June 18, 2024
The Camino Will Provide
This was the phrase I heard multiple times before my first Camino in 2022. When someone made that statement I assumed that it meant that along the way, if a pilgrim needed something (water, food, band-aids, socks, etc.), a fellow pilgrim would share what they had to be of assistance. During my pilgrimage, I discovered people did indeed help strangers along the way and that was wonderful to witness firsthand.
However, by the time I reached Santiago de Compostela in June of 2022, I realized that what the Camino provided me was something more; a time to reflect, pray, and challenge myself physically. In the aftermath of dealing with two years of COVID protocols and the stress of trying to keep our campus community healthy and free from major COVID outbreaks, I was exhausted and needed a break. And the Camino did indeed provide.
My Camino journey allowed me time to reflect, contemplate, and refresh. While at times it was physically challenging, ultimately it was spiritually uplifting. I left Spain feeling something had changed in me and I was better prepared to take on the challenges ahead.
As I begin my Camino this time, I find myself again in need of a break from my busy life and am looking forward to having time to reflect on the past academic year. We are traveling a different leg of the Camino this time (hiking the Coastal Route starting in Porto, Portugal) with a group of USD alumni and friends, with a mixture of familiar and new faces. While I don’t know what to expect or what I will discover along the way, I feel confident that once again the Camino will provide.
Buen Camino