A Journey in the Making

"Pilgrimage, by its very nature, undoes certainty. It rejects the safe and familiar. It asserts that one is freer when one frees oneself from daily obligations of family, work, and community, but also the obligations of science, reason, and technology."

 

A suggestion by a close friend stirred a desire in my soul. "We should do the Camino de Santiago," he said. I had no idea what that was. I began to research and found a calling deep inside to plan this challenge. It was at that moment that I became.....a pilgrim. They say you become a pilgrim the exact moment you make the decision to walk the Camino. Just calling myself a "pilgrim" invoked a sense of calmness. 

I have not really been a "religious" person (and certainly not since the loss of my daughter) but I did classify myself as a "spiritual" person. I did some research and it seemed most pilgrims made the Camino trek for religious reasons. I pondered why I felt the need to do this. There were a variety of feelings and thoughts that brought me to this point. First and foremost, I have not really stopped blaming myself for my daughter's death. I need clarity and forgiveness. Secondly, I am not getting any younger and I have a desire to be at peace with the life I had and embrace the life to come. Lastly, I need to shed the anger and frustration I harbor deep within. 

So....here we go!

I am not making this trek alone as most pilgrims do. I initially invited a close work friend. The group blossomed to my kindergarten bestie and her sister as well as my work friend's daughter. My close friend who initially planted this seed in my heart decided it was not his cup of tea. He remains a daily encouragement for me and for that I am grateful. 

We are embarking on the Camino Portuguese. A much flatter and shorter route to Santiago de Compostela. We will arrive in Lisbon, Portugal and take a train to Porto, Portugal to begin our trek up the coastline of Portugal. We aren't really sure whether we will traverse to the Spiritual Varient or not to make our way into Spain. The trek from Porto to Santiago de Compostela is approximately 175-200 miles depending on route and conditions. Our plan is to walk 12-17 miles per day. We will carry our belongings that we are working to keep less than 15 pounds.

In addition to the spiritual and personal reasons to walk the Camino...the ultimate win will be walking onto the grounds of this sacred place....

The journey to inner peace begins April 27, 2024!

 "The opening clarion of any spiritual journey. Often in the form of a feeling or some vague yearning, that summons expresses a fundamental human desire: finding meaning in an over scheduled world somehow requires leaving behind our daily obligations. Sameness is the enemy of spirituality."