It’s been eight days since we arrived in Santiago, physically exhausted but exhilarated. I’ve been back home for four days, trying to get over the jet lag from the 22-hour return travel day and getting back into the daily routine of workaday life. In researching the Camino and reading accounts of some of individuals who took this journey, the one common thread is that the Camino is a life-altering experience. For some, it was the culmination of a dream, for others the experience of the Camino had a more subtle effect, taking weeks to months to manifest its magic.
The brief time walking the Camino, to be able to escape all the drama and turmoil of this crazy world, was such a gift. With the onslaught of social media, talking heads on television, and mindless political hubris that pollutes our society, it is virtually impossible to focus on what is truly important. The Camino, distant both geographically and culturally from all this turmoil, provides an opportunity to focus on oneself and upon the glory of God’s dominion.
The Camino is truly a metaphor for life. We all start at a beginning and we trudge along, sometimes quite slowly, toward the goal, the endpoint of our life’s journey. Much of the time we are alone, even if walking with others, in our thoughts. Placing one foot in front of the other, we are almost in a hypnotic state, yet able and excited to make little discoveries that would have been missed in our everyday world full of external distractions. The tiny wild strawberries along the trail, the stork nest on the top of the telephone pole, the golden butterfly on the rose bush, the black slug slowly pulling itself across the path, the heron in the distance, the ridiculous amount of cow manure on the footpath- all observed because there is endless time to actually see. 
The crunching of the gravel underfoot, the hooting of the owls in the forest, the endless birdsong, and yes, even the strains of bagpipe or fiddle music from a lone musician at the bend of the path accompany the pilgrim who has nothing better to do than listen to the world around him/her.
We are given direction, yellow arrows and milestones on the Camino, sage words of advice from mentors in the non-Camino world. Whether or not we choose to follow this direction impacts the future path our life takes. We are faced with choices, not knowing which is the correct path to follow but trusting our instincts hoping that the choice will have positive consequences.
There are good days and there are bad days on the Camino, as in life. Sometimes it takes every ounce of energy, every last breath, to make it up the steep grade to the top. Sometimes we are faced with an obstacle so great that we fear that we cannot go on. But we learn the benefits of perseverance, step-by-step, breath after breath, that reap the benefits of our efforts. And we learn to appreciate the brief respites to catch our breath, rehydrate with cool water and re-energize with a simple bocadillo of rustic bread and locally produced cheese.
The Camino is a microcosm of our world- people from all over the globe – Korea, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Italy, Denmark, Canada, USA – Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, agnostic-yet all getting along, helping and supporting each other, non- judgemental, all united in their common goal. Rich and poor, young and old, irrespective of race, religion, sexual orientation, all walking toward the same end. And all willing to help and support each other, whether with a kind word or an offer of a bandage to cover a painful blister. Would it not be an ideal world if it mirrored what occurs on the Camino?
It takes a while to process the Camino experience, lessons to be learned and executed. So the Camino truly is a lifelong journey. Although my Camino in Spain has ended, my Camino in life continues.
More to follow…………..
Camino Musings 
I’m sorry I wasn’t able to follow you while you were in Spain, Kath, all the more so after reading this entry. I wonder if another of the Camino’s effects for you may prove to be an unleashing of your creativity, which I have always seen lurking just below the surface of your lab coat.
Ram Dass says that we’re all just walking each other home…..again, in life, just as on the Camino.
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