Wanted: a Camino walking partner for September (2012)

[crisnelson]

I would like to begin to walk the Camino in early-to-mid-September. As a single woman, I am heistant to walk it alone. I am looking for a (preferably female) partner to walk with me.

SInce my time is limited, I will begin in Leon or a little before that and end at Santiago - I have 2 or 2 1/2 weeks for the entire journey. I am on the quiet side w/ no bad habits. My pace will be moderate.

I will be flying Boston-Madrid, & spending a day or so in Madrid with a friend, getting over jet lag. THen I'll be off.

If you are interested in walking with me, please let me know by posting on this forum.

Thanks!
Cristina
Boston, MA, USA

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi Cristina

It is good to be prepared and good luck finding a fellow pilgrim to walk with before you go. But if you don''t please don't worry within a very short time of walking out of Leon you will meet other people - promise!

Buen camino

John

 

[crisnelson]

thanks for the advice Johnnie. I'm prepared to go alone, of course, but I would much rather find a partner - any ideas on how to go about it? Yours was the only response to my original post. Thanks! Cristina

 

[Anniesantiago]

Christina,
I think what Johnny meant was what we would ALL promise you.

:::hand over her heart::::

I promise you within two HOURS of arriving in SJPP you will have made a great group of friends to walk with. The place is TEEMING with pilgrims, all starting out the same day you are. Just say "Hi! Where are you from?" and before you know it, you'll be friends.

While hooking up ahead of time is certainly a possibility, it's more likely you'll meet someone interesting and fun the first night in your albergue, if you are open to that. If there is a possibility to have a meal in the albergue, do it. Dinners are served family style and you will meet your walking mates.

Remember, EVERYONE is in your boat.. a little nervous, a little scared, and except for maybe a few who have walked before... totally clueless. It's part of the adventure!

So.. my advice is to just go.
Go and be open.
You will make more friends than you can imagine from all over the world.
Some you will walk with a day.. some a week.. some maybe only an hour.
You will run into the same people over and over and it will be like long lost friends!

Don't worry.. just go.
It will be fine

 

[Anniesantiago]

I tried to PM you but it wouldn't work.

My group will be in SJPP on September 10 and you are more than welcome to tag along with us until you meet some folks. There will be 15 of us, all women except for Joe my friend. Ladies from USA, Canada, South Africa, and Australia.

We will be staying in Gite Compostelle.
We will walk to Orisson the first day, so you may want to make reservations there.

 

[robertt]

Cristina, normally I'd be cautious about saying "don't worry", but I'm confident in confirming what others have said. You'll have friends from day one, there will be plenty of pilgrims on the trail and in cafes and albergues. Just not a prob. Contracting in advance to walk with someone may work out well, but, really, I wouldn't. It's a bit like ordering your beer in advance when coming to Australia.

Annie and the others have said it all. Anyway, I'm excited for you.

Rob

 

[Dave2013]

I ran across this quote awhile back that should make your concern seem more manageable.

"The first few days on the trail are rather like speed dating!"

What an image

 

[vagabondette]

I would be leery about committing yourself to walking with a stranger. Not you for reasons of safety but for ones of sanity. I have friends i love who I couldn't travel with for over 24 hours without killing them and I have perfect strangers I've met and traveled with for weeks successfully. It's the luck of the draw and you might get lucky and find a great companion but, in my experience, you're more likely to find someone who annoys you like crazy and you'll be stuck with them. So, perhaps arrange to start/end the day with people but I wouldn't commit to actually *walking* with them. Good luck!

 

[dazzamac]

Hi Cristina,

you don't say exactly when you'll start walking but I'll be passing through León around September 14th if that's of any addition to you. Regardless of how you start out, you will find yourself meeting and seeing the same faces as you continue on the Camino. In my experience, pilgrims are a friendly bunch, united by the common experience of the Camino so you should have little trouble meeting someone while on the Camino.

Darran

 

[JillHives]

Hi.

I'll be walking alone and starting in SJJP in the beginning of September...not sure when I will hit Leon but I'm hoping to meet tons of people along the way. I'm an ex-pat in Dublin but lived in Boston for years before moving. Hopefully I'll meet you along the way!

JH

 

[machteld hali]

I would like to begin to walk the Camino in early-to-mid-September. As a single woman, I am heistant to walk it alone. I am looking for a (preferably female) partner to walk with me.

SInce my time is limited, I will begin in Leon or a little before that and end at Santiago - I have 2 or 2 1/2 weeks for the entire journey. I am on the quiet side w/ no bad habits. My pace will be moderate.

I will be flying Boston-Madrid, & spending a day or so in Madrid with a friend, getting over jet lag. THen I'll be off.

If you are interested in walking with me, please let me know by posting on this forum.

Thanks!
Cristina
Boston, MA, USA

Hi Cristina,
I share your dilemma. I also female, and am walking about 16 September possibly with my daughter for 2 weeks and husband is joining me then at POnferada. Daughter may not be able to walk with me in which case I would be interested in walking with you for the first 2 weeks. I too have no bad habits I know of, and look forward to a calm, thoughtful walk.
Are you interested?
Kind Regards,
Machteld

 

[domigee]

Hi Machteld,
Cristina posted in 2012...
Where are you starting from? If you are walking the Camino francés, I can assure you you will meet people from the first day.

 

[hieudovan]

Hi Machteld,
Cristina posted in 2012...
Where are you starting from? If you are walking the Camino francés, I can assure you you will meet people from the first day.

I wish the authors of these threads would write some kind of follow-up for those who had responded. I don't like dangling conversations : )

Cristina, in case you run across these responses, how was your camino?

 

[Saint Mike II]

I wish the authors of these threads would write some kind of follow-up for those who had responded. I don't like dangling conversations : ) Cristina, in case you run across these responses, how was your camino?

Yes I fully agree. How about this alternative: Ivar/Moderators how about some editing or cleaning out - especially posts relating to events that happened more than 3 or 5 years ago! It would free up extra space on the servers! Thanks