We Now Return You to Our Regularly Scheduled Program.
I'm back! Apologies for the delay but, you know, Life. Sometimes it just gets in the way. I'm over the moon to report that during the hiatus this little blog has clocked up over six thousand views! In just one year too! I can't believe it and I'm so grateful for anyone who has ever taken the time to read something that I've posted. I hope that you took away some tidbit of information that you could use on your own Camino, or at the very least that you had a laugh at my expense. Thank you all so much:)
So, where were we? That's right, the reflection on Expectation Vs. Reality of the Camino. If you haven't read my last post, do so now as that covers the Expectation side of the debate. Don't worry, we'll wait for you...finished? OK, good. So I finished my journey on the 22/5/19, exactly thirty life-affirming days from the moment that first stamp was pressed upon my Credencial in St. Jean. I've had over a year to reflect on things so the time is right to look back on the expectations that I may have had and to see whether they were well founded or misguided and how the Road to Santiago has impacted my life. So, let the debrief begin!
Let's start simply. Was there anything in your pack that you wished that you had left behind or something that you wish you'd taken?
I can honestly say that I used everything in my pack at least once. The only notable thing that I'd change is my long pants/underwear/shorts/compression tights situation. I found that running shorts with inbuilt underwear to be highly versatile and very lightweight. I could walk in them, swim in them and sleep in them. So my day set would probably be running shorts alone if warm or running shorts with compression tights underneath if cold. I'd wash this gear when I'm finished for the day and slip into a second set of running shorts and compression tights (if cold). The compression tights will also aid in recovery overnight. So in my pack I'd have two pairs of running shorts with inbuilt underwear and two pairs of compression tights - No undies and no long pants.
You said that you wanted to walk the Camino to disconnect. Did you manage to do this?
Yes, I did, but not completely. When walking I was totally disconnected. I didn't even listen to music while I walked. During this time I was completely immersed in the Camino, which gave me the time and space I was after to reflect on some pretty big questions that I had. In the afternoon however, when I reached the albergue, I would jump onto the WiFi and reconnect with my loved ones back home. It was a nice balance as some days I would need the encouragement of my family and girlfriend to pick up the pack tomorrow and keep going. The afternoon that I limped into Astorga comes to mind immediately. The decision not to listen to music, though hard, was the right one. The sounds of the Camino are a big part of the experience, be it a bird song or a cow bell, a river flowing or the opportunity to chat to a fellow pilgrim, they are all etched into my memories and help to enrich them.
The "Big Questions" you had, did you find the answers to these?
The biggest question that I had was "What do you want to do with the rest of your life?". I was happy with most things in my life except my career. I'd worked in fields and industries that I was simply not passionate about. I needed to work out what I was passionate about, what excited me and how I can make a career from or based around that. Now I'm going to preempt my next statement by pointing out that I'm not an alcoholic. What excited me was beer. I loved drinking it, brewing it, talking about it, educating others about it and I loved how passionate other people in the industry were about it. Once I got home I quit my job, started a new job in beer tourism, I'm currently studying my Cicerone (which is the beer equivalent of a sommelier) and I'll be applying to study a one year brewing course with the view to become a brewer. So, yes, you can definitely say that I found the answer to that Big Question. A couple of other questions, the answer was not so clear cut. I plan on considering these further on the Camino Portugues next year.
You weren't certain what it was that you wanted to learn on the Camino, but whatever it was you hoped that it would make you a better person. Did you learn anything on the Camino and if so, do you feel it made you a better person?
I learnt a great deal of things on the Camino, but the biggest lessons revolved around adversity, toughness, resilience and patience. A big ticket item that I learnt was that the brain gives up long before the body. I found that my brain would throw up all manner of reasons why I should quit or that I couldn't do something, but I learnt to ignore this gibberish, kept going and achieved things that I never thought I could do, and in doing so discovered that I am much stronger and tougher than I gave myself credit for. This also helped me learn that tough times pass, that they're usually not as bad as first thought and that there is no point in worrying about things until they happen. All of these lessons I have brought back with me and I regularly use them to help me overcome a difficult or challenging situation. Has it made me a better person? Absolutely, without a doubt.
Another thing I learnt pretty quickly is that I'm a lot more extroverted than I thought I was. I found that I'd speed up to catch up to a pilgrim just so that I could have a chat. The fears I had about meeting people and striking up a conversation were a non-issue. We always had something to talk about - How're your feet? Where did you start walking from? Where are you going? I'd start with the things common to all pilgrims and then the conversation would flow from there.
You said that you hoped to have that chance meeting or experience that would open your eyes to whatever it was that I was looking for or seeking. Did you have that encounter and did you find what you were looking for?
I did. I didn't know what it was that I was looking for, but it turns out that the Camino knew and provided. As I was walking out of Atapuerca one morning I came across a crucifix at the top of a hill. The sun was behind me and sent an X shaped shadow on the ground. I walked to where X marked the spot, turned and looked back at where I'd just come from, and at that moment a voice said to me "You're on the right path". I would normally write this off as just my own thoughts yet this was different. It was bigger than me. As soon as I heard it, I believed it. I was on the right path. This was what I was seeking: Reassurance. Reassurance that what I was doing and where I was headed was the right path for me. It was a moment that will stick with me for the rest of my life, and whenever I doubt myself, I'll remember it and keep going.
And lastly, is there anything that you wished you'd done differently or would do differently next time?
I wished that I'd given myself more time. I took five weeks off and while it was enough time to do it, I had certain daily minimum distances that I needed to reach. If I had more time it would give me more flexibility and the ability to just ditch the guidebook and walk, so that's what I would do differently next time: More time, no guidebook, no plans.
So, where were we? That's right, the reflection on Expectation Vs. Reality of the Camino. If you haven't read my last post, do so now as that covers the Expectation side of the debate. Don't worry, we'll wait for you...finished? OK, good. So I finished my journey on the 22/5/19, exactly thirty life-affirming days from the moment that first stamp was pressed upon my Credencial in St. Jean. I've had over a year to reflect on things so the time is right to look back on the expectations that I may have had and to see whether they were well founded or misguided and how the Road to Santiago has impacted my life. So, let the debrief begin!
Let's start simply. Was there anything in your pack that you wished that you had left behind or something that you wish you'd taken?
I can honestly say that I used everything in my pack at least once. The only notable thing that I'd change is my long pants/underwear/shorts/compression tights situation. I found that running shorts with inbuilt underwear to be highly versatile and very lightweight. I could walk in them, swim in them and sleep in them. So my day set would probably be running shorts alone if warm or running shorts with compression tights underneath if cold. I'd wash this gear when I'm finished for the day and slip into a second set of running shorts and compression tights (if cold). The compression tights will also aid in recovery overnight. So in my pack I'd have two pairs of running shorts with inbuilt underwear and two pairs of compression tights - No undies and no long pants.
You said that you wanted to walk the Camino to disconnect. Did you manage to do this?
Yes, I did, but not completely. When walking I was totally disconnected. I didn't even listen to music while I walked. During this time I was completely immersed in the Camino, which gave me the time and space I was after to reflect on some pretty big questions that I had. In the afternoon however, when I reached the albergue, I would jump onto the WiFi and reconnect with my loved ones back home. It was a nice balance as some days I would need the encouragement of my family and girlfriend to pick up the pack tomorrow and keep going. The afternoon that I limped into Astorga comes to mind immediately. The decision not to listen to music, though hard, was the right one. The sounds of the Camino are a big part of the experience, be it a bird song or a cow bell, a river flowing or the opportunity to chat to a fellow pilgrim, they are all etched into my memories and help to enrich them.
The "Big Questions" you had, did you find the answers to these?
The biggest question that I had was "What do you want to do with the rest of your life?". I was happy with most things in my life except my career. I'd worked in fields and industries that I was simply not passionate about. I needed to work out what I was passionate about, what excited me and how I can make a career from or based around that. Now I'm going to preempt my next statement by pointing out that I'm not an alcoholic. What excited me was beer. I loved drinking it, brewing it, talking about it, educating others about it and I loved how passionate other people in the industry were about it. Once I got home I quit my job, started a new job in beer tourism, I'm currently studying my Cicerone (which is the beer equivalent of a sommelier) and I'll be applying to study a one year brewing course with the view to become a brewer. So, yes, you can definitely say that I found the answer to that Big Question. A couple of other questions, the answer was not so clear cut. I plan on considering these further on the Camino Portugues next year.
You weren't certain what it was that you wanted to learn on the Camino, but whatever it was you hoped that it would make you a better person. Did you learn anything on the Camino and if so, do you feel it made you a better person?
I learnt a great deal of things on the Camino, but the biggest lessons revolved around adversity, toughness, resilience and patience. A big ticket item that I learnt was that the brain gives up long before the body. I found that my brain would throw up all manner of reasons why I should quit or that I couldn't do something, but I learnt to ignore this gibberish, kept going and achieved things that I never thought I could do, and in doing so discovered that I am much stronger and tougher than I gave myself credit for. This also helped me learn that tough times pass, that they're usually not as bad as first thought and that there is no point in worrying about things until they happen. All of these lessons I have brought back with me and I regularly use them to help me overcome a difficult or challenging situation. Has it made me a better person? Absolutely, without a doubt.
Another thing I learnt pretty quickly is that I'm a lot more extroverted than I thought I was. I found that I'd speed up to catch up to a pilgrim just so that I could have a chat. The fears I had about meeting people and striking up a conversation were a non-issue. We always had something to talk about - How're your feet? Where did you start walking from? Where are you going? I'd start with the things common to all pilgrims and then the conversation would flow from there.
You said that you hoped to have that chance meeting or experience that would open your eyes to whatever it was that I was looking for or seeking. Did you have that encounter and did you find what you were looking for?
I did. I didn't know what it was that I was looking for, but it turns out that the Camino knew and provided. As I was walking out of Atapuerca one morning I came across a crucifix at the top of a hill. The sun was behind me and sent an X shaped shadow on the ground. I walked to where X marked the spot, turned and looked back at where I'd just come from, and at that moment a voice said to me "You're on the right path". I would normally write this off as just my own thoughts yet this was different. It was bigger than me. As soon as I heard it, I believed it. I was on the right path. This was what I was seeking: Reassurance. Reassurance that what I was doing and where I was headed was the right path for me. It was a moment that will stick with me for the rest of my life, and whenever I doubt myself, I'll remember it and keep going.
And lastly, is there anything that you wished you'd done differently or would do differently next time?
I wished that I'd given myself more time. I took five weeks off and while it was enough time to do it, I had certain daily minimum distances that I needed to reach. If I had more time it would give me more flexibility and the ability to just ditch the guidebook and walk, so that's what I would do differently next time: More time, no guidebook, no plans.
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| Me: On the right path. |