Category: Family

Part 2: Planning and Preparation

Posted on by Pete Schloss

 

Planning and daydreaming of the Camino had become a  preoccupation for us in early 2012. It bordered on obsession. We shared our thoughts with friends and family. Word spread of our plans. We found that there were others in Kansas City who had walked the Camino. One such person was Thomas Lin who reached out with suggestions and a referral to his friend in Barcelona, Ana Dargallo Nieto, who would later welcome us with a tour of her city.

Thomas had walked in 2009, starting from St. Jean Pied de Port, France. With gear in hand Thomas took a moment for coffee at an outdoor café before taking to the trail. He was surprised to see the familiar face of actor Martin Sheen.

 

Minutes later Emilio Estevez approached him and asked if he wanted to be an “extra” on a movie that they were shooting, “The Way”. Thomas declined, not wanting to delay his departure.

Early planning lacked certainty for us and the Camino remained more daydream than reality. That changed on July 4th when we secured our reservations on Delta flight 694 Kansas City to Atlanta and then on to Barcelona. April 8, 2013 was our “D-Day”. We would return 6 weeks later on May 31st.

Making the flight reservations was an easy part. There was still the challenge of packing for a 6 week “backpacking” trip. It had been 20 years since our children and I had shared annual one week backpacking trips in the Rocky Mountains.

 

I still had my equipment. Typical of those trips were the 40 pounds of clothing, equipment, and supplies carried on my back. If that was what I had needed for one week, how much would I have to carry for 6 weeks?

The internet provided some insights through an online Camino Forum. Thousands of “Peregrinos” exchanged questions and answers about all things Camino. I learned that a full backpack averaged between 15 and 20 pounds. Some folks took pride on whittling that down to as little as 10. My first efforts at minimalizing resulted in this list:

SPAIN PACKING LIST

CLOTHES:

  • 4 pair underwear.
  • Hiking boots.
  • Sandals
  • 4 pair outer socks.
  • 4 pair sock liners.
  • 2 sets of “scrubs”.
  • 2 “tech” tees, short sleeve.
  • 2 “tech” tees, long sleeves.
  • 2 long pants.
  • 2 short pants.
  • Windbreaker
  • “Stuffable” down jacket
  • Fleece vest.
  • Tilley Hat.
  • D-ring belt.
  • Gloves, inner and outer.

GEAR:

  • Pack. Osprey Atmos 50
  • Fanny Pack.
  • Trekking poles.
  • Poncho.
  • Flashlight.
  • Blinker light.
  • Pedometer, GPS?
  • Whistle.
  • Binoculars.
  • Knife.
  • Wine key.
  • 2 water bottles.
  • Cell phone and cable/charger.
  • Camera and cables.
  • I-Touch, headphones, cables/charger.
  • Portable speaker, cables/charger.
  • Pen and Notebook.
  • Zip-lok bags.
  • Sewing kit.
  • Space blanket.
  • Sunglasses.
  • Parachute cord.

TOILETRIES/MEDICAL:

  • Backpacking towel.
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste.
  • Razor.
  • Soap.
  • Shampoo.
  • Laundry soap.
  • Prescriptions.
  • Small 1st aid kit.
  • Band-Aids, blister skin, duct tape.
  • Ibuprofen.
  • Nasal Spray.
  • Safety pins and clothes pins.

DOCUMENTS:

  • Passport.
  • Camino documents.
  • Guidebook.

MISC:

  • Rosary.
  • “Talismans”. Stone and Pilgrim’s Prayer for the Cruz de Farro.

As I assembled the items I found that I was over the suggested limits by a good 10 pounds. I was packing for all the “what if’s” I could imagine. I took a piece of advice to heart, “Spain is not a third world country”. The process of elimination got my pack down to 21 pounds. Christine was more successful, achieving 16.

 

 

We trained by carrying our packs on long walks through the neighborhoods.  We would later find on the Camino that the first Albergues (hostels) had tables, and even rooms full of “just in case” items discarded by pilgrims after their first arduous days afoot. A week into our journey I would mail 4 pounds of stuff back to our B&B in Barcelona.  

Friends queried us with concern for our safety. We were often asked if we would be taking self-defense measures with us. Mace was frequently suggested, once a firearm was even recommended. A bit of research revealed that in 2012 there was a total of 364 homicides in Spain, a country of over 47 million people. The likelihood of personal violence was over 7 times greater in the United States. No mace, and certainly no firearms.

Other frequent questions had to do with whether we would be part of a tour group. Would there be a guide? What about hotel reservations? Would we be camping, cooking? Do you speak Spanish? Is the water safe to drink?

The Camino Forum, and especially a guidebook written by John Brierley, “A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago” (frequently updated and available on Amazon) proved very helpful.

 

No tour group, we would be walking on our own but soon find company with countless other Peregrinos. The Camino was well marked. Villages with services could be found every few miles. There were many Albergues, Casa Rurals, and Guest Houses. Larger towns had hotels if one was so inclined. The Albergues were typically “first come first served”, rarely taking reservations. By choice there would be no camping or cooking. Restaurants and cafés along the way had discounted menus for the pilgrims. Christine began studying basic “Spanglish” while I could point fluently in most any language. My high school and college German might also prove helpful as English, French, and German speakers were common on the Camino. And yes, the water was safe to drink, “Spain is not a third world country”.

The final destination of the Camino is the Cathedral in Santiago, reputed to be the repository of the human remains of St. James the Apostle.

 

 

Peregrinos who walked the final 100km (about 60 miles) in a continuous journey could present themselves to the Cathedral office and receive a Compostela (certificate of completion).

 

It was also permitted to travel the Camino by bicycle and even by horse, in which cases one had to complete the final 200km as a continuous journey.

The Pilgrim Office at the Cathedral would not take your word that you had met the requirements for the Compostela. Proof in the form of a pilgrim “credencial” was required. This document, obtained free of cost, would be stamped each day by the Albergue as evidence of the passage. It could also be stamped by most churches, municipal offices, restaurants, and cafés.

 

 

The credencial often becomes as treasured a keepsake as the Compostela for the pilgrim who has made the pilgrimage. Credencials can be obtained at most starting points on the Camino. We obtained pilgrim’s credencials from a group in the United States, The American Pilgrims on the Camino, (“APOC”).

In the course of our journey we were frequently presented with what we came to call “Camino Moments”. These little “miracles” left us to marvel at how much lies beyond our capacity to under. Unbeknownst to us at the time, the APOC volunteer who issued us our credencials was Kris Ashton of Denver Colorado. We met Kris by chance as we walked the Camino and became fast friends sharing sections of the journey and occasionally accommodations.

 

Our friendship has continued to date with frequent visits to each other’s homes. Kris even joined us in 2018 for a week cruising the ancient canals of England and Wales.

As our departure approached I took upon myself the mission of including the grandchildren. We talked about Grandpa and Grandma “walking across Spain”. They had seen the guest bedroom of our home taken over by an accumulation of clothing, backpacks, trekking poles, sleeping bags and other necessities for our “adventure”. Pilgrims on the Camino mark themselves by displaying a scallop shell (“concha”), usually from a necklace or attached to one’s backpack. I purchased a number of large and small shells which I affixed to lanyards, small ones for the grandchildren and large ones for us.

 

Our shells remain as another treasured memento of our journey to Santiago.

Peace Everyone. Pete
Next: Part 3, The Journey Begins with a First Stamp

Part 1: “The Way” it Began

Posted on by Pete Schloss

 

Our lives are a litter of seemingly insignificant moments. When viewed in the rear view mirror of time those moments loom large as having crafted the experiences that define us. An offhand comment offered by a university professor; “Mr. Schloss, have you ever considered being a lawyer? You should.”  The selection of one of two cities offered for a new job; I chose Kansas City over St. Louis solely because I had never been there before. An invitation by a stranger to pause from walking my dog for a beer; A few minutes later that beer led to meeting a young lady who would later become my wife of nearing 44 years. How different my life would have been if those events had happened differently or not at all.

One such moment occurred at lunch with my good friend, Hugh O’Donnell. Hugh occasionally offered movie recommendations. On that day in late 2011 he was particularly adamant that I see a little advertised movie, “The Way” which was written and directed by Emilio Estevez and starred his father, Martin Sheen.

Not wanting to spoil the movie, Hugh yet enticed me by explaining that the story was one particularly suited to me. He fell just short of making me promise that I would go. I was intrigued. Online reviews of the low budget independent film were effusive. I was hooked.

The weekend was upon us and with no special plans I suggested to Christine that we take in a movie. “Hugh has recommended that we see “The Way”. He was really strong with his endorsement.” Christine is usually reluctant to spend a “few hours sitting in a theater”. However she is pretty good at figuring out if I am just looking for something to do, or really invested in seeing a particular show. I prevailed and off to the movies we went.

One does not spend $20.00 dollars or so at a movie with the expectation of having a life-changing experience. A bottle of water, bucket of popcorn, and box or two of candy was all that we expected we would be buying. Looking back on that evening, It was the most expensive movie we will ever see. It has cost us thousands of dollars and it will likely cost us thousands more before our lives conclude… and worth every penny.

“The Way” is the story of Thomas Avery, played by Martin Sheen. Tom is a workaholic physician who is frustrated by his son’s failure to share the father’s work ethic and view of life. The son, Daniel Avery (played by Emilio Estevez), is leaving for Spain to “walk the Camino”. As Tom is driving Daniel to the airport the son reveals that he is leaving his post graduate studies in order to find his true life’s calling. Dad’s anger rises and Tom challenges Daniel to explain what he expects to make out of his life. The son responds to the argument with the arresting line, “You don’t  choose a life Dad, you live one”.

Tom’s life is turned upside down when a few days later he receives a call from a police inspector in southern France advising that Daniel has died. The Father travels to St. Jean Pied de Port in France to identify his son and return his remains to the United States. Tom learns that Daniel died when he was caught in a violent storm while crossing the Pyrenees mountains on his first day walking the Camino.

Later that evening, lost in his grief, Tom stares at his son’s backpack. The Father realizes that he never really knew Daniel. Perhaps Tom’s last opportunity to understand what was important to Daniel may found by taking up his son’s backpack and continuing the journey Daniel had started. The father’s own journey of self-discovery thus begins.

 

“The Camino” is a medieval pilgrimage walk with its final destination the Cathedral in Santiago Spain, reputed to house the remains of St. James the Apostle. For over a thousand years pilgrims (“Peregrinos”) from the world over have undertaken this 500+ mile physical, emotional, and spiritual journey. “The Way” has planted the seeds of pilgrimage in the minds of thousands of Americans. Many of the nearly 8,000 American’s who “walked the Camino” in 2013 point to the movie as the genesis of their journey. So it was with us.

 

As we left the theater, I became aware that Christine had been profoundly moved. She still showed signs of the tears that had come to her during the show. “So Chris, what did you think”, I asked. Her answer marked the moment that I found the course of my life changed. After a short pause, she replied, “I’m going to do that”.

“You mean walk the Camino?!” I was incredulous. My Wife is known for her determination, but not for athletic pursuits. 20 years earlier I thought our marriage might end because of the one and only backpacking trip I had convinced her to take with me. That 3 day hike in the mountains of New Mexico might have covered 20 miles. Here she was talking about hiking over 500 miles from Southern France, across the snowcapped Pyrenees mountains and then west to the Atlantic Ocean.

 

The only answer that I could muster was, “Well, can I go too?” I thought she was kidding, but I hoped she was not. I too was victim of “The Way” and found myself captivated by the idea of taking 6 weeks to pursue the Tom Avery experience.

Over the months the followed “The Camino” repeatedly came up in our conversations. It was clear that the idea was firmly planted in our minds. Furthermore, it was Christine’s idea. It presented her with the opportunity to choose our next adventure after having helped with an adventure that I had embarked upon in 2010, riding a bicycle across that United States.

We began planning in earnest. Christine ordered books about The Camino. I researched on the internet. We talked about the equipment we would need, and when we should plan to depart. Christine had enough frequent flyer miles to secure first class round trip tickets to Spain. Over the next 18 months we talked and dreamed longingly of “Our Camino”. Every journey begins with a first step. We had just taken ours.

Peace Everyone. Pete
Next: Part 2, Planning and Preparations

 

Teach Your Grandchildren to be Millionaires

Posted on by Pete Schloss

(… before it’s too late)

In early 1991 my interest was piqued by a newspaper column penned by Humberto Cruz. It was a new column that began running weekly titled “The Savings Game”.

Mr. Cruz planned to retire a millionaire in spite of a very ordinary middle-class income. It sounded audacious until I delved further into his commonsense advice. Cruz and Georgina (who he would later marry) were immigrants, having escaped Fidel Castro’s Cuba as teenagers in 1960 along with their parents.**

Fast forward to December of 2010 and Humberto signed off on his (final) 1,028th edition of “The Savings Game”. He and his wife were retiring having amassed a net worth of over 2 million dollars. In 2019 they were enjoying a Holland America Cruise around the world.

I read Mr. Cruz’s column religiously. It is impossible for me to recount every piece of advice that he gave over the decades, but there are some fundamentals, supplemented by other knowledge that I acquired over the years, that may serve to bring financial security to our children, grandchildren… and perhaps you as well.

Mr. Cruz’s last article offered the following:

“Over the course of 1,028 weekly columns… I have emphasized basic principles for financial success. They all entail personal responsibility:

    • Spend less than you make.
    • Save and invest the difference wisely for the goals most important to you.
    • Identify those goals clearly. Calculate how much you have to save, and the investment returns you need so you don’t take more risks than necessary.
    • Never forget that money is only a tool. True happiness comes from commitment and relationships, not material wealth.

All this is very simple but not necessarily easy to accomplish.”

Humberto Cruz. December 27, 2010

Over the years I subscribed to the magazine, “Better Investing”. It provided advice and tools for the average investor. Nothing exotic, just identify sound companies with long term stable histories of growth and invest in those companies, only selling when there was a sound financial reason. BI counseled that it was folly to try and time the market. Investing is not gambling. Invest in what you understand and understand why you invest. Invest for the long haul. A basic tenet was that a well selected portfolio of 5 stocks will typically have one loser, 3 average performers, and one overachiever. And that it is not unreasonable to set 15% as an average annual growth goal.

If one chooses not to be an active investor and “merely” invests in a mutual fund that tracks the Standard and Poor’s 500 index the average annual rate of return from 1950 to 2020 (roughly my lifetime) was 12.96%.

Moreover, index funds as are available from brokerage firms such as Fidelity Investments and Vanguard, offer “no-load” funds (there is no upfront cost to invest), and the annual expense ratio (fees) can be very low, two tenths of a percent (.2%) or less. (Caveat: No actual investment advice is intended here, UNDERSTAND and INVESTIGATE before you INVEST!!)    

It is reputed that Albert Einstein once said, “Compound interest is the Eighth Wonder of the World”. To this he reportedly added, “…He who understands it, earns it… he who doesn’t, pays it.”

One may calculate how many years it takes for a sum of money to double based upon the compound interest rate. It is a simple formula; Divide 72 by the interest rate, the result is the answer in years. Applying this bit of information to the average annual growth of the stock market (S&P 500) from 1950 to 2020: 72 ÷ 12.96 = 5.5.

In other words, over those 70 years money in an investment that tracked the S&P 500 doubled every 5.5 years. Put in more concrete terms:

Imagine that a 15-year-old made a single investment of $1,000 and “let it ride” in an IRA (Roth or standard) until she was 65 years old. The money would double 10 times over the course of those 50 years. Simplifying this example to a “double” every 5 year: $1,000 at age 15 becomes $2,000 at age 20, $4,000 at 25, $8,000 at 30, $16,000 at 35, $32,000 at 40, $64,000 at 45, $128,000 at 50, $256,000 at 55, $512,000 at 60 and finally $1,024,000 at age 65! However, a delay of just 5 years at the start would reduce this portfolio by over half a million dollars.

The lessons are to start taking care of one’s 65-year-old self when one is as young as possible. Also, don’t rely upon a single investment deposit, but make a habit of saving. Pay “Uncle Sam” first, then pay your 65-year-old future self, and only then address current needs and “wants”. Investment planners often counsel that one should dedicate 15% of after-tax income to that long term horizon.

Of course, there are no guarantees. The market can swing wildly with years that are up and years that are down. Financial counselors warn to diversify one’s portfolio, include stocks, bonds, CD’s, etc.. My point is that we do our children and grandchildren a service by teaching the habits of saving and frugality at an early age. My oversimplification has ignored the basics that as one approaches retirement one’s investments should become increasingly more conservative. I do however want to make a few other points:

Do not save so obsessively that one sacrifices enjoying reasonable current rewards from the fruits of one’s labors. Saving for near-term goals is also important for mental health and personal satisfaction.

Work to achieve a shared financial partnership with your spouse. Talk about money and goals. Engage in shared decision making. Money disputes destroy more marriages than infidelity.  

Don’t “react to the market”. This only encourages impulsive actions. I recall a friend sharing that when the market took a sudden downturn, more than 25% in a short period of time, he transferred his retirement account holdings from a stock mutual fund into a cash investment. He not only missed the near immediate market correction that followed but also the longer-term surge into a memorable stock market rally. He got “hit” twice, losing on the downturn and impulsively “choosing” to miss out on the rally.

Don’t pay too much attention to one’s portfolio balance. Train yourself to look at monthly and quarterly statements as if the bottom line is only a presentation of “numbers on a piece of paper”. As your portfolio grows seeing a swing in value of tens of thousands of dollars can feed panic or (just as bad), unwarranted exuberance. Panic can result in impulsive decisions as detailed above. Exuberance can cause one to (falsely) believe one has the expertise to “time” or “out-think” the market with consequences that can be equally disastrous.

Finally, convince yourself that the savings are not yours to spend, yet. With the success that disciplined saving achieves there will come a point where the account can deliver a shiny new car (or some other current “want”) that has become an obsession. Succumbing to the urge one will not only pay the price of the car, but the price of losing financial security later in life.

So, what brought all of these thoughts together and drove me to write this post? One of our children asked if there was information about investing that I could recommend for her to share with her children. Christine and I went online and bought copies of the book, “Investing for Kids” (by Redling and Tom, available on Amazon) for each family, along with a one-year subscription to Better Investing Magazine. We gifted those items to each family for Valentine’s Day.

In presenting these we engaged the 9 grandchildren who with the exception of a 3-year-old are all between the ages of 11 and 13 in a discussion. We shared our thoughts about money, saving, investing, and the future. It was a pleasant surprise that they paused television, put aside the electronics, and were interested, attentive, and engaged. It bodes well for their financial future and our peace of mind.

Peace Everyone. Pete

 

PS. A reality check. My “editor” (that would be my wife, Christine) asked me to consider the results if there were regular savings over 50 years without the 15-year-old having an initial $1,000 deposit. What would be the result if the deposits were much smaller but made consistently over time?

     Here are just 2 scenarios that involve $100 per month (less than a pack of cigarettes or a Starbuck’s caffe latte a day) invested over those same 50 years:

  1. $100 per month over 50 years beginning at age 15 with interest growth at 12.96% (remember, the average growth of the S&P 500 from 1950 to 2020) grows to $4,312,833.00 at age 65! That’s over 4 million dollars!
  2. $100 per month over 50 years beginning at age 15 with a more conservative 9% annual rate of return still results in $1,025,254.00 at age 65. Over one million dollars.

It is human nature is forego saving for the distant future. After all, the challenge of today is what we face. Mine is an effort to express that today may offer us the best or only opportunities with which to provide for the welfare and security of the 65-year-old we will one day become.

Peace Everyone. Pete

**Note: In 1960 when Mr. Cruz arrived as a teenager in the United States, he spoke only Spanish. His family settled here in Kansas City Missouri where he attended Westport High School. In his December 10, 2010 column he expressed gratitude for teachers John Ploesser, Inez Pletcher and Thomas Sickling, each of whom he believed contributed to his adjustment and future success.

Loaves, Fishes, and COVID

Posted on by Pete Schloss

 

     The only miracle attributed to Jesus Christ that appears in all four Gospels is that of the “Loaves and Fishes”. Simply recounted, Christ had been preaching to a multitude of followers. His disciples became concerned that in the lateness of the day they did not have the means to feed thousands of people. The disciples urged Christ to send the crowd away to fend for themselves. Instead, Christ instructed the disciples to have the throng seat themselves in smaller groups. Obtaining a few loaves and fish from a passing boy, Jesus publicly broke the bread and fish, instructing his disciples to distribute the few pieces among the people for them to eat. When the thousands had finished eating the leftovers filled many baskets… an amount vastly beyond what had first been distributed.

     Years ago I heard a sermon that provided an alternate take upon the “Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes”: The homilist reflected that in the time of Christ it was customary for people to carry food with them when away from their homes. “Rations” in case they should find themselves hungry without the means to find food. He suggested that Christ’s public act of sharing the little that he had brought the people to draw upon the food that many had with them, in turn sharing within their groups. The minister then concluded his sermon by suggested that perhaps the loaves and fish did not “miraculously” multiply. Instead he offered the question: Is it not a greater miracle that one act of charity can infect acts of charity in others?

     The COVID pandemic has profoundly impacted people the world over. Not only through illness and death, but by the impact upon economies resulting in rampant unemployment and people becoming unable to meet their basic needs of food and shelter.

     As a part of its plan to address these challenges, the United States government has issued relief payments to those identified as in need, $1,800.00 per person thus far, with more expected. The test of need is based upon personal income. Eligibility for the payments has been limited to those earning less than $75,000.00 per year. The income test is efficient but imperfect. Among us are some who are technically eligible for the relief payments but are not food or housing insecure… people fortunate to be less impacted by the pandemic.

     If you count yourself among the fortunate, consider giving some (or all) of any stimulus relief payment you receive to a well vetted charity whose mission is to provide food, shelter or similar support assistance to those in need. Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org) is one organization that examines charitable giving, rating their transparency and efficiency in delivering the most “bang for the buck”.

In Kansas City two highly regarded charities that target these populations and are particularly skilled at delivering the most impact for each dollar donated are:

Harvesters – The Community Food Network (www.harvesters.org/)

and

Operation Breakthrough (https://operationbreakthrough.org/)

 

Peace Everyone. Pete

 

Sharing Our Travels, Part 3: Alaska, Western Canada and the Yukon

Posted on by Pete Schloss

 

Our post-retirement travels began in May 2015. For those first 3 years we focused most of our journeys on destinations in the United States and Canada with our 17’ Casita travel trailer in tow. We had set as our “mission” to visit at least 49 States and 8 of Canada’s Provinces. As it turned out, we exceeded the goal with time to spare.

I chronicled those wanderings in an earlier iteration of my website. Unfortunately, in upgrading my site those earlier 2015 -2018 blog posts are no longer available online. However, I did preserve much of the content and photographs in 12”x12” hardback “coffee table” books that I created for our children, grandchildren, and then surviving parents.

I am aware that many of you have vicariously enjoyed accompanying us on our journeys. It occurred to me that I might share with you portions of the books that I created. Currently there are five volumes which have over 1000 pages of narrative and photographs. Some of the content consists of my personal musings and “philosophies“. The PDF files for each volume are huge and make for a very difficult download. However, by focusing upon segments of our travels and eliminate most of my ruminations the files become much more manageable.

Part 1 (previously posted) consisted of content from our 6 week trip through New England and Canada’s Maritime Provinces in 2016.

Part 2 (previously posted) consisted of content from travels in the American Southwest and Pacific Coast from 2017 and 2018.

Part 3 consists of content from our 12 week journey through Alaska, Western Canada and the Yukon Territory.

Below is the link to Part 3. You may view online or download the file. The link will expire on March 31st. I hope that this provides you with some relief from the stresses of our current political climate and pandemic. Please note that the first 9 pages will be the same in each Part.
Peace Everyone. Pete

 

Link: Alaska, Western Canada and the Yukon