6 Lessons Learned on the Camino de Santiago

Three years ago you wouldn’t find me walking 10 miles outside “for fun.” That was before I decided to cross one of my biggest life goals off my bucket list: The Camino de Santiago.

In early 2015 my sister called.

Sophie: “I decided I’m going to hike the Camino de Santiago. Come with me.”

I decided to join her. She planned the trip for 2016. We walked the Camino Frances starting from Logroño on April 17, and finished in Santiago de Compostela on May 13th. We hiked 450 miles in 4 weeks on the Camino Frances - all the way to Santiago de Compostela.

Fast forward to the present:

I've planned hiking and backpacking trips to last the next 5 years. I walk, bike, or run everywhere that I can. A cloudy sky, misty rain, and an early morning chill put a smile on my face. I have never been more motivated in my life. I wake up feeling confident. 

When you hike the Camino de Santiago, you are hiking hundreds of miles (on blistered feet) through the wind, rain, heat and snow; across valleys, over rocky ground, through mud, manure, and never ending hills. You are challenging yourself everyday while meeting people from all over the world. That being said, there are many lessons you can learn when hiking the Camino.

These are the lessons I learned while hiking the Camino de Santiago:

 1. Size, shape, and age do not reflect your strength.

Before hiking the Camino, I was super self conscious about my body. I had gained a lot of weight since graduating college, and I could barely run a mile. I did not see myself as “skinny” or “fit” by any means. My self-esteem was at an all time low.

My fellow peregrinos (Spanish for “pilgrims” - the term hikers along the Camino are called) were of all shapes, sizes, and body types. Some were bigger than others. Some were tiny. Some could move mountains. Some were old. There was one member of our Camino family that was 70 years old. She kicked our butts and always got to the next town first! However, we all did it together and finished strong.

You could be as thin as a twig, big as a boulder, or have the “ideal” body type that the world obsesses over - but this does not reflect your capabilities.

You are much stronger than you think.

2. Ask questions, get to know everyone around you, and listen.

Something a friend vented to me about after the Camino was her frustration with other pilgrims talking about themselves instead of getting to know others. One time she walked next to some guy from the U.S. for 6 miles who never asked her a single question about who she is and where she’s from. Not even her name! He only talked about himself.

I’m embarrassed to admit I was caught talking about myself too much in the first few days. I got nervous meeting new people and just mumbled my life away. My sister called me out in the first week, saying I once talked about myself for 3 miles after meeting someone new along the way.

I cringed with shame and swore to stop that immediately.

I promised to ask everyone I met what their name is, where they are from, what they do, and why they are hiking the Camino de Santiago. I heard the most inspiring stories from people all over the world who have done the most amazing things.

From recently graduating college, to coping with the loss of a loved one, to hiking across the Sahara Desert - everyone has a story to tell that you can learn from. Listen and connect with them.

3. You are capable. Do not lose hope and never give up.

There were so many moments along the Camino where I stopped, cried in pain (this happened a lot), and screamed in frustration. My body ached all over. My feet were on fire, covered in blisters, and after every turn there was another hill to climb.

“Why can’t I walk faster? Will these blisters ever go away? Do I actually have to hike 8 more miles until I can sit? Please tell me that was the last hill…”

The struggle was real.

There were days I actually thought about giving up. I could get a bus ticket to Madrid, fly to Malaga, and lay out on the beach in Costa del Sol... instead of hiking 300 more miles to Santiago. But honestly, the thought of giving up on my commitment - my goal - was for more painful than any of the blisters on my aching feet.

Giving up was not worth it. Swipe left on the negativity and keep a positive mindset.

I pushed myself to keep going, smile through the pain, and never give up until we got to Santiago.

In the end, I finished the Camino de Santiago - one of my life commitments. There is no better feeling of success than the achievement of your own personal goal.

4. Be accepting of others, including yourself.

Walking next to someone for 15 miles in one day triggers a lot of conversation. Deep conversation. I found myself telling people things I never thought I’d share before. Others told me secrets I swore to never tell.

Sometimes people will disagree with you - and that’s okay. Despite our different opinions, we’re all on the same path, going in the same direction.

By connecting with others, I also learned a lot of about myself. There were plenty of enlightening conversations that taught me to be open to different opinions and perspectives, share my thoughts with others, and never reject my own honest opinion.

5. Be willing to wing it and make a change.

One day we decided to throw caution to the wind and change our plans. We were supposed to hike 15 miles from Arroyo San Bol to Ermita de San Nicolas. Instead, we ended our day in the beautiful ruins of San Anton - which turned into our favorite day on the Camino.

We only walked about 5 miles that day, so we accepted the fact that we have to work extra hard the next few days to get back on schedule. It was a tough call to make and completely worth it. I would relive that day over and over again if I could.

Sometimes life throws new things your way, and you need a moment to take it in. Sticking to a strict itinerary can hold you back from experiencing the best opportunities.

If you find a new opportunity that might be better for you, take a hard look at your plans, and consider making a change.

6. Life is full of material distractions that you don't actually need

Backpacking internationally requires you to pack light. Hiking across a country requires letting go of simple luxuries that we use everyday - like your cell phone, camera, Wi-Fi, hot water, jewelry or makeup.

It felt weird not packing certain things I’d normally use every day. The only piece of technology I carried with me was my phone, which I occasionally pulled out to take photos. Aside from that, I barely used it because service was limited. And why would I need makeup? I’m hiking 15-20 miles per day and sweating in the middle of nowhere.

No makeup needed for this.

After the first few days, I found myself really enjoying my life without notifications. I was looking up and out, observing the world around me, interacting with people from all corners of the globe, and not worrying about how I looked. It was liberating.

Most of your showers on the Camino will be ice cold. If we got lucky to stay in an albergue that had hot water... That was a blessing. The greatest gift after a 15 mile hike is a hot shower.

After the Camino, coming home felt like a title wave of distractions that I honestly forgot about. In fact, my sister and I may have forgotten to turn off “Do Not Disturb” on our phones for a few weeks (or months… for some people…), because we were used to not hearing them ring (sorry friends - that's why I never got back to you)!

As I got reacquainted with my life back home, I had to remind myself that there are certain things I use everyday but don’t really need. It’s not the end of the world if I don't look my best, have wi-fi, or if there’s no hot water. I will survive and get to where I need to be.

The 450 miles I walked was full of pain, obstacles, and struggles. But it doesn't even compare to the lessons I learned by opening up, talking with people from around the world who became family to me, the experience of Spanish culture in different regions, the acceptance of myself and others, letting go of your burdens, and realizing how much you're truly capable of by pushing yourself every day and never giving up.