I was honored when Laurie, of The Camino Provides, asked me to write about what “the Camino provides” meant to me. In all honesty, I put this task off for a long time. I didn’t believe that I could actually put pen to paper and articulate how much the Camino provided me. But, when I sat down…
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Camino Afterthoughts
I miss the Camino every day. Maybe it’s because I’m reading Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild,” or maybe it’s because I’m in Slovakia staring at the Tatra Mountains while they tease me. “Come climb me, come play,” they say. It’s been over a month since I’ve been on the trail, yet every day I still imagine that…
Read MoreNot Ours to Keep
I’ve made a lot of close friends on the Camino, which called for some hard goodbyes. It all seemed rather unfair, to be blessed with wonderful new friends, yet have to part with them after only a few weeks, fulling knowing some of us may never see each other again. But, truth is, that’s life…
Read MoreConversations with Strangers: Anna from Holland
About Her: Anna is 60 years old and a total badass. She walked 2,432 kilometers to get to Santiago de Compostela. That’s 1,511.1 miles. She started in Holland and it only took about four months. Oh, and she didn’t get any blisters. I asked why she did the Camino, and her answer was refreshingly simple.…
Read MoreDay 18: The End of the Camino
I walked 250 miles, about 400 kilometers, on the Camino Francés in 17 days. The Way of Saint James is something people do for many reasons. Some people do it to give thanks to God, some people do it for sport. Some people go with broken hearts, grieving the loss of a loved one or…
Read MoreDay 16: Freefalling
My days on the Camino are filled with stories. That’s really what I do all day, I walk and I listen. I’ve listened to people grieve for the loved ones they have lost, teach me songs in French, tell me folktales from their home countries. I learn new things every day and, of course, I…
Read MoreDay 15: Inhale, Exhale
Today I’m sitting in the mountains, drinking tea with schnapps, watching the rain over the green landscape. I couldn’t have chosen a better place to reflect on the last three days in. I think I have learned more about myself recently than I thought possible. I found peace on day 13, hiking in the mountains…
Read MoreDay 12: My Spanish Mother
My roommate in Barcelona is from Ponferrada, in the north of Spain, so when I told her that I was going to do the Camino, she made it clear that a stop at her parents’ house was mandatory. I arrived Wednesday morning, hungry, tired, soaked by the rain and with a few ugly infections on…
Read MoreDay 10: How Far We’ve Come
Days 5-8 were my rest days in León and they were full of some great conversations; the kind of conversations that happen a bottle of red wine in, when you and a stranger both let your guard down and you talk about your mothers and your fathers and your brothers, and men and mistakes and…
Read MoreDay 3: Blood, Sweat and Tears
Today I cried. Which is hard to admit because I’m not much of a crier; I kind of get over everything quickly and I never like ruining my makeup. But, today I sobbed my tired little eyes out. I’ve done about 50 miles of walking within the last three days. My legs aren’t really sore…
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