Santiago

It has been three weeks since I completed El Camino de Santiago. I needed time to digest everything I went through, and process what I achieved. I walked nearly 800 kilometers. Me. The same girl who has torn multiple ligaments, broken bones, and damaged tendons in both legs. The amount of pride that I feel being able to do something as strenuous as the Camino after such injuries is astronomical. And there wasn’t just the physical component either.

Before I began, I wrote a lot about fear and how I was worried that the experience that I built up after so many years would let me down, but I, of course, was worried for nothing. This experience was more than ANYTHING I could have imagined. The people I met, the strength I found within myself, the bonds I formed; they were all worth each kilometer I walked. Now, the food wasn’t always great, and some albergues (hostels for pilgrims) were better than others, but overall, I wouldn’t trade what I just did for anything.

My main goal was to gain a richer understanding of myself, and I did. I processed trauma I didn’t even expect to come up. I gained skills I always wanted to have. I trusted my instincts and was dubbed a wayfinder. And in the end, I got that deep breath and many more, walking through shadowed woods and underneath the big blue endless sky.

Finding my way to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, through the rain and cold and completely alone, was one of the best feelings of my life. The cathedral was beautiful with its marble columns, imposing arches, and golden statues. But it was the feeling of accomplishment when I stood in front of the tomb of Saint James that brought me to tears. There’s a saying on Camino. “The Camino provides.” And often times, it did. It guided me in the right direction, leading me to where I needed to go. It found the right people for me to come across. And it got me safely to the end.

Some people took the straightforward road, while others took detours and alternative routes. Both ways lead to the same destination and hopefully to a better version of ourselves than the ones we arrived with at St. Jean so many weeks ago.