The Camino de Santiago was life changing. And even though I read several books about people’s experiences, it was unexpected in a lot of ways. For most people, this is not a hike, or an adventure with a certificate at the end. I don’t really know how to explain it, but I’ll try.
The easy part is describing the hike. The first 3 days were brutal. I started in St Jean Pied de Port France, which is an absolutely adorable town at the foot of a mountain. The first day you hike through the pass over the Pyrenees. Its 4,700 feet of elevation in 16 miles. Then you hike down for the next 3 days. More people got injured in the first 3 days than in any other part of the Camino. Its lovely, but if you aren’t in really good shape, I’d start in Pamplona. The hike continues to be lovely- full of fruit trees, churches, and other delights till you get to Burgos. Then the land flattens and becomes dry and sparsely populated. Its called the Meseta. There are days in the Meseta that have 10 miles with no water or food. Its boring and hot. Some people love this part. I did not. I also got blisters after walking 230 miles with no problems at all. Then the land changes again after Leon, and becomes once more green and lovely. It will be hilly and beautiful until the end of the Camino in Santiago de Compostela- nearly 500 miles from where you started.
Spain is lovely- the land is beautiful, everything is old, and the people are very kind- even to those who don’t speak Spanish so well. The food is wonderful, though very different than what I’m used to eating. My stomach had a bit of trouble adjusting, but you couldn’t complain about either the flavor or the price!
The Camino is hard, but remarkably simple. You walk every day- between 13 and 15 miles usually. Some days it seems to be all uphill, or else all downhill on treacherous footing. Some days your feet hurt, or your back hurts, or its raining, and you don’t want to, but you have to anyway. Its simple though. You get up in the morning and put on your clothes- whatever you didn’t wear yesterday because you only have 2 outfits. You put all of your stuff back in your pack, put your shoes on and start walking. You stop for coffee and then lunch, and sometimes you just stop to rest your feet. You find somewhere to stay, get a shower, eat dinner, and sleep. Then you do it again tomorrow. Simple.
For such a simple thing, every day is amazingly different and satisfying. There are such interesting things along the way, and such interesting people to talk to. And every day you’ve accomplished something- you are further along on the trail than you were yesterday. You’ll see Spain in a way that most visitors never will- you’ll see sheep being herded by the most amazing dogs, you’ll see grapes being harvested and cows driven to different pastures. You’ll see windmills and irrigation canals and grain storage huts. The most interesting thing you’ll meet along the way is yourself.
It was surprising that the Camino was both the most social and the most solitary thing I’ve ever done. It is also startlingly anonymous. Everyone sort of looks alike- we dress similarly, most of the women with long hair had it in a ponytail. We all wore hats. You become just another person with a backpack. Which is freeing because no one has expectations of you. In your family, you are the sister, and the daughter, and the mom, and the middle child, and the career woman, etc. On the Camino you are none of that. No one expects you to be any certain way, and it is enormously freeing. You can look at your life and your choices in a way that you can’t seem to when you are caught up in it. Walking seems to sort out your thoughts, and after 500 miles of it, you’re going to think of a lot of things in ways you never expected to.
Everyone seemed to be startlingly honest on the Camino. I’ve never in my life had such deep conversations with complete strangers. And we didn’t talk about the things you normally do. I walked 3 days with a person and I still don’t know what she did for a living. We talked about more important things than that. I met a woman was walking the Camino to deal with her anger about the cancer that almost killed her. I met 2 women who decided (on the Camino) to file for divorce, and a man who decided not to. I met many seeking direction after a life change- post retirement was very common. I met a man carrying the remains of his 12 year old daughter. There were many people who didn’t talk about why they wanted to walk, and everyone respected that. And there were many people like me, who felt compelled to walk it without really knowing why.
Nearly everyone who walked a long way, felt changed by the experience. We all talked about it, many of us with tears in our eyes. Here are some of the lessons we talked about.
You don’t need much. I carried everything I needed for 30 days in a backpack weighing 13 lbs. It was dangerous to take much more than that. Those who did ended up having to throw things away, mail things home, or have their pack transported due to foot issues, back issues or other problems. Coming home to a house full of stuff that I clearly don’t need was uncomfortable. I no longer want to have all of this. The closet cleaning will have to wait for a bit though- I lost so much weight that I can’t really try things on before I decide what to keep and what to toss!
We needlessly complicate our lives with things that don’t really matter. You don’t realize the value of mental silence until you don’t have to shop, or make dentist appointments or figure out what’s for dinner or decide what to wear or worry about chores that aren’t done, etc etc. Some of those things have to be done, but some don’t. I met a woman who walked 3 Caminos and she simplified her life a little more after each walk. She says she has a collection of beautiful and expensive jewelry that she never wears anymore. She hasn’t worn any of it since her first Camino. She has a shell necklace that she bought on her way into Santiago the first time, and a pair of earrings that her son gave her. She wears them all the time and nothing else. She says it frees up 10 minutes a day, and makes her life a little simpler. And the jewelry that she once thought was so important was just another way that she accidentally complicated her life.
Don’t compare other people with yourself. You have no idea what they’re carrying- or not, or why. Most people are doing the best they can. Give them some grace, and be kind.
You can only walk at your own pace. Walking slower than your pace is frustrating. Walking faster than your pace is tiring. You can walk at your own pace for a really long time. Do that. And keep walking.
Be grateful for small things. We really do live lives of luxury. Walking the Camino, I learned to be grateful for a bench to rest on, dry feet, a real towel, clean dry clothes, a hot shower, and a good night’s sleep. We should all appreciate small things, and maybe every once in a while we should do something hard that makes us appreciate them!
I’m back home now and trying to process the trip and think about changes I want to make to my life. The Camino lets you try on a whole different life- a much simpler one. When you get home, you have to re-adjust to the life that fit you so well before and decide if you still want that. I’m having more trouble with that than I expected to. There are too many choices in my day. The radio in my car seems loud and jarring. I miss the silence. I want at least a little of what I had on the Camino at home. The lessons of the Camino were powerful, and I want to keep them. I’m working on how to do that.
Thanks for your update on the Camino l was looking forward to reading about your experience and reflections of walking it. Congratulations on completing the 500 mile trek. Could l do it myself? food for thought.
Thank you. It was an unforgettable experience. It changed my life in a very positive way. I can’t recommend it enough. Let me know if you decide to do it!
Lots of interesting reflections have come from the walk. My understanding (but correct me if I’m wrong) is that the route(s) is a pilgrims route – do you think that most of the people you met were doing it with some religious connotation in mind? I understand from your previous posts that you are religious, and so I wondered if you felt that your reflections are associated to, or increased, because of your religion, or do you think they are independent of that? Of course, if this is asking a question that is too personal or inappropriate, there’s no need to answer. I ask because I’m not religious and I’m itrigued about things that I don’t particularly associate with or perhaps understand.
I think most people who were doing the camino were seeking something. Many were seeking clarity about some decision or their lives in general. I don’t think most pilgrims did it for religious purposes, and everyone seemed very respectful of why others were walking. Honestly, I think you would have gotten some (perhaps all) of the same insights if you were walking the Appalachian trail, or perhaps doing a month long meditation retreat. Maybe not the retreat. The walking really seemed integral to the experience. It was about stepping out of your life for a bit, I think. I personally enjoyed meeting people from other countries since America is so isolated, and the food was certainly better than on the Appalachian trail. Also I don’t wanna sleep on the ground š¤£. The Camino was probably better for me because of the religious history, but I was told the trail was there before Christianity and had some meaning to the Celts, though that might have just been a rumor.