What Is . . . El Camino Part 2
Since I’ve now actually walked one part of El Camino myself, I thought I’d give you a firsthand interpretation of what is El Camino. And I use the word “interpretation” intentionally because there is no one answer to what the Camino is.
For some, if you don’t do a specific route and a specific number of miles, you’re not even doing the Camino. For others, it’s only a true Camino if you carry all your belongings on your back and stay in the local pilgrim hostels, known as albergues.
I, of course, did neither of those things. And I still call myself a peregrino and I still walked El Camino. Because the Camino, no matter which route or length you choose, or how you choose to do it, is your Camino.
Everyone has their own.
Mine was 72 miles in 5 days. It was the last 112 kilometers of the Camino Frances, which means I and my fellow hikers qualified for the official pilgrim (peregrino) certificate. It’s a page of Latin that I don’t understand with my name in the middle of it, so it’s about as official as you can get. I think my dad would have loved to see that (and probably would’ve been able to read it)! We did carry backpacks, but we had our luggage transferred and stayed at hotels—some will tell you that’s copping out.
But I can tell you it’s still one of the most physically challenging things I’ve ever done. We walked around 15 -17 miles a day. Much of the time in torrential downpours. It was hard, but we helped each other. We laughed with fellow hikers about the ridiculous rain and our sore feet. We ate amazing food fresh off the farmland we had just hiked through. And when that rain stopped and those clouds broke, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful or green in my life. We even had a full rainbow on our very last day.
As they say, the Camino provides.
But what is El Camino? Or, more accurately, what was my Camino? The Camino can teach you a lot of things, but none more obvious than just putting one foot in front of the other because there’s nothing else you can do. Just keep going. Or, as I like to say, keep f***ing going. Everyone learns this in their own way on the Camino.
My Camino taught me two other things:
1. You gotta throw any and all expectations to the wind. The Camino (ahem, life) will not go as you expect. It just won’t. It sucks sometimes. Walking in torrential rain absolutely sucks sometimes. But you will learn how to walk in the rain as comfortably as possible and more quickly than you thought you could. And there are always friends with you that will help (Hi Emily and Jane!).
2. Often, great beauty and great pain happen all at the same time. And, oh, the pain. I’m pretty sure my feet will never be the same. I did come back with tendonitis in my left ankle, but I’ll survive. And, oh, the beauty. I’m pretty sure I’ll never quite experience that again. And there is no one without the other on the Camino (ahem, in life).
And if you must know, yes, I did see a dragonfly on my Camino. Not a red one, but only one, at the exact moment I needed to see it. In fact, it helped me find a place to leave my stone.
But most importantly, everyone walks their own Camino and learns whatever it is they’re open to.
So, what is El Camino, really? You might just have to walk it to find out for yourself (I’m happy to provide tips).
Buen Camino! And . . .
Stay Curious.