The Call of the Camino
The notion to walk a long way, over many weeks, started many, many years ago.
The seed of this desire was planted as I watched the movie “Wild”, starring Reese Witherspoon, on a long-haul flight for work. I don’t know what it was that appealed - perhaps the challenge of such an epic physical undertaking, maybe the freedom of relying solely on your body to get you across the country, or was it the simplicity and purity of being one with nature and disconnecting from the binds of modern life? Whatever it was, it took hold and grew.
I boldly stated to my husband that I was going to walk the Camino de Santiago in 2022, the year I was turning 50 (and he was lovingly welcome to join me!). But we all know what was happening in the world in 2022, right. Will we ever forget??
My plans were put on hold, but that seed of desire kept growing. And the voice inside me got louder; it would not be ignored or silenced.
So last year I decided that 2025 was going to be the year, and the Camino del Norte, or Northern Way, would be the route. It would be approximately 830kms of walking across the northern coast of Spain, over 36 days.
I didn’t want to walk the more popular Camino Frances route. And besides, I love the ocean, beaches and seafood – it seemed like the perfect match. Little did I know that while the Camino del Norte is known for its dramatic coastal scenery, diverse landscapes and vibrant culture, it is also more physically demanding. But there would be many things that I didn’t know about walking the Camino.
No, my training and planning did not fully prepare me for the physical demands of the Camino, nor the emotional rollercoaster of such an experience. I don’t think it ever could, and I wouldn’t want it to. But that is what made it so special.
Just like I cannot explain what it was about Reese’s movie that moved something inside me and planted that seed, I cannot fully describe what it is about walking the Camino that makes it so unbelievably special.
I have however tried to provide a taste of the specialness of the Camino experience, via my daily video diaries. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them and re-watching them.
As for what I have learned from this experience, it has been so much – and continues to be. I will be sharing with you my reflections and the contemplations from ‘my Camino’. If you are considering walking the pilgrimage route, may my contemplations help you create ‘your Camino’. Buen Camino! xx
