Buen Camino!
Some years ago I went on a family trip to the north of Portugal and Galicia (Spain). When getting to Santiago de Compostela I started to see all of these people with backpacks and hiking poles that were walking the “Camino de Santiago”. Nico and I agreed that one day we would do it together. Although it seemed to me something very difficult and that we would need months of preparation and a strong will to do so. Therefore, I imagined it happening only when I was fit enough to be up for the challenge.
Little did we know that three years later we would be finally walking the Camino. Funny enough, I was actually in a very bad shape, after one year of studying and working in Vancouver that had left me drained, overweight and with some vitamins and minerals deficiencies. I knew this would be definitely a challenge.
Nico programmed most of the trip. She had researched where we were staying, how many kilometers we were walking per day and all the logistics. We started in Sarria, which meant that we would have to walk around 110 km in five days. We came up with a plan to wake up quite early (around 7am), walk for about two hours, take a break for the breakfast, keep walking until we reached the destination for the day, go to the hostel to take a shower and drop the backpacks, go to a restaurant to have a late lunch and chill out the entire afternoon in a park. Our bags were not heavy but every kilogram counts when you are hiking for so many hours up and down hills. You can feel that extra liter in the water bottle you carry.
The first day was quite easy and fun. We encountered countless people along the way wishing a “buen camino” (translates for “have a good walk”), all kinds of people from all over the world, in all different age groups, some in better shape than others. Some were doing it for the first time, just like we were, others had been walking the Camino every year for several years. Some had just started the walk, others were walking for almost one month. Some did it as a physical exercise, others for spiritual reasons or even just for the adventure. Some were alone, others came in groups.
The following days got a bit tougher and harder due to the muscle pain from walking so many kilometers. Sometimes it was really painful to start walking again after having a small break. At some point I lost count of how many people were full of bruises and blisters and I could almost feel their pain just by looking at the way they were walking. Luckily Nico and I didn’t have any feet problems as we were wearing barefoot shoes (Barefoot) but we had other aches and pains in our legs and backs.
To me, doing the Camino is not just about overcoming the physical struggles but above all the mental obstacles we face along the way. Even though Nico and I decided to do this together, it didn’t mean we had to walk together. In fact, for the most part we decided to split and walk with our own individual pace. That meant being alone with our own minds and thoughts for hours on end. There were some things I learned from this experience and would like to share:
Every body has a different rhythm. Some people were supper fit, overtaking everyone they would pass through, others on the other hand, were walking in an extremely slow pace as they probably had some physical issues. However, all of them got to Santiago (the final destination) at some point. The exact same happens in our day to day life. If there’s a goal we want to achieve, we can start walking towards that goal in a pace we feel comfortable to do so. We will eventually get there sooner rather than later.
The physical struggles we encounter by walking endless meters are surpassed minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day. Meaning that it is more about our mental strength than being in a good shape. If I could walk in pain, with hunger and a heating sun over my head, than I guess I can face daily routine problems as well. Transforming those struggles into victories.
Carrying a small backpack along the way, with just the necessary items, made me understand of how little we can live with. I used the same t-shirt and leggings during those five days and even though they were dirty and dusty most of the time (I only washed them once), I didn’t feel the need for more clothing items. The remaining carried weight was due to water, fruit and snacks I carried around to give me fuel to keep me going. In our day-to-day life we carry way to many concerns, beliefs and struggles that we don’t need as well. If we only take the essential, we end up living with those things that are really meaningful and important to us.
After walking for so long during the first part of the day, we made sure we would have our well-deserved rest for the second part of the day. We chilled in parks, did some stretching, played cards and had long conversations. Which made me think of how in our busy lives we often don’t get to spend quality time with those we love and doing the things we enjoy. Rest and quality time are crucial to keep a healthy and sane lifestyle.
Most of the Camino has amazing pathways in such a diverse nature: mountains, plains, grass fields, plantations, streams, old villages and ruins. In order to hike up and down hill you need to be present, otherwise you can stumble on a rock or step on cow manure. Just like in our daily routine, if you are not present in every moment you can make mistakes, get ill or hurt and eventually be in “shitty” situations.
In order to learn something, we need to put ourselves out there, outside our comfort zone. There’s where growth takes place.
I truly advise everybody to do something like this. You don’t need to walk for five days in a row, just getting out there in nature, carrying your own belonging along the way (to really see how little you need) and most important be present with yourself and your own thoughts.
I can’t wait to do it again soon!
