Camino anniversary

Today, a year ago, my then 13-year-old son Richard and I started the Camino de Santiago - a 35 day and more than 900km long journey on foot, that changed our lives. We started in France and walked all the way across Spain from East to West, from the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela and then to the Atlantic Ocean. There is so much I could share about the Camino, but three things stand out for me: The beauty of Spain, the people that we have met, and the life lessons that the Camino brought.

Spain is very beautiful, has a long and rich history and diverse culture: Several thousand-year-old tombs (Dolmens), never-ending Roman roads, Muslim baths from the Moors, and grand cathedrals in Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, Astorga and Santiago. We were lucky to witness the grand Good Friday procession in Logrono, the Easter Sunday procession in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and the traditional Galician music festival in Melide.

People come from all walks of life and from all over the world. Conversations quickly turn to why someone is doing the Camino. Fellow pilgrims have shared unbelievable, tragic and funny life stories with me and in each was something in it for me to learn from. I enjoyed that I had plenty of time to listen and to share when walking 8 hours per day. The support amongst the pilgrims was incredible: Some people carried others’ bags, water and food was being shared, and each other’s wounds were attended to. We shared tears and laughter, sadness and joy, tough times, and great times.

The simplicity of life on the Camino, away from hectic everyday life, made experiences and life lessons clearer and simpler. Quickly the walk on the Camino became a symbol for my walk through life. Here are a few symbolisms that meant a lot to me:

• Celebrate the evening: After a long day’s walk, we took a break and did what we loved – great chat with fellow pilgrims, sightseeing of places, have a nice dinner or all of that together. It is important to celebrate a tough day.
• Life is a struggle that bears tremendous growth if one is open for it: Even the long-distance runners, mountain climbers and regular adventurers that we have met had some tough times with completing the Camino. Overcoming the struggles on the way resulted in tremendous learning, fulfilment and sometimes just acceptance, such as in life.
• Accepting the things that we cannot change: We had it all. Snow, rain, heat, and storm, sometimes being wet to the skin, fingers immovable due to the freezing cold, strong headwinds for two days. It was frustrating at times and unbearable until the moment of acceptance when things become much lighter.
• Everyone’s journey is unique: Although we were all moving in the same direction, everyone’s journey was unique. Boots were killing our feet while sandals and socks were doing the trick. For other people, it was exactly the opposite. What worked for someone, does not necessarily work for another and therefore we were all very careful with advice.
• Address the problem: We were struggling with blisters and first we did not treat them properly and instead started walking differently to avoid the pain. This led to other challenges that were even worse. It was important to deal with the problem directly as trying to avoid it creates bigger worse problems.

Walking the Camino was an incredible journey and a great opportunity to bond with my son. We have met so many wonderful people and have shared memories that we will never forget. Thank you all!

Buen Camino!

PS: Thank you to all the people who have made this way so special Eduardo Lins Henrique Eduardo Thuler Josh Armstrong Bryony Harrison - Croft Gerd Metje Laura Zulian and many more who we have had the honor to meet and spend time with