It’s been two weeks on the Camino yet it feels like two months. Almost to the halfway point and I am still in disbelief that this is my life right now at times. I guess that’s how it feels when you’re living inside one of your dreams.
Yet, we must believe something is possible in order to experience it. I’m grateful I started believing. Thank you & more of this please.
I feel the most disconnected from the outside world then I have been for sometime . The simplicity of the Camino is beautiful.
Wake up. Eat. Walk. Meet fellow pilgrims. Eat. Sleep. Of course, with lots of magic twisted in between.
Mother nature and all her glory .
Sunrises .
Flowers.
Rolling Hills .
Birds chirping .
Espresso .
Croissants .
Communal dinners .
Red wine .
The feeling of Strength in the body .
Yet, Sometimes the feeling of pain .
The sound of your feet walking & silence.
Sometimes the sound of laughter and conversation.
Always sharing a smile & a greeting.
Giving and receiving a ‘Buen Camino’ with others that you pass.
They say the first phase is where the Camino breaks down your body.
I felt that initiation.
Luckily, not with blisters on my feet.
However, I met pain in my legs feet and back, as well as another round of allergic reaction from eating meat one night.
It somehow still managed to walk almost 30 km each day.
One of the restaurant owners in one of the little towns had done the Camino multiple times. He told me that pain becomes your teacher. it teaches you to be present and gives you strength you didn’t know you had.
Thank you Camino for this teaching.
Second stage of the Camino is about your mind they say. There is a lot of time to think out here on how you do your Camino.
There is no right way or wrong way to do it.
Some like walking with others .
Some like walking alone .
I prefer to spend the days with myself and my thoughts . Although when you find a fellow pilgrim where the conversation is fun and interesting – it can bring up things you didn’t think of and make the time go faster.
I love hearing all the accents, the stories, and the ‘why’s’ of people choosing this way of life for a period of time.
The answers are always somewhat different, yet there seems to be a common thread. People looking for something…
Answer to questions.
Guidance to next steps in life.
Adventure & new sights not seen.
Strength in the body.
To accomplish a challenging goal.
Community.
Meeting and learning from new people.
A new beginning or fresh start.
Connection to the mind, body, & spirit.
Love from another.
Love for the self.
Love for life in general.
Relief from the suffering in this world.
One of the most powerful nights out here, I sat in a prayer circle with other pilgrims after dinner. we received pieces of paper that had prayers other pilgrims had written. These prayers were then read out loud to carry to Santiago in our hearts & to lessen the weight from these fellow ‘peregrinos.’
My paper was from a man who had lost his wife of 44 years & his 13 year old daughter. He was also praying for his other family members with serious health problems. I couldn’t read it without crying – connecting to the pain he must feel. I pray, somehow in someway this helped lighten his load..
I’m sure the the other prayers and stories were similar, although they were in many languages I can’t understand. I pray for these brothers and sisters. I pray that their hearts can heal.
It seems like when life gets more heavy, confusing, and complicated – that bringing in more simplicity helps.
I pray that all the pilgrims out here get what they need and more.
I trust that the Camino provides – as it is just the vehicle showing how God provides.
I have already experienced this myself.
And that’s how I feel this pilgrimage helps us all grow closer to God, even if that’s not ones belief system at the beginning.
It’s just one of the many roads to trusting seeing and believing in this energy that Governs, Orders, and Delivers all.
I am honored and blessed to walk it right now. I think all the other pilgrims so far on my journey that have helped bring me closer to Santiago, to my true self, and to God.
We are all in this together.
We are all walking each other home.
To see more clips of this adventure – follow my Instagram …
