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WALKING CAMINO
Lessons I Learned while Walking The Camino
Things I wish I’d known before the trek
Walking the Camino de Santiago is unlike any other hike I have ever done. It is one of the toughest physical challenges I have ever experienced. Mistakes were made but now I know better, and yes, I would do it again. It’s the adrenaline rush when you cross the finish line of a grueling marathon. It’s the thrill of victory.
A few weeks ago my sister announced that she was going to tackle the Camino next spring. The past few years have turned her life upside down, with medical issues and the trauma of losing a child. The devastation has torn her apart and she’s hoping the Camino will help her put her life back together. The Camino can do that.
Before I signed up for the Camino I also had some medical issues, including thyroid cancer, and a few surgeries, and I was still trying to wrap my head around my retirement.
I met some pilgrims along the way who had been dealing with more serious issues than I had. Like the young woman who I noticed was limping as she walked. When I asked her if it was blisters she told me that no, she had recently been diagnosed with motor neuron disease, like ALS. She said she had always wanted to walk the Camino and realized she had to do it now while she…