The Call

 When my friend Hope’s sister Beth called me in March to invite me to go on the Camino with her, it was seriously the last thing on my mind. With Covid-19 still impacting foreign travel, I assumed my Camino journey would be ‘someday’, not now. 

My heart immediately said ‘yes’,  but my mind said ‘maybe’. Beth and her family were going in June, and I just didn’t know if that would be realistic for me. My husband was out of town, so we wouldn’t even have a chance to talk about it in person. 

While I didn’t know if I’d be able to go, I immediately started dreaming. I checked the airfare, and it was around $1200. (Yikes.) Since I’ve been thinking of the Camino for so many years, I also had been contemplating who my travel companion would be. My first choice would be my husband,  but he didn’t feel the same Call that I do. I also had been to talking to Beth’s sister, Hope, for years, thinking she and I would likely make the journey someday. Hope is one of my closest friends, we’ve traveled together, we’ve hiked together, we share a lot of the same values, and I thought we’d be a good match for this once-in-a-lifetime journey. If Hope went on this trip, it would make sense for me to go too.

While I was contemplating Beth’s invitation, I started collecting information “just in case”. I called our local Camino group coordinator, Miriam, and she very kindly and generously met me on a rainy morning to talk about the Portuguese coastal route and loan me several guide books. 

I already had plans to go to Houston a few days after Beth’s call, to see my son Josh and his girlfriend Caitlyn. After our wonderful weekend visit, they both went to work on Monday. I still had time on Monday before my flight home, so I decided to take a long walk, prepping for the Camino “just in case”. I walked out of Josh’s apartment and turned Left - away from the main road, ready to explore his new neighborhood and not knowing what lay ahead. To my surprise, in just half a mile, I stumbled across Lost Creek Park, a perfect spot with a long hiking trail. The Camino always provides. After exploring the park, I walked along the main road and into the shops that were now open. I found this pillow - Find Joy in the Journey. The next stop was a book store. I drifted into the travel section and looked for books on the Camino. There were only a few people in the store. Another lady popped into the travel section, and we started to chat. When I told her what I was looking for, her eyes lit up. She had been dreaming of the Camino since her college days. She even had a trip booked, which had to be cancelled due to Covid travel restrictions. Wow, more Camino magic. Another sign.

Find Joy in the Journey

Hiking in Texas

History of the Camino

 The Camino de Santiago in Spain is The Way of St James. James was one the twelve apostles of Jesus. He preached in ancient Spain, and his remains are believed to be at the Cathedral in Santiago. In 1492, Pope Alexander VI officially declared this one of the three great pilgrimages of Christendom, along with Jerusalem and Rome. 

The most traveled and best known route is the Frances, 800 km from the border of France to Santiago. There are many routes, and I will be walking the coastal Portuguese path, starting in Baiona, Spain.

Saint James

a, Spain.

My back story

I put the Camino on my vision board in  2019

Me at the national Girl Scout camp, age 15

 I grew up in Indiana as a Girl Scout. I’ve always loved hiking and the outdoors. Some of my favorite memories include overnight camp and an epic cross-country trip to the national Girl Scout camp in Wyoming. 

I’ve always been interested in the Appalachian Trail, and I’ve been fortunate to enjoy day hikes in Virginia and North Carolina. As much I’m enamored with the AT, I never pictured myself hiking with a tent, cooking gear,  and all my food provisions. 

Like most Americans, I first heard of the Camino de Santiago when I watched the Martin Sheen movie “The Way”. It grabbed me like nothing else in my life, except maybe my husband. I knew immediately it was something I wanted to do. Since then, I’ve read so many books and blogs about the Camino. I’ve watched other movies and documentaries. I joined our local Camino group. I attended multiple presentations about the Camino.

The Camino has been calling me for a long time. I’ve just been hoping and praying I’d be able to answer the call someday.