completed (like the PCT), we find this desire to walk. For several years now, we've aspired to a true experience of slow travel, wanting to savor the landscapes underfoot.

This journey also comes at a very special time in our lives. We just became parents. We are getting ready to leave for 3 years of travel in the Americas... Our lives are changing rapidly and we are at a crossroads. In addition, I want to dedicate myself to my baby, with the thought of homeschooling (home schooling... or world-schooling!). The need to find a balance between a nomadic and sedentary life. Perhaps also the desire to develop a new way of working, still in coaching, with the aspect of positive parenting added to my areas of interest. And also the need for François to rethink his professional activity (in short, due to KISS syndrome detected in Manoa, he was diagnosed with KIDD syndrome, leading to early arthritis in his cervical vertebrae. Sitting behind a computer all day is therefore not recommended for him).

And why choose a walk linked to a religion, you might ask?

We aren't religious... but that doesn't mean that spirituality doesn't play a part in our lives. More than a search for meaning, I see this walk as a quest for harmony. With nature, with the world, with my partner, with my family and baby... and with myself. And with the great bonus of being in Japan! A country that we love so much! This will be our 5th trip (already) there: we have never spent so much time in another country (our > next longest being Peru, with 3 trips on site totaling 57 days, plus Chile and Mexico...) - not counting my 6-month internship in Quebec!

We have 62 days to cover this pilgrimage. We would like to walk 20 to 25 kilometers a day to leave ourselves a few days to rest... All this coinciding with the end of our trip around the same time as the most popular dates for the Japanese: Golden Week. And this year will be (even more) special because, at the same time, the emperor's succession will take place... In short, it promises to be crowded and particularly difficult to find accommodation. But we shall see!

On the practical side, François will carry our belongings in an ultralight Osprey Levity 60 backpack (the large version of the Levity 45 bag that François already tested during our last trip to Japan). He wanted to keep the total weight to no more than 18.5 pounds (the weight of the bag plus that of the belongings), in order to maintain a certain enjoyment of completing this journey and be able to offer assistance with the baby if necessary. I will carry Manoa in a structured baby carrier that allows both front and back carrying.

In order to finalize our family backpack, several compromises were necessary. I wanted to take a ring sling baby carrier to allow for a different carrying option from time to time. I would have liked to have a travel pillow to facilitate nighttime breastfeeding sessions. I would have liked to leave with plenty (plenty) of food reserves. Not that we eat badly in Japan (far from it!), but in addition to being a big foodie, I am also a constant eater since I started breastfeeding, and I think walking will only amplify that phenomenon! Well, let's be honest, I will try to sneak in a few chocolate bars into the bag until the last moment...

Until the very end, François hesitated to take his photography equipment. Initially, he envisioned reducing it: only a body and two small lenses in addition to the Dji Osmo Pocket... Then he calculated all angles and concluded that no, it wouldn't fit. He resigned himself to taking his phone as his only tool... Until five days before departure, when I sent him a link from a travel videographer for inspiration. Change of plans: he will manage to take his gear with him, which in the end weighs 22 pounds.

In principle, we should be in similar weight categories, with perhaps a slight > on the side of our chubby baby! At 6 months, our little angel already weighs 17.6 pounds... weight to which we need to add his clothes, the baby carrier, the rain cover (against wind and rain)... And everything will weigh around 22 pounds... at the start of the journey! Who knows how many grams (pounds?!) our baby will gain during this trip!

We have decided to travel light. No computer, no tablet... just our two phones, which will help us navigate, book accommodations, and stay in touch. We will post regularly (without knowing how often) on social media, especially on Instagram stories: we are enjoying it more and more, both on our account @unsacsurledos and on the recently created @Manoas_discoveries. So, come follow our adventure!

The blog will be a bit on pause during our walk. We will offer a weekly throwback article from the blog on our Facebook page, but we do not expect to publish new articles during this journey (and, unlike usual, I was unable to prepare any to maintain the publication schedule... the joys of being new parents!). During this trip, we will be fully immersed in the experience during the day... and trying to rest at night.

So, I think I've answered the questions we've been receiving often lately about our upcoming plans. If you have any more, feel free to leave them in the comments.

I want to say see you soon on the blog... and very soon on social media!

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