Loving all these responses. Lots of food for thought here. I walked the CF twice, 2017 & 2018, just coincidentally starting on April 1 each time. Same route, same time — completely different weather. 2017, April & May were sunny, warm & bright, sometimes too warm (I dislike heat). But in 2018 it snowed in the Pyrenees, rained for almost three weeks, and we had snow at O Cebreiro, in late April! Muddy. Different. The same. Awesome. Even during holy week both times I was on the CF, I never made advance reservations, or had a problem getting a bed. Post-Covid, most reports indicate the Camino is more crowded than ever, which would certainly be a big change, and gives me pause about returning, much as I’d love to.
Crowds & weather aside: It seems to me the heart of your question is: Why do a repeat Camino? Why are so many of us drawn back? You wouldn’t be asking if you didn’t feel the pull, and perhaps feel mystified as to why, maybe doubting whether it’s “worth it”? I went through all of that, just as countless other pilgrims have. Welcome to the club!
On my first Camino in 2017, I met many repeat pilgrims, and I didn’t really understand why, with all of the world to explore, they would want to come back again & again. It seemed a bit odd to me. But by the time I got to Santiago, I knew I’d be back, and I couldn’t really explain it. I felt very blessed indeed to be able to return, and to volunteer in the Pilgrim Office at the end of my 2018 Camino. That was an incredible experience, highly recommended. Volunteering for a couple of weeks also helped ease the unexpectedly long-lasting culture shock I’d had coming back after my first Camino.
For me, the pull is the magic and simplicity of the relaxed Camino routine, the ease of community, the way so many strangers are openhearted and kind because they’re taking life at a slower pace. It seems nearly impossible to replicate all this away from the Camino. I believe we come back because there’s just no other place like the Camino, and our hearts are hungry for it.