The Journey Begins

Jesus said "Come follow me" to his disciples. It was a call to leave their previous lives and pattern their lives after Jesus. I invite you to follow me on my journey along the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James). The Camino is an extensive network of ancient pilgrim routes stretching across Europe and coming together at the tomb of St. James (Santiago in Spanish) in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. The history of the Camino de Santiago goes back to the beginning of the 9th century (year 814) moment of the discovery of the tomb of the evangelical apostle of the Iberian Peninsula. Since this discovery, Santiago de Compostela has become a peregrination point of the entire European continent.

I leave the comforts of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, today, as I begin what I hope will be an energizing journey of growth in mind, body and soul. I hope you enjoy the journey with me.

A Little Background

This journey wasn't something I really planned - not right now anyway. Yes, I retired a few years ago and have been exploring new ways to spend my time. Yes, I turned 60 a few months ago, so I suppose that's a good reason to do something out of the ordinary. But this opportunity presented itself in a different way. I first learned about the Camino in depth from a very good friend of mine about 15 years ago. He was embarking on his own journey at the time, but circumstances (you know, kids, job, etc.) prevented me from giving it any serious thought. The prospect of walking the Camino some day stuck in my mind though, and I thought about it from time to time. That same friend invited me again just a few years ago, and at that point I was all in, ready to commit. Wouldn't you know it, life interfered, and the second knock at the door had to go unheeded again.

When Charlotte told me of her plans to travel for a few weeks upon the conclusion of her semester in Rome, I was excited for her. When she told me of her plans to walk the Camino, I was excited for ME! How could I turn down this opportunity a third time, and with my daughter no less! She welcomed me warmly (okay, I'll admit, I invited myself) and a plan was set in motion.

Preparing for the Camino

There is no end to the amount of research that one can do to prepare for the Camino. With only a few short weeks to get ready, I splurged on all the suggested equipment (thank you, Amazon) and focused on keeping the pack weight to a minimum. I'm leaving the house with 24 pounds of gear, which is about five pounds over what I was shooting for, but hopefully my back will hold up. Physically I think I'm ready, having done a lot of walking, especially on our recent trip to Italy, so I'm not too worried there. And now that all the preparation is done and the journey is about to begin, I'm working on my spiritual mindset for this trip of a lifetime!

The Plan

We are walking the Camino Portugués from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, approximately 260 kilometers. We'll be staying in traditional Albergues along the route, averaging around 20 kilometers per day. With perseverance, a little luck and the grace of God, we plan to arrive at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral on the afternoon of May 26.

I hope you enjoy the journey with us!