If you want to avoid fretting about turning a certain age, plan a two-month international walking trip as a distraction. Works like a charm.
That’s what I did two years ago and barely thought about turning forty!
But how do you top that? My birthday’s in two days and it’s got me thinking about what I can do to continue the Camino in my heart. It’s been brought to my attention that I’ve been leaning a bit toooo far toward the serious, introspective side lately.
Taking a moment out of my regular posts to share a really inspiring Camino story about two best friends who walked the pilgrimage, one of them in a wheelchair.
It gets a little slow around 5:00, but hang in there – the message is deeply moving. It’s totally worth the 18 minutes.
As fun as it is to tell the stories of what happened on my Camino, my main interest with pilgrimage resides in the inner journey, the interior terrain of the heart and soul where transformation is possible. When I write about this deeper aspect of the journey, I’m reminded of an archaeology excavation, with discarded piles of dirt everywhere, tedious scratch-scratching in the soil, and a few treasures pulled out and dusted off for show.
I mention this because I want to express my gratitude to the several readers who have commented here or mentioned privately how much they appreciate my honesty about my inner experiences on the Camino. In my everyday life, I’m not a fan of making a mess – literal or metaphorical. It’s uncomfortable for me to revisit and expose the emotional intensity of my last days on my journey for I still feel embarrassed – even shame – about them. Unpacking the Camino is messy sometimes and I often get lost in the layers as I dig into them. I appreciate your witnessing as I do so.
I’ve just returned from a week of writing and reflection on a (not quite) deserted island and am feeling so much grateful clarity about my post-Camino path.
We had to arrive with a story to work on, and I have only this one to tell. My Camino experience was completely deconstructed and then carefully reassembled by using the framework of the Hero’s Journey, specifically the Transformational Arc taught by the inimitable Dara Marks. Although the workshop I attended was primarily geared toward screen writers, the 3-step model she teaches overlays perfectly on top of the literal Camino de Santiago and the non-fiction reality of facing one’s inner demons.
On May 26, 2013 I walked into Santiago to complete a journey more than two years in the making.
The cool, clear morning air around us crackled with the anticipation of our final departure. As Scott and I waited for the café to open, I listened to birds singing in the treetops and frogs chanting in nearby ponds. I watched the sun slowly rise over the distant hills, casting long shadows and making the grass glisten.
Continue reading “Day 38: Arrival – Monte de Gozo to Santiago de Compostella”
It’s been a crazy productive month in my business. I launched a book last week and am thrilled to be $512 closer to my goal of paying for my Hedgebrook Master Class in cash. Heck, yeah! Take that, credit card debt!
Aside from work stuff, I’ve been trying to figure out how to write the next section of my Camino story. Truthfully, I’ve been trying to figure that out since I was living it in person and all the months since. (How’s that for foreshadowing?) My last days on the Camino were really intense and I’m grappling with conflicting desires to tell the truth, to make the story appealing, and to protect those involved.
Wooooohoooooooooooo!
Happy dancing!
I actually screamed with amazed delight, totally overjoyed when I got their email.
I remember arriving at Monte de Gojo – the hill of joy – and getting a glimpse of the cathedral towers five miles away. I was flooded with emotion, tears springing to my eyes.
“It exists!” I thought to myself. “Santiago really exists!”
Continue reading “Day 37: The hill that earned its name – Arzua to Monte de Gozo”
What a day!
When you mix long, determined hours of walking with with funny, thoughtful company, the miles just fly by – 18.6 of them, to be precise. For the second day in a row, I blew by my longest distance (30km) on the Camino and felt amazing.
In the air was a palpable buzz of excitement. Everyone around us was talking about “going for it” tomorrow, getting to Santiago – or close to it – in time for Sunday Mass. Continue reading “Day 36: Flying! – Palas de Rei to Arzua”
And now began the part of my Camino where I just flat out walked.
Oh, I still enjoyed the journey, but The Guys were serious walkers and I felt determined to keep up without being a squeaky wheel. I’m proud to say that I did 25km/15.5 mi that day – my longest distance to that point – and I didn’t whinge or whine once.
Continue reading “Day 35: Gearing up with The Guys – Portomarin to Palas de Rei”
Jen's Journey - Camino de Santiago 2013, 2016, & 2019 