Life lessons walking the Camino trail.

Recently, I walked from Portugal to Spain on the famous Camino trail with my teenage son Joel. It was the trip of a lifetime! This incredible trail has attracted hikers and spiritual pilgrims since the 13th century.?Nearly 300,000 people from all walks of life and creative professions complete the trails and it's only getting more popular.

Filmmaker Werner Hertzog said, "The world reveals itself to those who travel on foot."?Hertzog's words rang true.

As I trekked hundreds of miles with my son, I realized some truly important life lessons about both of us.

This isn't an easy trail.?At times, temperatures are above 95 degrees F. Feet are sore and blistered from the hardness of the ancient cobblestones, the pack weight getting heavier by the mile, and lack of recovery time. Stomachs are hungry, water bottles need refilling and you are practicing patience with each other while pushing yourself physically every day.

So why do it?

The idea came to me a few years ago while reading an Instagram post of a father who took his son on the Camino trail.?I decided I wanted to do something similar with my son who just graduated high school - a memorable father & son trip to celebrate a new season of going off to college to study engineering, and learning how to adult on his own. I never had a dad growing up.?My parents separated when I was a child, and my father wanted nothing to do with me throughout school and college.?He was your classic absent dad.?

I have always wanted something different for my son.?I wanted an adventure of learning and life discovery together.?The comment came multiple times on the Camino: Hikers were surprised that my son and I were "doing this together". Many couldn't imagine doing it with their son or daughter due to personal differences, emotional pain, and conflict.?I realized I was creating a new story for us. My son mentioned he might do this with his son in the future. That made me smile. We were writing a new generational family story of doing life together.

The daily Camino hike from town to town has a way of bringing you back to what's really important. I work as a senior broadcast producer for a global non-profit.?My job means I travel around the US and the world creating films and media content for campaigns, education, TV spots, and social media.?My job has lots of demands and this year I was in Iraq, South America, and the Ukraine before starting the Camino.

As much as I appreciate the travel and love telling the stories, I knew I needed an emotional and mental reset.?I needed space to ask myself questions and search for new answers. And maybe there would even be space for new questions.

As I walked the beautiful paths, trails, and towns of Portugal and Spain, I honestly felt I was in another world.?I didn't think about my job.?It was the emotional distance and spiritual refreshment I needed. The daily process of getting up, carrying a pack, walking miles, keeping hydrated, looking for a hostel to stay in, and getting food was simple but had a cadence that was so satisfying.?It was the ultimate slowdown. Putting one foot in front of the other for hours a day was repetitive, it was rhythmic and it was the refilling my heart needed.?Portugal and Spain are cities with such a rich history of buildings, churches, food, and traditions that we just soaked it all up.

I still feel the breeze walking through picturesque fields with the sun peeking through the trees, and the damp morning mist hovering over freshly cut fields.?It was a cinematic moment that I just walked into and hadn't needed to location scout or overly research first.

I realized God's simple beauty can fill an empty emotional tank and help you make sense of life. While in Ukraine, I'd seen blown-up buildings, food shortages, and tragic human situations.?The answer to how to deal with those images and tragedy for my soul was seeing beauty.?It wasn't trying to forget what I'd seen.?We should never forget those images. But, beauty helps us realize the way things should be in a world filled with war, famine, loss, and disappointment.?It feeds a weary soul with the sweetness of hope.

The time with my son was amazing. I was watching him grow, struggle and push himself each day on the Camino. It was a gift. At one point my son mentioned this was the hardest thing he had ever done.?Those words brought me joy knowing he was stretching himself beyond his normal ability and finding he could do more than he ever thought.?I remember the day he nearly passed out walking in high temperatures as we walked into a beautiful Portuguese town called Ponte De Lima. Water had been scarce and the hike more mountainous than expected, but he didn't quit and I could see him growing in confidence each day.?I wonder how many of our teens have the opportunity to push themselves in ways we can celebrate beyond our normal day-to-day.?

I film people, stories, and places for a living, but this time there was no film to make, no people to interview, and no creative deliverable.?It was just us, at that moment inhaling the beauty on this amazing trail.

The Camino is a spiritual pilgrimage for many.?Some do it because they are Catholic or Protestant, and see walking to Santiago De Compostela in Spain?(the resting place of the Apostle Saint James) as a spiritual quest.?But some just know they need a break, a reset, and a chance to think about the future, and past and how they want to live going forward.?The Camino is a place that allows you silence and stillness away from our media-crazy world, a way to listen to your heart and cut through the noise.

The chance to walk, laugh and reflect with my son and other pilgrims affected me majorly. Through the simple act of daily walking, laughing, struggling, and celebrating with others on the beautiful Camino, I felt refreshed in a way I have not for many years.

Before I left someone told me to "just soak it in" and that's what I did.?My soul, body, and spirit needed a major refresh emotionally, mentally, and creatively.?I suspect many of the other professionals and people carving time out to walk the Camino did too.?We had something in common.?We were asking ourselves important questions about life, purpose, and what is important.

During the Camino, I received news that people I knew had died.?It was a chance to meditate, grieve and consider my life.?Our lives are so short.?Honestly, walking the trail reminded me again of what's important - God, family, purpose, legacy, love, and creativity.?

My creative work wasn't at the top.?It shouldn't be at the top.?

I think when we live our lives in the order of refreshment and peace our work impact is richer, fuller, sustainable, and more meaningful.?Maybe it means leaving a job to maintain a healthy order or focusing on new roles and ideas we haven't listened to due to the rush of life, COVID-19 lockdowns, social media, Netflix... the list goes on.

The Camino Santiago trail is about walking and reaching the historic Cathedral of Santiago De Compostela.?People start in either France, Portugal, or Spain. But honestly, the destination wasn't as nearly as exciting as the journey.?Each day we would stumble across an interesting person, town, village, or river.?It was the challenge and adventure I needed.?I was discovering the unexpected and seeing new things I didn't know I needed to see.?The Camino was about making room for growth, rest and answers.?It allowed me the space to forgive, grieve, let go and hold onto those things which I really value.?I work in creative media and know that others have the same struggles and quest for the stillness that I do.?To find direction in the hustle and machine of churning out creative content.

Since coming back to work in the US, I feel a greater sense of inner peace and refreshment.?My wife noticed how chill both of us were on returning. I feel like the spirit of the Camino came back with me and the focus on what was important has stayed with me.?I needed the walking and companionship of Camino more than I realized.?It wasn't cheap or easy to do the Camino.?The flights, accommodation, food, and time off work all add up, but when I look back on this in 20 years' time, I won't regret a dollar spent on this hike.?I suspect my son won't either.?It was the precious memory of a lifetime.

You may not need to walk the Camino Santiago to get the reset I did, but I sure recommend it.?I'm planning another Camino trail from France to Spain in the future with my son.?I'll have to sell some art, make some sacrifices, and save some income but I know the investment will be worth it.

So my question to you is, what is your Camino??What will you do to find the space, healing, and reset that you need for your soul?

I hope you make the effort to make space to listen, learn, and discover the rest your soul needs.?I know my work, family, creativity, and inner peace are the better for doing it.?

I suspect the Camino Santiago and long trails like it will be something I need to do regularly for the rest of my life.

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