Thank You Mates

A year ago I ventured on the Camino de Santiago with some strangers from my University. I am so thankful for the conversations that I had with my fellow students and faculty. I learned so much about life and myself through our chats while we made the trek across Spain. This experience impacted my life through the knowledge I gained but also from the relationships that continued to grow once we were back in America (you people know who you are and thank you for being there for me always). I am sure I will talk about these humans many more times on this platform but right now I want to focus on this incredible Australian family I still think about on a daily basis.

Pictured to the left is a Grandmother with four of her grandchildren and one of the kid’s best friend who was from England. I got the chance to talk to the two teenagers on the right a few times during my trip. The farthest one on the right informed us that his grandmother asked on her 70th birthday for her whole family to walk the Camino with her. She requested the family to partake in one of the farther routes of the Camino which takes usually over 40 days to complete. The youngest family member was only 7 years old. Her brother informed me that “she was absolutely crushing it.” The Grandmother and her did not carry a big pack. The other family members dispersed among their own packs the gear of the 7 year old and Grandmother.

Shortly after we went our separate ways, my friend Casey and I realized we had so many questions for them. How was a whole family able to take off work and school for over 40 days? Why did this 70 year old choose the Camino as the destination instead of something more relaxing like a cruise? How did two 16 year olds become best friends when one is from England and the other Australia? How did their paths cross?

On the pilgrimage, yellow arrows lead you to the destination, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. So although there may be two routes to get to the next big town, it is very common to run into people many days in a row. Luckily, that was the case for me and this family. The teenager told us that all his siblings were home schooled and his family had been traveling for 7 years. This means the youngest kid has never had a home address. One of the children wrote a book about her experience of home schooling. Apparently, it was a top seller because the family had been traveling for her book tour prior to the Camino. While the family was doing promotions in England, the two teenagers met and became really good friends. The two of them since then have traveled to many places across Europe together. The Grandmother told me she chose the Camino partly for its spiritual aspect but mainly because you always learn/gain something on the Camino no matter what age you are. She encouraged me to come back when I am older and promised it will be just as enlightening as my first time. So look out for me back on the Camino in 50 years. I hope I have people in my life that will go on the journey with me and carry all my gear.

It was so inspiring to me to see a family pursue something so unconventional. Who says we have to get a job that is from 6am-5pm 5 days a week? Who says we have to have a permanent home address? Obviously things like an income and responsibilities need to be factored in. But those Aussies taught me to always follow my heart and be apart of something I love. If there is something I am passionate about and it makes me happy, why not try to make it work? Because maybe the status quo or “normal” life path is not for you. The Camino would have been very difficult nearly impossible for the youngest and Grandmother had they been carrying 35+ pounds of gear on their backs. The selfless sacrifice of the other family members by adding weight to their own packs made it possible for the Grandmother’s birthday wish to come true. Sometimes people want to join or partake in something but they just may need a little help. And sometimes you need to be comfortable being the one asking for help. The wise words of the Grandmother reminded me of something my Grandma always says. That you never stop learning and changing, no matter what age or stage in life you are in. So I am going to hike towards the joys in my life and be prepared to reroute if they change. Sometimes I wish there were yellow arrows to point me in the right direction through life. Although that may seem easier at times, it would take the fun and excitement out of the journey.

That’s all Mates,

Erin