3 Lessons Learned from Walking 500 Miles across Spain | Camino de Santiago

When you have 33 days and 500 miles to walk…you have a lot of time to think and reflect. From personal reflection to group therapy—you may find that and more on the Camino. As they say, “the Camino provides.”

Why did I walk the Camino? To reflect on on life. To reflect on change as I I moved from California to the Netherlands. And to grieve for a passing friend. What did I come away with…500 miles and 33 days later?

As I entered Santiago after 33 days and 500 miles, an unexpected and underwhelming sense of completion filled my heart.

“Is this it?”

The end was anti-climatic, and I did not want it to end. It was truly the moments in-between, the process and journey itself, that was overwhelmingly fulfilling. They say the Camino truly starts once you arrive in Santiago, and they may be right. It’s been a few months post-Camino, and the lessons are starting to make sense and materialize.

“The people you meet shape the decisions you make. The decisions you make shape the story of your life.” - Day 12 Reflection

1. The importance of connection and community

   • Every day, the Camino was filled with new friendships, deep connections, and stories from people around the world. Whether it was a cafe stop, afternoon beer, or pilgrim’s dinner—the people were the most amazing part of the Camino.

2. The importance of time and being yourself

   • 1 month on the Camino felt like 1 year—yet we’ve all experienced 1 year passing by like 1 day. Life passes by in a blink of an eye if you don’t pay attention to it. Cherish your relationships and be grateful for what you have. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. “So don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” Go out there, be present, and live!

3. Walking and exploring

   • Not only can walking extend your lifespan, but it can also teach us to be more present and explore new places—better yet, do it with people.

As for me..the lessons are still materializing, but some questions that I am currently pondering…

1. How can I expand time? How can I make the next 1 month feel like 1 year?

2. How can I build more (deeper) connection in my life?

Why Walk 500 Miles Across Spain on the Camino de Santiago?

Why walk 500 miles across northern Spain?

Adventure. Introspection. Time to grieve. Change.

Mine included all of the above and possibly a few more. Everyone has their own unique reason(s) for walking 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago…

I heard about the Camino while studying abroad in Spain back in the summer of 2010—in fact, one of my childhood friends walked that very same summer. The idea then became embedded in my mind and was later reminded of it again upon re-reading the Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo—my favorite story that I later found out was inspired by the Camino de Santiago. It then rose to the top of my bucket list and then quickly forgotten as “life” and “work” took over…

Until a series of fortunate events landed me back in Europe in 2018 in the Netherlands. However, unfortunate because just as I arrived, I found out one of my best friends and brothers in life had passed away. I was devastated. The Camino immediately came up to mind again and while I originally wanted to walk it for introspection and adventure, I knew I needed to walk it to grieve…

From the moment I stepped foot on that path from St. Jean to Santiago, I was exposed to the deepest stories and reasons why pilgrims from around the world walked the Camino. Most were undergoing some type of change in their lives or thinking about change. Quitting the 30-year career to pursue meaning. A change in relationships. Celebrating the big 5-0. Being new parents or grandparents. The will to walk despite physical and mental challenges in one’s life—to prove that it can and will be done. Reflection and introspection. Grieving for a loved one. There are no rules on the Camino—it’s a free-flowing path that seems to work best with spontaneity. The stories and “Whys” are endless.

“The people you meet shape the decisions you make. The decisions you make shape the story of your life.” - Day 12 Reflection

So why walk 500 miles across Spain on the Camino de Santiago? Don’t go into the Camino expecting too much. Go in with an open mind and heart and you might be surprised at what you may learn and come away with.

My 2018 Reading List

Here it is...52 books in 52 weeks (wish me luck):

1. The Sympathizer
2. A Walk in the Woods
3. Autobiography of Malcolm X
4. Sapiens
5. The Everything Store
6. Tao Te Ching
7. Brain Rules
8. Art of Learning
9. Atlas Shrugged
10. On Writing Well
11. Checklist Manifesto
12. How to Talk to Anyone
13. Total Recall
14. The Compound Effect
15. Personal MBA
16. Turning Pro
17. The Wisdom of Crowds
18. Principles
19. The Dip
20. How to Fail at Almost Everything
21. The Road Less Traveled
22. The Culture Code
23. A River in Darkness
24. The Kindness in Strangers
25. The Journey in Between
26. On the Road
27. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man
28. In a Sunburned Country
29. The Power of Myth
30. Radical Acceptance
31. Tiny Beautiful Things

(to be continued)

Cuba and the Cameraman

4.5 out of 5 stars

What better way to kick off the new year than watching a Netflix original documentary, Cuba and the Cameraman?

In short, it's amazing. This guy, Jon Alpert, decided to follow the narratives of 3 human stories for nearly 5 decades. Writer. Director. Actor. And while it's no Hollywood cinematography but a guy with a 50-pound camera in hand who may very well have used Windows Media Player to stitch up the film, it just works. It's raw, authentic, and old-school simple. Throw in 50 years of footage with Fidel Castro revealing his bare chest on camera, and it's almost Oscar-worthy material.

There's just so much amazing in this movie. You literally see a 20 something guy turn into a 60 something guy by the end of the movie. Young Fidel to Old Fidel. The rise and fall of socialist Cuba. 

Moreover, it's a story about the human condition. People striving for better lives. Happiness. There's a woman that Alpert tracks down after first photographing her as a little girl. And then there's Luis, a slum resident who ends up in prison, but later finds success with hard work and determination. And possibly the fan favorites? The Borrego brothers—Cristobal, Gregorio, and Angel—old-time farmers with gregarious laughs that make anyone smile upon seeing them on screen. It's happy and sad and then happy again story with these brothers. But it's heartwarming to see the happiness embodied in these 3-old farmers. It's how I'd like to go down. 

The film ends in late 2016 right after Fidel's death, which is around the time I visited as well. I also witnessed much of Cuba's angst, joy, and uncertain future during my time there and perhaps that's why the film resonated with me. But the film depicts the essence of the human condition, which relates to all from the West to the far East.