Love, Friendship, and the Camino of Life

27 April 2015, France––The Day We Crossed the Pyrenees

Travel is as much as about where you go as who you meet along the Way. And sometimes, who you are with can make all the difference––a three month trek in the middle of nowhere with the right people can be far more fun and enjoyable than six months spent in exotic places with the "wrong" people. The ultimate adventure is spending time in a beautiful place with wonderful people––which is how I would describe my recent trip to Germany with friends I made along the Way.

Aleix, Gregor, Ina, Joseph

Walk Together, Eat Together

There is something quite magical about the relationships you build on the Camino––the connections and bonds are unique. It's rare to meet other people in your daily life who would walk 500 miles just to clear their heads, yet that's what many people I met on the Camino were doing. Ironically, I spent little time in my head because I was in too much pain to think about anything else. How many times did we say to one another, "No pain, no glory."? For many of us, there was a lot of physical pain associated with hiking the Camino––blisters, broken bones, tendinitis, sprains, knee pain––nevertheless we continued moving forward, one foot in front of the other, one kilometer at a time. I learned a lot from people along the Way, each of whom gave me something important––a word, a phrase, an idea, a different perspective on something––that I need to help me heal, grow, and transform.

Imagine Love and Peace Everywhere

This time last year I made the decision to walk the Camino, seeking to heal my heart. In April I arrived in SJPP lost, confused, and broken and I trusted that somehow, as if by magic, I would feel better by the time I got to Santiago. On a daily basis, I followed this simple ritual: walk, eat, sleep, repeat and somehow, when I arrived in Finisterre five weeks later, I felt clear and focused with a renewed sense of self as if the Camino had handed me another guidebook from which to navigate the rest of my tomorrows. I don't know how it worked, I only know that it did, and it continues to. Though I have returned to the daily grind in Washington, D.C., my heart is still overflowing with the peace and tranquility I found in Spain. Perhaps it is because the experience of walking the Camino is an internal transformation that cannot be undone; it's a permanent shift in consciousness. I learned how to drop rocks and now I pace through life with an ease and a sense of self confidence I didn't have before. Today, I put one foot in front of the other, embrace the moment, and listen to what the Camino of life is teaching me. My cup is overflowing with love, trust, and a renewed faith in humanity and for that, I am grateful.

Cruz de Ferro

Pantea, Dominque, & Thomas in Galicia

An

Harald and Timi in Finisterre