Thoughts from my Camino Frances Journey- An Introduction
In 2022, I saw a video on YouTube about someone walking an ancient pilgrimage route in Spain called the Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James). It involved walking 778km (478.46miles) over mountains, across plains, through forests, passing through both modern cities and quaint villages that dated back to medieval times while carrying everything on your back and staying in basic accommodations. My first thought was “Why would anyone put themselves through that?” I watched the video, marveled at the scenery (including a monastery that has hosted pilgrims from the twelfth century), and promptly moved on with my day.
Growing up, I was never into sports and while I generally like outdoor activities like swimming, paddleboarding, or camping, the only hiking I’d done were short day trips with family or friends on short, easy trails. Longer or more challenging activities such as marathons, multi-day trecks, and mountaineering held no appeal for me, and were not very accessible living in Florida with its oppressive humidity and flat, sea level terrain. Two things I did love though were travel and history. The video stuck in my mind as I wondered what it would be like to travel through Spain the same way that pilgrims had done for centuries while experiencing the rich history and culture of a different country.
I did some basic research online and found a wealth of information from forums, Facebook groups, blogs, and videos documenting the history of the Camino as well as individual people’s journey. Some covered practical information such as detailed packing lists, foot care recommendations, and price breakdowns of food and accommodations on the Camino. Other sources spoke about less tangible things such as the unique community bond built by strangers walking together or spiritual growth experienced by pilgrims. This research intrigued me enough to imagine myself walking the Camino someday but still with no concrete plans to do so.
I couldn’t say when the idea took root in my mind, but by 2024 I had decided that a perfect opportunity to walk the Camino would be to celebrate my 30th birthday in April 2025. The Frances route was less busy than in the summer but still with (mostly) good weather and it would be unlike any previous travel experience I had done up to that point. I also felt like I needed a reset in my life personally and spiritually. With these things in mind, I began preparing. I saved up my PTO, bought supplies like a backpack and wool socks from REI, and started walking with a local group called Brave Orlando Pilgrims that met once a month to hike various trails in central FL. Slowly my plan came together, and while I wouldn’t be able to complete the full 33 stages of the Camino Frances in one go, I decided to tackle as much as I could in April (skipping the long flat, Meseta section due to time constraints) by myself before returning in June with a group organized by Cru to complete the busiest final 100kms.
Everything I packed on my Camino
What I learned before even going, was that everyone’s Camino experience is different and there is no “right way” to walk the Way. While I had some constraints on my time, and needed to work several days while traveling, I decided going at all was more important to me than doing it “perfectly”. I did have some priorities and expectations though; I wanted to do it alone and disconnect from “normal life” including social media as much as possible during my walk. I also decided to pre-book my accommodations through Pamplona to give myself peace of mind while walking that I would definitely have a bed at the end of the day during the most physically demanding beginning part of the Camino. Then I would try to take it day by day as much as possible within the confines of the busy Easter holiday as well as reaching Burgos in time to catch my scheduled train. Finally, I wanted to challenge myself physically to walk as much as I could, but I didn’t want to vilify taking a taxi or shipping my bag ahead for some sections if I was struggling with time, injury, or exhaustion.
While walking, I kept a contemplative journal with specific prompts and reflections related to the Camino. Each evening before bed, I diligently wrote down the distance I traveled that day, the people I met, and my thoughts and feelings about everything I experienced. Some entries were short, some long, some were full of self-reflections, others more like a bullet point lists of facts. I debated for a long time whether I wanted to share these journal entries or keep them to myself as the Camino is an intensely personal experience. However, with the one-year anniversary of my Camino rapidly approaching, I thought this would be a good time to reflect on what I learned from my experience one year on, especially after a difficult second half of 2025. This blog experiment is mainly a personal exercise for me, but if my words can resonate with others, then I might as well share them. Plus, it’s a good way to organize the hundreds of photos I took while in Spain. These journal entries have been edited for length and clarity, but they do capture the essence of my Camino experience. I decided the best way to do this was to release one blog entry per day, to better reflect the slower timeline I experienced while walking.
Whether you have never heard of the Camino before or have walked it yourself, whether you read every word of this blog or skim photos of a single entry, I hope you can take something away from my journey. So, please follow along and Buen Camino!
April 9, 2025- Ready to fly to Spain
