You Know You're Going On The Camino When...

[MeanPhilippine]

You're constantly in this forum
You wake up and the first thing you check is your backpack
You come home and the first thing you check is your backpack
You visit all the sporting goods in your area on your spare time
You start buying gear and returning them
You wear your boots to church 'cause you're breaking them in...with your dress or suit
You put on your rain gear and stand in the rain to test it
You put on your backpack while cleaning your house
You're obsessed getting your backpack lighter
You don't want to admit that you still want to look good in your hiking clothes
You start to itch when you see posts in the forum about bed bugs
You start looking for a perfect rock
Your friends think you're crazy
You start saying buen Camino at a grocery store
You start speaking in Spanish and a little bit of French to your kids
You pack and unpack your backpack... 30 times & 2 months prior
You become an expert on backpacking gear even if this is your first backpacking trip
You've watch the movie The Way at least 3 times
You have hundreds of pages printed about the Camino... Maps, albergues, etc
You've watch all the YouTube videos of everyone else's Camino and packing list videos
You will watch the movie The Way 3 more times before you leave

 

[MartinZ]

haha, how about a "you know you've been on the camino when...."

 

[MeanPhilippine]

haha, how about a "you know you've been on the camino when...."

That's coming, volume 3, volume 2 is You might just be a Pilgrim...

 

[MeanPhilippine]

haha, how about a "you know you've been on the camino when...."

Got to have a balance of humor and seriousness

 

[Icacos]

........
You put on your rain gear and stand in the rain to test it......

No, no, you stand in the shower to test it ....

 

[MeanPhilippine]

No, no, you stand in the shower to test it ....

Yes!!! That's even better!!!

 

[Icacos]

When you have to work really hard to prevent your eyes from glazing over whenever anyone speaks of anything non-Camino.

 

[MeanPhilippine]

When you have to work really hard to prevent your eyes from glazing over whenever anyone speaks of anything non-Camino.

Ha! So true

 

[Icacos]

Ha! So true

But we'll keep that strictly within this forum.

 

[Walli Walker]

I have Camino gear laid out on the bed in the guest room and I haven't even got a Camino planned! The earliest I could possibly go is over 12 months away. I'm obviously sick.

 

[stevedeployed]

When you go anywhere (work, dinner, movies...) you now calculate the distance in how long you think it would take to walk it....

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

@MeanPhilippine

You're constantly in this forum
especially when you get up during the night - 'I'll just see...'
You wake up and the first thing you check is your backpack
and it's right beside the bed where you took it off
You come home and the first thing you check is your backpack
you mean that you aren't wearing it to work and back????
You visit all the sporting goods in your area on your spare time
they greet you by your first name
You start buying gear and returning them
or you keep it 'just in case' or to aid a friend's Camino
You wear your boots to church 'cause you're breaking them in...with your dress or suit
you have other shoes???
You put on your rain gear and stand in the rain to test it
or the shower or garden hose if it's summer in Australia
You put on your backpack while cleaning your house
or just wear it all day anyway
You're obsessed getting your backpack lighter
some obsessions are healthy
You don't want to admit that you still want to look good in your hiking clothes
but you catch yourself looking sideways in shop windows
You start to itch when you see posts in the forum about bed bugs
and check your own bed at home 'for practice'
You start looking for a perfect rock
to add to your ever growing collection
Your friends think you're crazy
define 'Normal'
You start saying buen Camino at a grocery store
you find 30 ways to say 'Buen' and stress over which is the right one
You start speaking in Spanish and a little bit of French to your kids
Siri just opens up DuoLingo when you reach for your iPhone
You pack and unpack your backpack... 30 times & 2 months prior
and it's still not right
You become an expert on backpacking gear even if this is your first backpacking trip
define 'Expert'
You've watch the movie The Way at least 3 times
you own the DVD and hold movie nights
You have hundreds of pages printed about the Camino... Maps, albergues, etc
your Kindle recommendations are all Camino related
You've watch all the YouTube videos of everyone else's Camino and packing list videos
your YouTube account only recommends Camino videos
You will watch the movie The Way 3 more times before you leave
plus Six Ways to Santiago, Life in a Walk...

 

[MeanPhilippine]

I have Camino gear laid out on the bed in the guest room and I haven't even got a Camino planned! The earliest I could possibly go is over 12 months away. I'm obviously sick.

Once the Camino calls, you'll be that way the whole time.

 

[MeanPhilippine]

@MeanPhilippine

You're constantly in this forum
especially when you get up during the night - 'I'll just see...'
You wake up and the first thing you check is your backpack
and it's right beside the bed where you took it off
You come home and the first thing you check is your backpack
you mean that you aren't wearing it to work and back????
You visit all the sporting goods in your area on your spare time
they greet you by your first name
You start buying gear and returning them
or you keep it 'just in case' or to aid a friend's Camino
You wear your boots to church 'cause you're breaking them in...with your dress or suit
you have other shoes???
You put on your rain gear and stand in the rain to test it
or the shower or garden hose if it's summer in Australia
You put on your backpack while cleaning your house
or just wear it all day anyway
You're obsessed getting your backpack lighter
some obsessions are healthy
You don't want to admit that you still want to look good in your hiking clothes
but you catch yourself looking sideways in shop windows
You start to itch when you see posts in the forum about bed bugs
and check your own bed at home 'for practice'
You start looking for a perfect rock
to add to your ever growing collection
Your friends think you're crazy
define 'Normal'
You start saying buen Camino at a grocery store
you find 30 ways to say 'Buen' and stress over which is the right one
You start speaking in Spanish and a little bit of French to your kids
Siri just opens up DuoLingo when you reach for your iPhone
You pack and unpack your backpack... 30 times & 2 months prior
and it's still not right
You become an expert on backpacking gear even if this is your first backpacking trip
define 'Expert'
You've watch the movie The Way at least 3 times
you own the DVD and hold movie nights
You have hundreds of pages printed about the Camino... Maps, albergues, etc
your Kindle recommendations are all Camino related
You've watch all the YouTube videos of everyone else's Camino and packing list videos
your YouTube account only recommends Camino videos
You will watch the movie The Way 3 more times before you leave
plus Six Ways to Santiago, Life in a Walk...

I know this thread seems like a joke, but just about everyone have done some, if not all of what's on the list and what others added.
@Wokabaut_Meri, thank you for taking the time to make the comments. We all have our reasons to go on the Camino but humor is needed once in a while.
Look at me, responding in this forum at 6:00 AM!!!

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Nothing wrong with a bit of light humour! It balances out all the serious stuff and is really appreciated. Thank you.

By the way, it's 11:30pm here in Australia.

Have a wonderful Camino and come back and do a 'You Know you've been on a Camino when...'

 

[MeanPhilippine]

When you go anywhere (work, dinner, movies...) you now calculate the distance in how long you think it would take to walk it....

Haha!!! Or compare it to one of the 34 legs of the Camino.

 

[MeanPhilippine]

Nothing wrong with a bit of light humour! It balances out all the serious stuff and is really appreciated. Thank you.

By the way, it's 11:30pm here in Australia.

Have a wonderful Camino and come back and do a 'You Know you've been on a Camino when...'

I will, but after, You might just be a Pilgrim...
BTW, I love your country, especially Brisbane, been there twice.

 

[Al the optimist]

When you are talking to your Camino family on arriving at Santiago?

 

[Dennis D]

You know you're going on the Camino (AGAIN) when you are about three days away from Santiago and you don't want this amazing adventure to end.

 

[MeanPhilippine]

@Al the optimist & @Dennis D
These will go on the "You just might be a Pilgrim." Thank you.

 

[Priscilla NC]

You got me at 'You don't want to admit that you still want to look good in your hiking clothes'. My biggest stressor has been about vanity: what will I do without my usual cosmetics/facial creams/hair goo? And, I've bought lots of kind of cute hiking stuff, most of which will not come with me, unless I want a very heavy pack.

And I'm 67!

 

[MeanPhilippine]

You got me at 'You don't want to admit that you still want to look good in your hiking clothes'. My biggest stressor has been about vanity: what will I do without my usual cosmetics/facial creams/hair goo? And, I've bought lots of kind of cute hiking stuff, most of which will not come with me, unless I want a very heavy pack.

And I'm 67!

That's why I like that poster at REI... It's humbling to know that you have everything you need in your backpack. Im paraphrasing...

 

[Priscilla NC]

That's why I like that poster at REI... It's humbling to know that you have everything you need in your backpack. Im paraphrasing...

Humbling and scary!

 

[Icacos]

When you go anywhere (work, dinner, movies...) you now calculate the distance in how long you think it would take to walk it....

And you have friends measure distances from a to b in their cars so you can start getting a feel for kilometres, as opposed to miles ..... this latter bit for us oldies.

 

[MeanPhilippine]

And you have friends measure distances from a to b in their cars so you can start getting a feel for kilometres, as opposed to miles ..... this latter bit for us oldies.

And you have friends measure distances from a to b in their cars so you can start getting a feel for kilometres, as opposed to miles ..... this latter bit for us oldies.

Things we do before, during and after the Camino are funny but true

 

[cherrys]

One of the nice things about this forum is having members strewn from one end of the globe to the other, so that all of us night owls don't feel idiotic about liking or posting things at 3 am And I still convert distances here into kms, thinking "well that's not too far, I could have done that easily before stopping for lunch". And if I walk to our local grocery store and buy more than I had intended, I delight in weighing my pack when I get home and finding it's well over twenty pounds and it didn't bother me. Hopefully September 2016.....

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

You got me at 'You don't want to admit that you still want to look good in your hiking clothes'. My biggest stressor has been about vanity: what will I do without my usual cosmetics/facial creams/hair goo? And, I've bought lots of kind of cute hiking stuff, most of which will not come with me, unless I want a very heavy pack.

And I'm 67!

It's called Camino Chic and it's a very trendy look here on the Forum

 

[MeanPhilippine]

It's called Camino Chic and it's a very trendy look here on the Forum

Are there Camino dudes?

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Are there Camino dudes?

But of course!

 

[MeanPhilippine]

But of course!

I can't wait to see all kinds of characters on the Camino

 

[Al the optimist]

When you look for a Camino forum?
When you wake up each morning and know how many weeks before you go?
When you are such a Caminoholic that your computer greets you with "Good morning Allan. You Have 6 weeks and 1 day before your Camino"

 

[VNwalking]

When you're sitting in the gate lounge, pinching yourself (I am....)

 

[mspath]

Up, up and away, Viranani!
May all your journey be wonder-filled.

Margaret Meredith

 

[VNwalking]

Thank you Margaret! At this point I'll be happy with simply a bit of sun...knowing full well the gifts of challenge!

 

[MeanPhilippine]

When you look for a Camino forum?
When you wake up each morning and know how many weeks before you go?
When you are such a Caminoholic that your computer greets you with "Good morning Allan. You Have 6 weeks and 1 day before your Camino"

Sounds crazy to someone who've never been called by the Camino

 

[MeanPhilippine]

When you're sitting in the gate lounge, pinching yourself (I am....)

I'm two weeks from today!!!

 

[Urban Trekker]

When you look for a Camino forum?
When you wake up each morning and know how many weeks before you go?
When you are such a Caminoholic that your computer greets you with "Good morning Allan. You Have 6 weeks and 1 day before your Camino"

Oooh I want that app!

 

[GreatDane]

I'm two weeks from today!!!

I'm 2 weeks from tomorrow!!!

 

[auldies]

I'm 2 weeks from tomorrow!!!

Super excited for you!
We are counting down 4 more weeks and the excitement is definitely building!
Buen Camino

 

[auldies]

I'm two weeks from today!!!

Sharing in your excitement!
Buen Camino

 

[auldies]

Oooh I want that app!

Me too!

 

[Priscilla NC]

I'm two weeks from today!!!

And I'm 4 weeks from tomorrow!!

 

[Urban Trekker]

Lets see-----20 days and a wake up!

 

[stevedeployed]

23 and a wakey for me.

When you wonder if the people you are on a video conference with can tell that you are pilgrim on the bottom and business on top....

Buen Camino all.

 

[auldies]

And I'm 4 weeks from tomorrow!!

See you then Priscilla!!
Hoping to say hello on the 22nd.
Buen Camino
Carol

 

[kelleymac]

32 days and we'll be in Paris, 33 days and we'll be in SJPP!

 

[kelleymac]

You know you're going on your Camino when you give your 6th grade math class (learning the metric system) the following problem:

From St Jean Pied de Port, France to Burgos, Spain is about 180 miles. What is that distance in kilometers?
If we have 11 days to walk from St. Jean to Burgos how many kilometers should we walk per day? How many meters? How many feet?

 

[MeanPhilippine]

I'm 2 weeks from tomorrow!!!

4 April, I'm off to Madrid from California!!!

 

[MeanPhilippine]

You know you're going on your Camino when you give your 6th grade math class (learning the metric system) the following problem:

From St Jean Pied de Port, France to Burgos, Spain is about 180 miles. What is that distance in kilometers?
If we have 11 days to walk from St. Jean to Burgos how many kilometers should we walk per day? How many meters? How many feet?

Ha! I love it! I'm glad I'm not the only with crazy obsession

 

[Meggsy]

I love this forum - im in Perth Australia and starting from SJPP 26 april - first timers and cannot wait!!

 

[MeanPhilippine]

I love this forum - im in Perth Australia and starting from SJPP 26 april - first timers and cannot wait!!

It'll be your flight there before you know it

 

[CathyJ]

I love this forum - im in Perth Australia and starting from SJPP 26 april - first timers and cannot wait!!

Hi Meggsy, I'm in Perth too, starting SJPP April 11. Also a first timer and counting the days (20 to departure)

 

[Icacos]

...........thinking "well that's not too far, I could have done that easily before stopping for lunch".

Isn't that the truth. I still chuckle at the memory of arriving at a certain intersection on my way home from an urban hike/errand excursion, and thinking, "Almost home," then realizing that I actually still had forty minutes to go.

 

[Phoenix]

When you go anywhere (work, dinner, movies...) you now calculate the distance in how long you think it would take to walk it....

I do this all the time.

 

[Al the optimist]

Like this minute when I am about to arrange to meet someone and have worked out how long it will take me to walk there so I can calculate what is the earliest to meet!

 

[Meggsy]

No, no, you stand in the shower to test it ....

No, no, you stand in the shower to test it ....

Yep done that!!

 

[Meggsy]

Yes done that!
A bit like testing the waterproof gaiters which at least i found out were water absorbent!!

 

[peregrina2000]

I know I have linked to this post many times in the past, but I think maybe it's been a few months since the last one. So there must be forum members who haven't yet roared with laughter over tam's post from a few years ago.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...you-on-the-camino-without-leaving-home.11398/

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

@MeanPhilippine

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

@peregrina2000 Thanks for posting that link! Between these two posts, I can hardly see or breathe from laughing so hard!

 

[MeanPhilippine]

You're constantly in this forum
You wake up and the first thing you check is your backpack
You come home and the first thing you check is your backpack
You visit all the sporting goods in your area on your spare time
You start buying gear and returning them
You wear your boots to church 'cause you're breaking them in...with your dress or suit
You put on your rain gear and stand in the rain to test it
You put on your backpack while cleaning your house
You're obsessed getting your backpack lighter
You don't want to admit that you still want to look good in your hiking clothes
You start to itch when you see posts in the forum about bed bugs
You start looking for a perfect rock
Your friends think you're crazy
You start saying buen Camino at a grocery store
You start speaking in Spanish and a little bit of French to your kids
You pack and unpack your backpack... 30 times & 2 months prior
You become an expert on backpacking gear even if this is your first backpacking trip
You've watch the movie The Way at least 3 times
You have hundreds of pages printed about the Camino... Maps, albergues, etc
You've watch all the YouTube videos of everyone else's Camino and packing list videos
You will watch the movie The Way 3 more times before you leave

You know all the characters on Martin Sheen's movie The Way.
You get excited when you see an alert next to your name in this forum
Your screensaver at work has something to do with the Camino
You're ask for the time, you reply in military time
You're a week away and you're still not done packing and unpacking
(From one of our members in here) you're taring out tags on clothing and gear to shave off weight

 

[caroleb]

50 days to go and walking round the house with my backpack. Love it!

 

[MeanPhilippine]

50 days to go and walking round the house with my backpack. Love it!

Ha! You caught the bug!!!

 

[Priscilla NC]

See you then Priscilla!!
Hoping to say hello on the 22nd.
Buen Camino
Carol

I will look for you, Carol!

 

[Normt]

You're constantly in this forum
You wake up and the first thing you check is your backpack
You come home and the first thing you check is your backpack
You visit all the sporting goods in your area on your spare time
You start buying gear and returning them
You wear your boots to church 'cause you're breaking them in...with your dress or suit
You put on your rain gear and stand in the rain to test it
You put on your backpack while cleaning your house
You're obsessed getting your backpack lighter
You don't want to admit that you still want to look good in your hiking clothes
You start to itch when you see posts in the forum about bed bugs
You start looking for a perfect rock
Your friends think you're crazy
You start saying buen Camino at a grocery store
You start speaking in Spanish and a little bit of French to your kids
You pack and unpack your backpack... 30 times & 2 months prior
You become an expert on backpacking gear even if this is your first backpacking trip
You've watch the movie The Way at least 3 times
You have hundreds of pages printed about the Camino... Maps, albergues, etc
You've watch all the YouTube videos of everyone else's Camino and packing list videos
You will watch the movie The Way 3 more times before you leave

 

[Normt]

Ha Ha! Been there..done them all

 

[Happy1006]

It's so good to know I'm not alone. My bedroom is full of backpack necessities (packed), "just-in-case" items ( packed, unpacked X 3), last minute switch-outs ( maybe that poncho versus this one) and what is all the rest of that stuff.

 

[MeanPhilippine]

It's so good to know I'm not alone. My bedroom is full of backpack necessities (packed), "just-in-case" items ( packed, unpacked X 3), last minute switch-outs ( maybe that poncho versus this one) and what is all the rest of that stuff.

I'm a week out and I'm repacking to make sure I'm not taking too much

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Don't forget to make copies of your ID, Credit Card/s and Passport (the US one), to keep SEPARATELY from the real goods...on your body, backpack or where ever!

 

[Louise G]

Yes, three weeks today until I start in Le Puy. Driving everyone crazy with weighing everything & getting pack to lightest possible. Will be one set of clothes on & one in the bag, plus two extra undies & socks!! I have learnt in the past that you really can exist with the very bare essentials. At least I don't have to carry a tent & trangia on this journey. Complete strangers stop me to ask what I am training for, as I have been hiking 15-20 km most days for the past couple of months with full pack along the local foreshore trail. I have been studying the forum avidly & hoping I have prepared my body at least for the next 4 months.

 

[Al the optimist]

Wow Louise that is some training regime! Buen Camino

 

[MeanPhilippine]

Yes, three weeks today until I start in Le Puy. Driving everyone crazy with weighing everything & getting pack to lightest possible. Will be one set of clothes on & one in the bag, plus two extra undies & socks!! I have learnt in the past that you really can exist with the very bare essentials. At least I don't have to carry a tent & trangia on this journey. Complete strangers stop me to ask what I am training for, as I have been hiking 15-20 km most days for the past couple of months with full pack along the local foreshore trail. I have been studying the forum avidly & hoping I have prepared my body at least for the next 4 months.

I think I'm going to start working out tomorrow, I leave 4 April

 

[trevorcc]

To all those about to leave, I still have 5 months but wife has given me a 3month pass I think she hopes it will finally get out of my system. I have not the heart to tell her NAH, 2 CH and counting Camino de Levante, Portugese and another if I have any days left over ....

 

[trevorcc]

To all those about to leave, I still have 5 months but wife has given me a 3month pass I think she hopes it will finally get out of my system. I have not the heart to tell her NAH, 2 CH and counting Camino de Levante, Portugese and another if I have any days left over ....

Should be CF....2013 and 2014.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

...Will be one set of clothes on & one in the bag, plus two extra undies & socks!! I have learnt in the past that you really can exist with the very bare essentials...

LUV this mindset!!!

 

[Sebastian Cohen]

You're constantly in this forum
You wake up and the first thing you check is your backpack
You come home and the first thing you check is your backpack
You visit all the sporting goods in your area on your spare time
You start buying gear and returning them
You wear your boots to church 'cause you're breaking them in...with your dress or suit
You put on your rain gear and stand in the rain to test it
You put on your backpack while cleaning your house
You're obsessed getting your backpack lighter
You don't want to admit that you still want to look good in your hiking clothes
You start to itch when you see posts in the forum about bed bugs
You start looking for a perfect rock
Your friends think you're crazy
You start saying buen Camino at a grocery store
You start speaking in Spanish and a little bit of French to your kids
You pack and unpack your backpack... 30 times & 2 months prior
You become an expert on backpacking gear even if this is your first backpacking trip
You've watch the movie The Way at least 3 times
You have hundreds of pages printed about the Camino... Maps, albergues, etc
You've watch all the YouTube videos of everyone else's Camino and packing list videos
You will watch the movie The Way 3 more times before you leave

Haha, this one was too good to pass up. Check, check, check...I've done all of the above.

I'm actually looking forward to the actual start of my Camino so I can stop all this nonsens more than the Camino itself (almost). It was fun for a while, but after doing them too many times it becomes a little bitt stressfull to be honest.

You made me laugh out loud at myself...thanks!

 

[Al the optimist]

"plus two extra undies & socks!!" Why the overkill?

 

[Joodle]

When you have to work really hard to prevent your eyes from glazing over whenever anyone speaks of anything non-Camino.

When my husband eyes glaze over when I don't speak of anything but my upcoming Camino

 

[MeanPhilippine]

Haha, this one was too good to pass up. Check, check, check...I've done all of the above.

I'm actually looking forward to the actual start of my Camino so I can stop all this nonsens more than the Camino itself (almost). It was fun for a while, but after doing them too many times it becomes a little bitt stressfull to be honest.

You made me laugh out loud at myself...thanks!

I have "You Know You're on the Camino When..."
BTW, keep your packing list simple, to keep you from ditching stuff while you're here. You don't need much.