Sometimes I hear of tremendous things humans do that inspire me, but I know I’ll never do it-like dunking a basketball unassisted, or doing head spins in a break dancing battle. But sometimes, I hear of adventures that I KNOW I have to go on, regardless of how crazy it sounds. Walking 500 miles across Spain on an ancient pilgrimage route was one of those journeys.
I originally heard about the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in 2001, when I was attending university in England. A friend of mine and I had walked to Bracknell town center to visit a book-shop and I happened upon one woman’s tale of walking the 500 miles from start to finish on the most well known route, the Camino Frances. It was so captivating that within the first few pages I had plunked myself on the floor and read the entire book.
There was one word that kept appearing in her story which hooked me and didn’t let go. “Ultreya” means “have courage, see it through.” I found that to be tremendously encouraging as I neared graduation and contemplated my next move into the world.
As I delved into her account of long days trudging across windswept plains and facing packs of feral dogs, I was captivated by the simplicity of carrying everything you needed on your back and having a clear goal. Get to Santiago.
The incredible people she met along the way and the discoveries about herself convinced me that I needed to walk this path.
500 miles is a long way to drive, let alone walk. But that’s the thing about dreams, they can seem as close as your front door or as far away as the moon-oftentimes they stretch between now and some indefinite point in the future.
For me, actually getting my feet on the Camino took ten years between learning about it and stepping out of St. Jean Pied du Port, the first town on the Camino Frances. It took me another 30 days to walk from France, all the way across Spain to Santiago. There were times when I was literally on my hands and knees crawling through a field because despite training for months, my body was not accustomed to walking day in and day out with 20% of my body weight strapped to my back over mountain ranges and varied terrain.
“Ultreya” was constantly on my mind throughout the Camino and it pulled me gently forward, especially on the days when my body or mind were spent.
By the time I walked into Santiago I had learned a few things about how to make dreams of walking 500 miles come true.
- Tend the fire-Sometimes, it’s difficult to say why we want to do hard things. Maybe you have a clear reason, but maybe it’s just a spark that lands on the tinder of your imagination and ignites. It’s easy to question that spark when the going gets tough, but if you intend to finish, keep your heart warmed and ignited by feeding the flame of inspiration. Research, plan, dream deeper, fan the flame.
- Poco a poco-“little by little” in Spanish, pilgrims say this to each other while walking the Camino. You don’t always know whether you’ll awaken to a “good” day or a “bad” day on the Camino but like eating an elephant (one bite at a time), focus on the next step, just the next step, and you’ll get to Santiago.
- Have a mantra-there will be days and times on your path towards your dreams, where the going is tough. Real tough. Like rain soaking you while the wind pushes you back the way you came with no shelter in sight, kinda tough. It’s gonna happen, so have a rallying phrase or word that inspires you to keep moving, poco a poco, and trusting the fire. For me, it was “ultreya”, see it through. I told myself I’d get to Santiago even if I crawled in on my hands and knees. Even if I had to return to finish it. Have your chant. Repeat it often.
- Let yourself receive gifts-I cannot tell you how many stories of “miracles” there were on the Camino. People needing shoes that wouldn’t give them blisters would find a pair on the side of the trail, exactly their size, already broken in. Mobile refreshment stations would appear in the middle of nowhere at the top of a long hill filled with nourishing food and helpful souls. Life is ultimately benign and when you allow yourself to begin something incredible, often times, Life will collaborate in unexpected ways. Say thank you, take the damn orange, and let yourself be supported on this adventure.
The morning after walking into Santiago, I met up with other pilgrims who had become friends over the 500 miles. We compared stories, blisters, songs, and gratitude for the incredible journey we’d just completed. We marveled at how despite our range of ages, sizes, abilities, nationalities, setbacks, and detours, we were all standing there together. Why? Because we started the journey with a single step and kept taking them, one at a time.
Sometimes the journey of 500 miles seems crazy and impossible. Sometimes people will look at you and say, “Who do you think you are trying to do….x?”
Stepping towards your dreams is a profound act of love which whispers, “I am me, and I am worthy.” Have courage. See it through.
