No Pain, No Glory

Wind in my face. Sun at my back. Challenging mountain climbs. Fridges temperatures. Rastafarian bars. No wifi. Profound conversations. New friendships. Downhill slopes. Intense sunshine. Recovery. Sleep. Another lifetime lived as we hiked over purple mountains into the Celtic region of Spain, Galicia.

We have been hiking for 27 days; tomorrow will mark four weeks. We have less than 100 kilometers to go but somehow arriving in Santiago no longer matters; it is the walking that is important, what I will miss-the Camino itself. 

The journey has been filled with so many brilliant moments that it's virtually impossible to share this transformational experience except to say, It must be done-all of it. It is a process which one goes through to feed their soul. Each day important, each experience necessary. Every outcome a lesson learned. It is a journey inward that begins with the first step. There is no good or bad on the Camino, it just is. What is endured makes us stronger, not just physically, but in spirit and in character. No pain, no glory.