"Buen camino" - my dream

[tuulis]

HI all walkers of the camino! I am Tuulis from Finland.
The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela has been my dream for one year now. I´ve been reading stories of other walkers and looked for information in the websites which are so numerous today!
I have found many reasons to walk the camino- but the aim is all the same- to reach the church of Saint Jacob and get the last stamp in the credencial.
I´ll have autumn 2008 free of my work to have a break to breathe again... I hope to walk some part of the French route or the Primitive way in full.
I am interested how you others think about spiritual meaning of the camino, a pilgrimage. I ´ll leave for a camino- to walk, to meet new friends and experiences - also to find some new thoughts and ways to continue everyday life. Many of you are experienced walkers and mave done the camino several times; it would be nice to hear your thoughts.
Bye for now, Tuulis

 

[Arn]

Hi Tuulis and Welcome!

You have taken the first step and now we are here with you as you prepare to walk the Milky Way.

As you look through the many threads, you will begin to see a pattern. The folks of this forum are your fellow pilgrims and come from all walks of life, some strong in their Faith, some secure in their belief system and, some still searching for an answer or not searching at all. At it's conclusion, the Camino will have make an impression, even if it's just adding blisters to your feet.

For over a thousand years the multitudes have trod the same path you will take as you walk Your Camino and find Your Way.

You are now officially a member of the Class of 2008! Seek out that thread and meet your fellow pilgrims who will be there either in Spirit, or in person every step of the Way.

Buen Camino,

Arn

 

[tuulis]

Thank you Arn for your kind answer.
To make up your mind is to take the first step...

tuulis

 

[ehaldenb]

What an interesting question...

Before my Camino,
I had to ask myself "what is spiritual?" I am (was?) an atheist.
Does spiritual mean something of a realm independent of reason or science?
Things happened to me on the Camino that I will never be able to explain in those terms- coincidences mostly. Did God speak to me on the Camino?
My answer: God speaks through people, who speak to themselves and each other. On the Camino, the language of God is a torrential current that sweeps under all of our walking feet... once your feet are wet, you will walk with more strength forever.

That is the spirit that I live with now. Ultreya!

 

[tuulis]

Thanks for the post.
"God speaks through people, who speak to themselves and each other."
It is really like a paradox of living everyday life in connection with yourself, other people and God
- like a horizontal triangle.
I think silence is also essential part of spiritual existence -it gives you glimpses to the understanding of the essential in life.

I´m struggling now with the final decision of the camino- trust/doubt of my capacity to walk a part of the camino next autumn. I´m proggressing slowly :?
tuulis

 

[Deirdre]

Hello Tuulis,

Welcome to the forum. From the first day that I heard about the Camino, I knew it was something that I had to do. Up until the day I began walking in Roncesvalles, I wasn't sure how I was going to do it, but I don't think "doubt" was ever a part of the Camino for me. I would say, just get there - the rest will work itself out.

Personally for me, the Camino was a deeply religious experience. I have strong faith, but don't consider myself "deeply religious". I felt the presence of God in every step along the Way; in every experience of excruciating pain, great joy, awesome beauty, profound silence; in the pastoral villages with tiny chapel sized churches to the bustling cities with their magnificent cathedrals stretching up to the heavens. Although I might not remember all the names of all the people I met, their faces and our shared moments are indelibly etched in my memory.

Don't hesitate. The Camino calls and it will continue to call until you answer. Go. I can assure you that you will not regret it for a moment. Of course anxiety is normal. I had never carrried a pack nor even considered walking such a distance. I worried about walking alone, the weight of the pack, the mountains, how to find the albergues. All of it worked out just fine. Up until the very day I got on the train in Madrid, people told me I was crazy. I ignored them.

Of all the things I have done in my life just for myself, the Camino has had the most profound and lasting impact. Did I find everything for which I was searching? No. Not yet. But the Camino isn't finished with me yet. It has changed me in ways that are impossible to define; it continues to affect my decisions, my thoughts, my choices. It isn't something you can keep to yourself. You feel the need to share it with others even though it is such a personal event.

Plan. Go. Do it. You'll be glad that you did.

Buen Camino,

 

[tuulis]

One step,
maybe the most difficult is done;
I have booked the flights! I ´ll fly to Valladolid, Spain via London on the 27 th -28 th August. Some waiting at the airport.. My flight back from Santiago de Compostela is on the 15 th September. So this might be enough for a 300 kilometres :?: I ´m going to walk and some extra "sightseeing".This makes exact planning possible.

Tuulis

 

[sillydoll]

Here begins the Journey
Now begins the Day.
With one step upon the Road
Your soul is on its Way.

 

[tuulis]

Hello/Hola/Hei,


I have now seen my dream to came true. I spent a fortnight on the camino... from Ponferrada to Santiago. I´m back home but my soul´s a little late. ..

It was good to plan and book flights etc. in advance and notice the system really works. No delays or other problems on the way. Even no blisters or headache. I feel refreshed and satisfied.
I thank you all for nice piece of advice and understanding towards a first - timer.

Hope to be able to encourage somebody to this fantastic experience.
And myself...perhaps an other part to walk--- :wink:

Tuulis

 

[MermaidLilli]

Wonderful! Sounds like you're hooked now.