In April, I checked an item off my bucket list. Ever since moving to Spain and learning about the Camino de Santiago (aka St. Jame’s Way), I have been itching to do the pilgrimage. The route that I took covers the last 115 km before Santiago along the French route, and it is the most popular part of the camino. There are about a million blog posts about this stretch of the camino, so I thought that instead of writing another, I would just share my journal entries from the trip. Here are my thoughts and reflections!

Sunday April 2nd 2023

Today begins my journey on The Camino de Santiago, a bucket-list item since I first learned of its existence while in the Canary Islands. I am so excited and just happy to be going on a new adventure. I had a small snafu this morning when I realized the hostel I had booked was kinda unaccessible in terms of location, but I adverted the mini-crisis and booked a new place much closer to the bus station. I will be starting my journey in Sarria (I have to take a bus there tomorrow morning from Santiago) , and I will be walking to Santiago de Composetala. I’m really excited for the people I will meet along the way. While this is a solo adventure, and I will be spending a lot of time in my own head, I always think the most exciting part of any trip is the people you encounter. I don’t have much of a plan, besides just walking, and I am oddly calm considering I’ve never done anything like this before, but I have trust in myself and a positive mindset. Anything is possible. You can do anything for one week! As I am approaching the end of my second school year here in Andalucia, and looking towards the future, the camino will be the perfect place for me to reflect upon my time in Spain and really give myself the time to process all of my emotions. Me. Nature. My thoughts. Galicia. New friends. That is what I’m looking forward too.

Monday April 3rd, 2023

Well I already had one heck of a start, and the Camino hasn’t even begun yet. In a moment of panic, I found myself on the side of a highway last night, miles away from the hostel I had reserved. Basically, I got off the bus at the wrong stop. It turned out not to be that big of a problem, as I could just wait at the bus stop for the next one, but it sure did get my heart rate up, out there, alone, at 11pm. My hostel was nice enough, and I feel refreshed and ready to tackle the day. I’m going to make a game plan and then get myself some sustenance and more importantly, coffee, before the day ahead.

GAME PLAN -Monday April 3rd 2023 -CAMINO DAY 1

111km total

Bonobús Santiago –> Sarria (11:00->13:06)

Get passport in Sarria and start walking by 14:00

Arrive by 8pm in Portomarin

4 hours + 35 mins walking and 22.2 km or 13.79 miles

Tuesday April 4th, 2023

¡Que día tía! Started off grand when my bus to Sarria hit a parked bus at the airport, delaying the journey an hour. After about 5 and 1/2 hours and 22km later, I have reached Portomarin successfully with the help of two Venezuelan women (Gabbi and Maria), whom I met in the Sarria bus station bathroom . I saw lots of german shepherds today and lots of cows.

GAME PLAN- Tuesday April 4th, 2023 – CAMINO DAY 2

Portomarin -> Palas de Rei

Leave by 8 am

Tuesday, April 4th 2023

So… today I left pretty early (7:45am) to head to Palas de Rei. I left my Venezuelan friends behind to walk by myself. It was a beautiful day, and I crushed this part of the camino (about 15 miles in 5 hours). I have a lot of my journey left to do, and I am excited and nervous. Thursday is going to be a biiiiiig day, but tomorrow will be light. In the beginning of my trip, I met a Galician girl named Elena. She asked me to accompany her for the first part of the morning, and she had a headlight, which was helpful, since I did not. Then, she told me to go ahead, and I haven’t seen her since. I walked the rest of the way alone only stopping at a nice little religious Albergue where I spoke to an American volunteering on a religious passport, which I didn’t even know existed. Also, there was a man who had a Japanese camino passport, which was so cool. I’ll have to research the Japanese camino later. I ate lunch with my Albergue flatmates, Fania and Patri, from Tenerife and Cordoba, respectively. Also, I got sooooo lucky once again. I arrived around 13:15, and the place I had tried to book online didn’t have beds available. The super nice man at the front desk, Manu, found me a space in an Albergue across the street, which by the way, is super nice compared to last night’s dump which I found out was actually an EMERGENCY SHELTER that opened because there were soooo many pilgrims. Anyway, today went pretty perfectly. I am going to find myself a pizza and then probably read and go to bed early. I am exhausted. 3 more days to go!

Wednesday, April 5th 2023

I got my pizza last night, briefly saw a concert in a bar, went to a Catholic mass inside the very beautiful church in the center of the village, read my book, and went to bed earlyish. I’ve even got some leftover pizza to take with me on the camino. Today, I go to Melide- Octopus city! It is only 3 hours (13km) away, about half of what I’ve been doing, so it should go by quickly. I’ve been mostly alone this journey, which is good for thinking and spirituality. Most of the people here are Spanish, and I have heard very little English, and pretty much no American accents besides Greta, my bus-mate to Sarria. One of my roommates, a very interesting Italian woman (doing the camino for her sick friend) speaks English very well. This is a big travel week in Spain because of Semana Santa. 13 km today! ¡Animo!

Wednesday, April 5th 2023

Oh how things can change in the span of a few camino hours. Today, I began my walk solo and arrived on the outskirts of Melide within 3 hours. I stopped at a little cafe/bar for a cafe con leche, torrija, and a banana, when suddenly I saw Maria powering by. I caught up with her and joined her and some friends she had made (who by the way had taken a photo of me earlier) for pulpo (octopus) at a pulperia. Que ricoooo. I decided to continue with them towards Arzua because there were plazas available in their Albergue. Hooray! No 7 hour solo-walk tomorrow. Today I did around 30 km (almost 20 miles).

Thursday, April 6th 2023

I love the morning. Maybe this is why I am enjoying the camino. I am a big morning person, so I fit in with all those getting an early start. A pastry and a coffee and I’m off! Because yesterday was my hard day, today is my easy day. I left Maria and Gabi again this morning, but if I don’t see them today, I will surely see them in Santiago. I’m honestly not sure where today will take me. I have a place booked in a rural casa a little outside O’ Pedrouzo , but I feel like I might want to walk more than 3 hours and 33 mins.

Friday, April 7th 2023

I made it! Yesterday, I did not get the chance to write, but here we go… Yesterday was an over 30 km day, kinda by accident. I began walking right before 8, like every other day, solo. By the time I got to my countryside Albergue outside of O’ Pedrouzo, I was not tired, so I continued! (smart or stupid…idk). At one point, I even thought I was going to make it all the way to Santiago (I did not), but an overpriced egg on a baguette only payable in cash and an unplanned trip to a far-away ATM, sent me over the edge. I picked myself up and kept keeping on though.

I noticed in the morning that I had lost the rock I brought with me (a symbol to take with you and discard along the way) I think it’s kind of fitting I just lost it and didn’t even realize until I tried to look for it. I would hold my rock while I climbed big hills. But when I went to look for it, it wasn’t there, similar to my own worries that have faded with time, coming to the realization one day, that I am okay. I feel this way about the boy(s) I’ve loved, my uncertainly in the future, and other pain I’ve experienced in my life. All of these problems that plague my mind are like my rock, adding extra weight to my uphill climb. But I continue with this rock until slowly, with time and perseverance, I lose the rock, and I don’t even realize I’m not carrying it anymore.

I called a few people on my walk, so while I was trying to stay off social media, I wasn’t totally tech free. I talked to my mom a lot, Tracy, Meg, and Allayna, Aunt Karen, and my brother when I was at my Albergue. It reminded me, while I am SAD to leave Spain, I have so many amazing relationships to return to and pour my love and energy into.

The place where I finally stopped last night, Monte de Gozo, was stunning. I met a really nice Valencia-living Madrileña, named Irene, and we watched the sunset together on the top of this beautiful beautiful beautiful mountain. Something else I’ve learned about myself, but perhaps already knew, is that while I really enjoy and sometimes prefer being alone, humanity and connection is NECESSARY. There were times when I thought, ” I wish I had a friend with me.” However, I am glad I did the camino alone, as I met people I probably wouldn’t have spoken to otherwise. I woke up this morning and reached Santiago by 9 am, one of the first to receive my Compostela today. Today’s walk wasn’t nearly as special as the others truthfully, walking only 4km to the cathedral. Another lesson: It’s about the journey, not the destination. Walking thought the wilderness was by far the most meaningful part of the camino, with just the sounds of nature and the thoughts in my heard. Although I am guilty of walking quickly (I am who I am), I did my fair share of appreciating the beauty of my surroundings. Today I’m going to Finesterre, aka the end of the world, almost 3 hour bus ride away, to see what all of the hype is about.

I took a 3 hour bus ride from Santiago to Finesterre (Fisterra), once thought to be the end of the world. While it was GORGEOUS, I would recommend visiting for more than one day. Because of the bus schedule, I felt a little rushed.

The Camino de Santiago is an experience I will cherish forever. Hopefully, I can return one day and do a bit more. Life is but one big camino.

Un abrazo fuerte,

Mags