Reflections of a Hiker Once Returing Home from the Camino

Thanksgiving Day is An Appropriate Day to Reflect Upon My Journey Hiking El Camino

This year I chose to return to Spain to hike The Camino. In 2015, I hiked the 800 Km Camino Frances. This year I only planned on hiking a portion of that route, 500 Km.  I accomplished the goals that I set out for myself, and I was proud of that. I am blessed and ever so Thankful for the experience of The Camino!

I hiked this summer with most of the people I met in 2015. It was a fabulous but very different journey from the first time I did it. I am ever SO THANKFUL to have met such wonderful, loving, and caring friends and to have been able to share The Camino with them again.

What Was Different this Year ?;

I have to say that it was very different than the the first time. It was different for many reasons such as;

• I knew the route

• I knew what the physical challenges were

• I re-united with people I knew there and hiked with them (for the most part).

• I was mentally prepared for the journey

• I was much more physically prepared as well

• My entire trip was pre-planned and well planned I might add

• I began knowing that I was not hiking the entire distance.

My Thoughts About this Year’s Journey;

One of the biggest differences for me was the level of planning that went into the trip before I left.

Our 35 day journey was very well planned and planned in great detail. We knew each town that we were staying in, pre-booked the places we would stay, and we had it all laid out. It was amazing to know all that ahead of time. In the summer, one never knows how readily available places to stay are due to the volume of hikers. We purposely planned to stay in many different towns than we did in 2015. It was a huge job, but my friends certainly worked hard on the planning.

When I did it in 2015, that level of pre-planning didn’t happen. I went alone. I met people early on in the trip, and we planned nightly how far we would hike and where we would stay the next day. Sometimes, we looked ahead a few days and pre-booked places.

When I do this for the 3rd time, I will not pre plan nearly as much. Before I left for Spain in July, I sincerely felt planning so much in advance was THE BEST way to do the Camino, but after hiking it this year, my feelings changed.

I discovered mid way through my trip, that the pre-planning ( especially the towns that we would stay in) didn’t allow for me to walk longer distances if I wanted to. It didnt allow me to stop walking when I felt I couldnt hike anymore that day. In a few instances, I had to cab or bus a few times because if not, I would have been forced to leave the group. Ultimately, I could have done that but I chose to meet this group of amazing people and hike the route with them. I would have done a quite different trip if I was going alone.

One of the reasons I did not go in the Spring this time was due to the fact that I wanted to hike with my friends from Australia and the USA. NOT staying behind them or going ahead of them, was a choice I made whilst en route. It was the right choice for me.

What Will I Do Next Time?

Next time, I will not go in July/August/September. I will also hike what I feel is best for each day and choose places to stay based upon how I feel about the town and the accomodation itself.  In doing it this way, I will be able to experience The Camino in a different way than I have in the past 2 trips.

I may choose a different route as well, just to make it a new expereince.

My Thoughts About Hiking in a Group vs Alone

In 2015, I began my journey alone and met 7 of the kindest people on earth on my first day. We walked 300 Km together before people began to forge ahead or stay behind. I managed to stay with 4 others for 500 Km before I had to hike in my own (due to flight dates going home etc).

I also walked 200 Km alone before meeting another group of people.

Both experiences are amazing! They truly are. I loved hiking with my group but it wasnt until I was alone that I realized how wonderful that was as well. I feel that walking alone makes you more open to meet other people. Many people tend to back off when they see a large group togehter all the time.

Hiking with a group can be much more fun, allow you to meet life long friends, and give you companionship in the Albergues and towns you stay in, as well as allow you to feel deeply connected with others. The best part of meeting my group was forming long lasting Relationships that will last a lifetime .

I received messages this last week from 2 people I met along the route while I was hiking.

I met Stella from Warsaw, Poland one day very early in the morning as I was walking into Hontanas. I was ahead of my friends and stopped at a Cafe for coffee and breakfast after hiking a long distance. Stella was walking into town and fell on the gravel path right in front of me. She had a very stiff knee and forgot her knee brace in the Albergue from the night before. She and I chatted and I offered her some ointment that had a deep cooling sensation to help relieve minor aches. I brought it from home but never used it. Stella was grateful to have it until she bought another knee brace. We shared a coffee, stories of our journey, and a few laughs. She then went ahead as I waited for my friends. I crossed paths with Stella twice more later in the journey when I stayed in Leon. We met at a cafe and she was staying in the same hotel as I was. I met her travellling partner as well. We all exchanged contact details. I was so overjoyed to hear from her last week!

I met two men the night I stayed in Zariquiegui. They were from Sweden ( lived there but not born there). They emigrated early in their life from the Middle East. They were camping each night instead of staying in hotels etc. They were also cooking on a camping stove daily as well.  They had lots of gear and were carrying backpacks that weighed 15 Kg (40 pounds). One of the men, Sian, had feet that were full of large blisters. I sat and gave him some advice on how not to blister (I have 2 Caminos under my belt and I did both not having even 1 blister!). I gave him some vaseline and the last of my Hiker’s Wool.

I met Sian several days later en route and he hugged me telling me his blisters were so much better. He was eager to pay me back but we settled for a beverage together instead. We engaged in a great conversation and spoke about the kindness one finds in people along The Camino. We crossed paths once more and he was doing great! I was pleased to get an email from him this week as well.

What Was Different About Doing the Exact Same Route Again?

I had several conversations within my own group of friends about how this Camino felt different than last time.  There is no question that when you walk this pilgrimage, you experience many different feelings along the entire journey. A large part of those great experiences are meeting people by surprise, engaging in conversations with those that you may never have ever done in your own hometown, experiencing human kindness at its best, and experiencing the unknown elements. After all it was these very things that brought our group together and to forge a great friendship in the first place!

A few of my friends said that ” experience of the Camino ” was NOT quite the same for them as the first year. I am not sure how it was different for them , but I knew why it differed for me.

A few members of our group decided to abandon the pre planned places to stay and play it by ear. I guess they wanted the ability to see how they felt about a place or to see how they felt about how far they could walk before deciding where to stay.?

I just knew that I needed some time alone, time to reflect and ponder as I walked. I am a thinker and like the time to process my thoughts.

It’s quite a challenge to spend 35 days with a group of people  and be with them 24 hours a day.  I’m not even sure if I enjoy being with myself 24 hours a day for 35 days in a row!

It’s also very hard to often reach consensus in a large group and make sure that everyone is happy and I think it’s fine that you don’t do that.  We each committed to doing this journey together and reuniting to be together with close friends and sharing many many great laughs.  I feel blessed to have done that, but we also knew that we needed to experience part of this journey for ourselves.  I needed to remind myself mid journey that I had to do that. I had to do things for myself in order to get the most out of my Camino. I had to do it My Way.

I am now looking into spending 2-3 months there taking a Spanish course at the University to assist me in becoming fully bilingual in Spanish. Stella ( the lady I met from Poland) introduced to me to her Spanish friend, Alejandro. He gave me great information on Spanish courses at the University. He has been assisting me in looking at the right course to take and places to stay.

The Camino is full of surprises!

Final Reflections;

I LOVED being with my friends, laughing with them, sharing our experiences, and spending time with them. I adore each of them and they hold a special place in my heart. It was an amazing trip. I am so blessed to have shared this journey with them.

The Camino is an experience. You must do it YOUR WAY! You need to decide what is best for you. There are no rules. Walk, take a bus for a small part, ship your bag, carry your bag, stay in an Albergue or hotel,  etc, These are individual choices that on,y you can decide what is best for you.

No 1 person is more of a Pilgrim because they walked every step or carried their own pack. You embark on this journey to experience it for yourself on your own terms. That is why the Camino is referred to as Your Way.

I have loved walking alone. I have loved walking in a group. BOTH are amazing experiences!

Hiking El Camino lets you experience first hand what it is like to be in an environment where all people are equal. All people care about others, and all people demonstrate human kindness at its best! Truly is magical to experience that. Because of that, I have walk the Camino twice and will plan to do it a third time.

YES! I will go and hike it again!

I’d like to Thank My Camino Family for their friendship, kindness, and for laughing with me again, as we walked this past summer. You are all amazing!

KEEP WALKING!