June 19, 2015
Looking back: Camino 2013, September-October. Joy. Injury. Interruptions. Patience. Grace.
Looking ahead: Camino 2015, June-August. Excitement. Anxiety. Wisdom. Questions.
In the Moment: “The Way” is the destination.
I fear sharing my plan to walk the Camino Frances into Santiago de Compostela. I know what you’re all thinking…God, I’m thinking it too. Do I swap out hiking poles for my crutches at the beginning? Knee brace or tensor bandages? Sweltering heat. The Meseta.
During my last pilgrimage, I encountered various expressions of “The Way is the Destination” and “The Path is the Goal” printed on postcards, t-shirts, and decals. The sentiment is spray-painted along walls and sidewalks throughout Spain. When I feared I could not finish my pilgrimage in 2013, “el Camino es el destino” felt like a loser’s consolation. Yet, I experienced a stroke of insight during the twenty-two months since I schlepped my way into Santiago on crutches.
One Friday night, my good friend Paul observed, “When you talk about the Camino, you bring to life your experiences and conversations with the people you met along the way. You say very little about Santiago itself, or what it was like to finally be there after what you went through.”
And there was the evidence for “el camino es el destino.” Paul was correct. Although I hadn’t noticed that theme of my Camino, Paul traced it through my pictures and stories.
My feet will hit the Camino on June 30th, 2015 in St. Jean Pied de Port. Do I tackle the Pyrenees via Route Napoleón (again) or Valcarlos? Will I make it all the way on foot? Without crutches? Without leaning too heavily on Andrew? 🙂 Does it matter?
From where I sit now, I’m just looking ahead to a long walk. A pilgrimage enriched by French and Spanish scenery, vino, vino, vino, prayers, peregrino stories, and the call of Buen Camino with each passerby and bicigrino.
Did I mention the vino?
Ultreia,
~Penny
PilgrimPen 