Weekly Article

For ten years I had wanted to walk the Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain. Last year, in celebration of a milestone birthday, I made the commitment and put my training plans in place.  

The Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, is a network of ancient pilgrim routes leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.  The pilgrimage has existed for over 1,000 years.  

Traditionally pilgrims began their journey from their home, so there are many routes across Europe. Today’s pilgrims walk or bike the Camino for a variety of reasons:  for many it’s a religious and deeply spiritual experience, for others it’s a challenging physical and mental test, and others enjoy immersing themselves in Spanish history, nature, and cuisine. Distances vary, but in order to earn the compostela — certificate of accomplishment —  a pilgrim must walk at least 100 km. Pilgrims carry a passport and must collect at least two stamps a day as proof to the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago that they have followed the route. I chose to walk a portion of the most popular route, the Camino Frances, from the town of Sarria to Santiago.   

My eight-day walk was definitely the experience of a lifetime. The friend who had planned to join me on the journey became ill a month before the trip and needed to cancel. This meant that I travelled solo, which was a daunting prospect at the onset. Quite a few people that I talked with, though, commented that walking the Camino solo is the best way to do it, and they assured me that by the end of my journey I would have a new “familia.” I found this to be true and it was probably the most rewarding aspect of my Camino experience.  

I met people from all over the world. We were simply pilgrims with no history or expectations of each other. There was a very strong feeling of community. You develop relationships on the Camino in a very unique way:  you might walk with a person for a couple hours or have a meal with someone, share contact info, and then part ways, not thinking you’ll ever see this person again. Several days later you will meet up again either walking or having a café con leche along the way.   

This brings me to my most important take-away from the Camino. I felt God’s presence with me every step of the way through my journey.  I never felt that I was alone, even when I walked by myself for a couple hours. (There are guideposts all along the way with the yellow and blue scallop shell that is the symbol of the Camino pointing you in the right direction.) What started for me as a way of celebrating a milestone birthday became a journey of gratitude. I felt God’s presence in the beauty I saw in nature, in the physical strength and stamina I felt in my own body, and in my conversation, laughter, and shared stories with my neighbors from around the world. When I arrived in the plaza in front of the Cathedral in Santiago it was with tears of joy and gratitude. 

I am now training for my second Camino, the Portuguese Camino, in May. If you are considering walking the Camino, I have recommendations for gear to bring with you, training, and how to plan your route and accommodations. You can contact me at smorales@email.com.