How the Camino de Compostela Changed My Life.
At the dawn of the new millennium, Yoni and I were both captivated by Paulo Coelho’s book, The Pilgrimage, which chronicles his journey along the Camino de Santiago.
Yoni was immediately hooked and dreamt of embarking on this adventure.
However, with a young child at home and financial struggles, it remained just a dream.
Fast forward to September 2004, Yoni finally set off on his six-week pilgrimage.
When he returned, he was utterly transformed, like he’d had a profound spiritual awakening.
Witnessing his transformation, I yearned for a similar experience.
But just as I was about to plan my own Camino journey, tragedy struck. My brother was killed in a car accident.
The thought of a pilgrimage was the furthest thing from my mind.
Years went by, and in 2009, during our annual goal-setting session, I aimed to hit the gym three times a week.
Yoni, fresh off his training for the New York Marathon, encouraged me to set a more tangible goal.
He insisted, “Going to the gym for the sake of going to the gym is not a goal. What do you want to achieve?”
He seemed to be nudging me towards a marathon, but that was never going to happen. I
nstead, I had an epiphany. By my 50th birthday, I would walk the Camino de Santiago – an 800km journey across the Pyrenees from France to Spain, with a 10kg backpack, staying in Albergues, and embracing the pilgrim life.
That year was one of the most challenging of my life. Preparing my body for such a trek was daunting, especially since my previous idea of a long walk was from the living room to the kitchen.
I had to overhaul my mindset about my physical capabilities.
By the time I turned 50, I was ready. On September 8, I embarked on my six-week solo journey, promising myself to savor every step, even the tough ones.
It turned out to be one of the most transformative experiences of my life.
The Camino taught me countless lessons, but the most profound was that the journey itself is far more important than the destination.
The people I met, the challenges I faced, and the sheer act of walking every day expanded my sense of self and reshaped my view of the world.
Since then, my favorite vacations have involved hiking.
I learned that true growth comes from the journey, not the destination, and that the people you meet along the way enrich your experience.
My pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago wasn’t just a physical journey; it was a path to a more profound understanding of life, community, and resilience.