I originally planned to go with a friend, but the Universe conspired to make it a solo escapade. At first I was a bit shaken by that thought, but by the end of Day 1 of my Camino I knew that everything was absolutely perfect. With the exception of my level of fitness… that was a shocker.
On the 27 June, I arrived in Santiago de Compostela after conquering over 500km of paths and roads on foot, and experiencing a rollercoaster of adventures. I had braved cold days (reluctantly), climbed mountains, fallen in pseudo-love with a monk, embraced a new use for feminine hygiene products and battled dense scrub to find a forbidden castle.
At times disillusioned with the pilgrim tourist culture, I’d also detoured from walking the path to meet a generous, giving family who were more than happy to show me the real Spain; from traditional home-cooked meals, shopping at the markets, kids fetes and foam parties, to a bar crawl in the Barrio Humedo in the heart of Leon.
Did I have a good time? You bet I did! In hindsight, I loved every minute of it, even the night I was in agony, bawling my eyes out in a bathtub, using my bum to block the plughole.
I started out not having much to say in my facebook posts, mostly because I was so exhausted at the end of the day. I spent my days ‘settling in’ to the Camino process and getting in tune with the click of my hiking sticks. I felt awkward, but safe. It took a little time to get used to talking to strangers, walking with them, even dining with them. We had nothing in common but we were sharing a very specific experience, which made them… just like me. Why were we there? What had drawn us? Who knew?
Despite the awkwardness and initial self-questioning, this turned out to be a highlight of walking for me. The countryside and villages were extraordinary wonderlands and there were unexpected surprises… the pilgrim monument, a fiesta at the top of a hillside medieval village, a dog with walking shoes and some beautiful bridges.
By this point my fitness was pretty good. I was really enjoying my walking and my legs were well in tune with my hiking sticks. I loved my pattern of walking in the morning, finding my home for the night and having a hot shower or bath before siesta! Then, early evening I would head out for dinner, usually finding a friend or two with whom I’d share a bottle of wine. The highlight was my long weekend in Leon, where I met the family of some of my good friends in Australia. The family were beautiful, fun, welcoming and so generous with their time. I loved, loved, loved them (and still do!).
After my weekend in Leon I had a new sense of lightness in spirit. I was literally skipping along the path, smelling the wildflowers and smiling to myself like a crazy lady. And boy, it felt great to be crazy! I loved walking the path alone, observing, processing and creating a tale in my head. I discovered my confidence and (writing) voice too, opening up and expressing my true feelings and experiences, as silly as they may have been at times. I had an immense sense of freedom and total contentment, an energised state of being that I only seem to ever accomplish through travel.
In my last week, I stopped writing my facebook posts. I wanted to leave something ‘unknown’, a mystery, to the people following my posts so they might pursue their own ending. I wanted to experience the Camino, on my own, without any commitments. I wanted to live in the moment and make the most of last bit of time with my new best friend, the path. Funnily enough, instead, my focus slipped a little as I found the path a little less enjoyable with an influx of pilgrims completing the last 200km. My mind turned to what was going to happen after my Camino – meeting my family in France.
