Camino de Santiago

It’s finally here. A dream that started 10 years ago while hiking the Appalachian Trail.

I had been putting this dream off. Saying that I would do it someday.

During Covid 2020, all that changed.

I had a trip planned with my best friends to visit Greece that was cancelled due to the world going on lock down. I was depressed, separated from friends, family and overwhelmed with grief with Franco’s loss and the financial impact it all had on my life.

I had decided to go on a hike with my friend and we started talking through it all. He asked me how long I thought it would take me to save up the money to go. We did the math and I came up with 4 years.

I’d need 4 years to save enough to go, 2024.

That sealed it in my mind and I continued planning, saving and moving forward with the intention that I would be hiking it in 2024.

It has been on the horizon through all the changes. Reconnecting with Rico, moving, creating our family, working remotely and through it all just preparing to go.

Rico was instrumental in helping me prepare. He bought me gear, my gps tracking device and prepped all my technical equipment. His encouragement and support has been unmatched.

It helped me focus on the day to day planning, itineraries, and travel plans.

During the legit planning phase, I mentioned the trip to one of my best friends Maria. I jokingly told her that she should come with me and she immediately agreed.

That was it. Now I’m not a solo traveler.

Together we found her proper gear and discussed pros and cons of using different pieces and packing.

I handled all the travel planning since she had to focus on her work. She is basically showing up with her backpack and passport.

She is trusting me that I have it all figured out and my step by step guide I prepared helped calm her fears.

Luckily I found a podcast called “You on the Camino” with the host Nancy. She has so much knowledge and it was the best information based thing I found in all my research. I went to her website and found that she also did one on one and group travel guides.

Maria and I decided to join her September group since the timeline matched ours. Nancy gave us so much information and will be leading the group of ladies for the first 5 days.

The confidence I feel having Nancy’s help is huge. Knowing someone will be looking out for us and start asking the right questions if we don’t show up when we are supposed to has been a great safety feature for me.

I know backpacking, I don’t know international backpacking in a country that I have never visited.

If you have ever watched the movie “The Way”, it features the Camino.

The Camino de Santiago, the way of Saint James. A spiritual pilgrimage of about 500 miles, through France and Spain. This trail has been hiked for hundreds of years by thousands of people.

It’s a completely different animal than the A.T.

This trail is very user friendly and great for solo travelers and women. Instead of carrying everything I would need to survive like a tent, stove, meals, water purification etc. This trail uses an extensive network of hostels and hotels. Pilgrims (hikers) eat at bars or grocery stores. There is baggage service that will transport your baggage from one accommodation to the next if you want to pay the daily fee.

When I hiked the A.T. I carried a 45 lb pack. Entirely too heavy but being plus size affects the type and size of gear that I have to carry.

This time around, I’m down to 16 lbs and that is still considered heavy in this community.

I think each person’s comfort level is different and we all have different needs and priorities so I don’t see my pack getting much lighter.

And that’s just fine with me.

It’s the morning of our flight overseas. I took melatonin to help me sleep and we went to bed super early to start switching our circadian rhythms to France timelines. They are 7 hours ahead.

I started waking up around 1:30 am and finally just gave up sleeping around 4:30 am.

I’m nervous, my stomach is in knots and has been so sensitive.

I’m excited and scared.

10 years of dreaming. 4 years of planning, zoom calls, and research.

It doesn’t feel real yet.

I’m ready to experience all that this trail will bring. I’m ready to process all the emotions and feelings that I’ve been repressing. I’m ready to work out and sweat. To feel those aches and pains from a long distance hike. To be miserable but happy about it.

To cry, scream, be angry and not hold back the storms of emotions.

To see how this trail will heal me. It’s meant to be a spiritual journey, not just physical.

I’m also ready for the physical changes. To jump start weight loss that I hope to continue when I go home.

I’m ready to change and I’m opening myself up to it.

Buen Camino.