"We are pilgrims in an unholy land..." - Sean Connery, "The Last Crusade"
Well, its about time we get started talking about the Pilgrimage for Restoration in Auresville. So a couple of things to note:
First off, ladies, I remember hearing worries that there would not be enough female companionship in a male dominated brigade. I'm here to tell you today that your fears are unwarranted. My mother laughs at me at least once a day as currently, myself and Aaron MacDonald are the only two men in what is currently an all female brigade. I'm currently working to balance things out a bit more.
The brigade currently has around 8 members. I say "around" because there are a few "maybes" that I would really like turned into "definite yes". Currently, the roster is:
Julian Ptak (myself)
Audrey MacDonald
Angela MacDonald
Aaron MacDonald
Rebekah Wielgos
Therese Ptak
Everyone else I have listed as "maybe". I know some of you are waiting for information regarding packing and preparing so here it comes:
1. Clothing. This is extremely important - "Cotton Kills"
When packing for the pilgrimage, find things that are not made of cotton. Cotton retains water and gives off heat. If you should get wet, you will quickly lose body heat and the water will cool you down. In September, that's bad news. I recommend things like Under Armour for shirts and pants. As for skirts, I don't shop for those on a regular basis so you're on your own.
Also, pack with rain in mind. Pack for it but pray we don't have to use it. You will have two packs you'll need. One you will not carry with you. That will house your tent and any campsite gear. The second pack will house your food, clothing and rain gear. Notice I do not say anything about water. Water is readily available on the pilgrimage. Since it is heavy, I don't recommend packing a lot of it if any at all. Pack with lightness in mind as well. The more light weight clothing you can pack that is still thermal, the better. After miles and miles on the road, every pound begins to weigh in on you. As for socks, I recommend you find "SmartWool" socks. I packed three pair last year and was good. Remember no cotton socks! If water should get to your feet, you'll have a very unpleasant experience. Keep your feet dry.
Shoes are a big deal as well. I don't recommend hiking boots. I tore up my feet quite badly with them last year. They're a bit too heavy for the constant pounding. Most of the walking is on tarmac (asphalt) roads. I recommend a light sneaker. If you think you need the ankle support then you can try high top sneakers. You're definitely going to need at least something behind your heel so flip flops, sandals, sneakers with no backs... probably not a good idea. I also would recommend not buying the sneakers immediately if you're going to buy new ones. I would wait until around September 1st, buy them and begin breaking them in. You don't want them to be too broken in or you'll have less support. You also don't want them to be brand new or your foot won't be accustomed to it. Remember, you're going to be walking A LONG time.
Let's come back to the possibility of rain for a moment. I recommend a plastic poncho at the very least. I have rain pants and a light rain coat that can be put on over whatever clothing I'm wearing. I recommend something like that although feel free to do the poncho. I wouldn't recommend an umbrella as it will probably become a chore to carry. So to sum things up: Cotton Kills, Pack for rain, Pack for lightness, Take care of your feet.
2. Food/Water - "Lembas bread. One small bite is enough to fill the belly of a grown man..." - Legolas
As silly as it may seem, think "Lembas bread". You want a lot of food in not a lot of space. Protein protein protein. Look into protein bars of various kinds, fruit of various kinds, snacks that will keep you energized for long periods of time... etc. Also you'll want to look into camping style meals for breakfast and dinner. Lunch will be eaten in the middle of the day halfway through our route so remember that the middle meal will have to be substantial to keep you going but it might not be warm. Breakfast tends to be eaten quickly so something light or something that can be eaten on the go is a good idea. Dinner should be as full-sized a meal as you can make it. There are some camping meals that only require hot water. Those were a good investment last year. As for snacks for the middle of the day, fruit is a good idea, apples, oranges, etc. Also, nuts are a common item. On the other side of the coin, things you can't get off a tree or from a bush, I used Shot Bloks last year which are like energy gummi sort of thing. Gatorade has something similar. I can't honestly say they gave me a ton of energy but they're a nice little thing to munch on while you walk or at a stop. These are mainly just recommendations and things to keep in mind. Its all up to your tastes for the most part. Just remember to keep yourself well fed with healthy stuff.
3. Morale - Sursum Corda! Lift up your hearts!
We'll be singing, saying the rosary, hopefully chatting, joking and carrying on in the most un-puritanical way possible. If you know any marching songs, try to brush up on them. Any tunes you want to sing, start learning them. Perhaps the hymns to Mary would be good songs to learn for the road.Since we are traditionalists, some Latin hymns would be great too. Remember we are the young adults brigade! We're in our prime and serving our Lord. We're all there to keep each other's spirits high. Get to know each other while we march. By the time we get to Auresville, we'll all be close friends. And there are no closer friends than traditionalist friends.
4. Camping - *Insert witty camping quote here*
You'll need a tent for yourself. A sleeping bag and a little mat for it are a good idea as well. You'll need to get the best night's sleep you can each night of the pilgrimage. The camping sites are segregated by gender so brothers won't be able to sleep in the same tent as sisters. Also, a good friend gave me excellent advice. When we reach the campsite for the evening, the first thing you might want to do is make a beeline for the showers. There's a limited supply of hot water so don't spread the knowledge to other brigades. Just high-tail it to the showers with a change of clothes. We can all chat later in the evening while munching on dinner. Toothpaste and a toothbrush are smart ideas. I will double-check but I'm pretty sure toilet paper is provided at the campsite. You will need a towel(s) though for showering.
5. Some odds and ends...
Restrooms are indeed provided along the route. If you stop to use one, you will need to run back up to your brigade as the pilgrimage will not stop. You can also take a van to the front of the pilgrimage and wait for your brigade to reach you. Please stay with your brigade though and do not wander into other groups while we are marching. Vans are provided if you begin to feel as though you need a break. If you decide to take a rest for a while, don't feel bad. You are still on the pilgrimage. We don't want you to get hurt. It would be better for you to take a short break and be able to keep walking later than to walk yourself right into a hospital bed.
As for transport to the pilgrimage, I'm still working on that although the first idea is to get a large caravan/carpool from the mid-west to meet at Auresville with a possible alternative of flying to New Jersey and driving up with myself and any other New Jersey pilgrims.
This is very important! We should meet up at a hotel in Auresville the day before the pilgrimage and spend the night there. It'll be an early start the next morning and we'll have a chance to discuss things in a leisurely way. Besides there is another wrinkle that needs to be considered. At the end of the pilgrimage, you won't be at the start. Sounds like common sense but the cars need to be rearranged so that there are some modes of transportation at the end of the pilgrimage to bring us all back to our cars at the start of the pilgrimage. There is also the organization of the carpool from the mid-west that needs to get figured out. I can get you all to the same location as best I can but once you are all together, you'll have to sort out driving shifts and gas and such on your own. It's going to be a long trip so it would be best to start figuring things out like this sooner rather than later. I'll begin working on a route to get you all connected to each other with minimal driving for you all. I'll email you all with the contact information of everyone and the names of the people you'll need to get in touch with to make sure everyone in the carpool is on the same page.
I think I covered most of the vital stuff but if you have any questions feel free to email me. Email me even if you don't have questions. It doesn't bother me one bit. Please keep the brigade in your prayers so that we might reach the minimal number needed of 12 participants. I think it's definitely doable and if all of the maybes turned into yeses we'd already be well past the limit. Thank you so much for looking into the pilgrimage and I look forward to hearing from and marching alongside all of you. God bless.
Sursum Corda!
In Christo Rege,
Julian Ptak
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