INSIDE STORY
Get Inspired by Walking BY TRISH JOUDREY ILLUSTRATIONS BY BARBARA RAYMONT
Learn how one Nova Scotian woman created an At Home Camino right from her back door and why.
Waking up this morning, my adrenalin was in full tilt. The sun was shining which was a welcomed change from the weather of the past two days. I was pumped to start the day, which started after only five hours of sleep. I didn’t mind. I was ready to walk and experience whatever the day would bring. – Excerpt from At Home Camino Journal: Day 2
The North Shore
I
have always been a person who needs a challenge. A challenge gives me purpose in my life. When I retired from my career as an International School Counsellor and felt directionless, I decided to challenge myself to walk 800 kilometres across the 900-year-old pilgrimage route of the Camino de Santiago. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I naïvely thought, if I can walk 10 kilometres a day, I can walk 800 over a number of days. It ended up being a journey that challenged me both physically and mentally. It was a journey of self-discovery. Throughout the long and demanding walk, I experienced moments of both personal achievement and hardship. I was tempted during the difficult days to pack it all in and head to the beach. Yet, I persevered, and finished the thirty-six-day journey. I learned to listen to my body, take breaks, and have fun along the way. One pilgrim friend summed it up nicely, “The Camino’s not about the destination. It’s about surprises, and what I learn about myself along the way.” Above all else, the Camino de Santiago had provided me time to clearly think through what I wanted to do in my next stage of life. By the end of the walk, I had it figured out. Upon my return to Nova Scotia, I would create a social/emotional wellness program for schools. But things changed when I returned to Halifax. The day-to-day pressures at home preoccupied me. Developing my new plan now seemed impossible, leaving me dismayed. What was it about the Camino de Santiago that had made me see my path forward so decisively? Was it the place?
ah! Spring 2021 - 30
