The Journey
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao Tzu
Life itself is a journey. To find yourself is a journey. Sometimes, you have to be middle aged to remember who you are and do something hard or go on a new journey. Twenty-two years ago, I met a couple who made their dreams come true traveling the world and still having a family. Their “way” isn’t my way at this juncture in my life. I am going on a journey. I need this journey to nourish my soul. It’s something I can’t explain other than to say I have to do it.
The Camino de Santiago
I will be writing more about the Camino de Santiago as the summer progresses. The Camino de Santiago (which translates to “The Way of St. James) is an ancient pilgrimage route through northern Spain beginning in various locations in Western Europe. The most popular routes today are through Portugal, the Basque Country, and beginning in France crossing over the Pyrenees. Theoretically, one can start anywhere, including Paris, Ireland, Rome, London, etc., but those trails to link to the more traveled trails are harder to follow.
The most common thing is for “pilgrims” to simply walk the last 100 km, which is all that is required by the Catholic Church for a Compostela (pardon of all sins to reduce your time in Purgatory). I’m finding that many hardcore “pilgrims” who do this aren’t actually Catholic or religious and see the Compostela as more of a certificate of completion for carrying all their belongings on their backs, sleeping in crowded alburgues, wearing the same clothes every day, and walking 500 miles are of the belief that it is the only “way” to be a pilgrim. However, my belief is if someone is so worried about “rules” and what is a “true pilgrim,” then they are losing the entire spiritual experience of the journey.
This pilgrimage is more than 1,000 years old. No, there weren’t luggage services, hotels, buses, etc. then. But those who had more resources like horses and mules to carry them and their belongings. They had servants. For the most part, they could find ways to do the pilgrimage comfortably for the standards of the time. Nobody dissed them.
In the meantime, stay tuned as set upon “my way” to the rest of my life. . .
