Camino Breakdown featured in syndicated women's column ...

[halhumphreys]

This link is a beautiful piece of writing. I am biased, as I am married to the writer, but the story is honest and forthright.

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville ... id=3472471

Hope some of you enjoy this. It's a fair depiction of love, help, sharing, and walking the Camino as a couple.

Cheers ...

 

[mlhhome]

This is an incredible story - thank you for sharing. We all need help / support in our pilgrimages and how wonderful is it that we can be there for the ones we love.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

lovely story, beautifully written. Thank you for sharing it with all of us.

Rebekah

 

[Al the optimist]

Ah. Lovely

 

[Packinglight]

My DH and I also fall apart in different ways--his loud, mine silent. This is a good reminder that we have to take care of each other with kindness.
I enjoyed reading this. Thank you.

 

[SabsP]

Beautifully written!

 

[Magwood]

Wonderful piece. Made me cry. Can I put a link to the article on my blog?

I walked from St Jean with my daughter, and she had a breakdown at around this point. She had terrible blisters and we had walked through three days of rain with no means of drying our wet clothes. She didn't want this last negative experience to cloud her memories of our camino. But on the last day, the sun came out and we approached the coast under blue skies. I am so glad she didn't give up, but if she had, I hope I would have been big hearted enough to stick with her.

Thank you, Maggie
Daily report from Camino Frances Apr/May 2013 at http://magwood.wordpress.com

 

[peregrina2000]

Thank you very much for pointing us to this wonderful account. I enjoyed it a lot and can really relate. I have reached several of those breaking points over the years on my caminos. Sometimes they are physical, but just as often they are mental -- what am I doing this for? Why am I lying on this dirty mattress listening to people snoring? etc etc.

When I read your account, I thought, how lucky you are to have had each other right there to help you through the crisis. I was starting to feel sorry for myself, since I always walk alone, but then realized that even though they are never with me physically on the camino, my family members are inevitably the ones who help pull me through it, either with an email, phone call or a skype. Maybe the anti-tech people would say I should have just reached deeper and worked it through myself, and I suppose I would have if I had no access to them, but that contact is like drinking a magical potion.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[jirit]

Great article.

My wife and I have shared similar experiences over the years on various caminos. I can honestly say at the time, sometimes neither one of us had been as insightful as the author was, about our reasonsibilities as individuals and as a couple. Being tired crumpy and sore can trigger a whole range of emotions that overcome other factors.

But fortunately and sometimes much later we do understand and appreciate it more, and thus learn and grow individually and as a couple from the experience.

 

[halhumphreys]

Thank you so much for the kind words. This story seemed to resonate with a lot of people, many of whom never have considered pilgrimage. I had a notion that the perigrino crowd would appreciate the telling. Watch for more from Ms. Green. You can also check her blog at http://www.thegreeneryblog.com

 

[jirit]

As I indicated earlier we had similar experiences especially when we walked the Via Francigena in Italy. But instead of writing an article we decided to write a book called An Italian Odyssey, and share some of our raw and very personal experiences of doing this route (while at the same time discussing all the fine cultural and culinary elements it had to offer).

Some of our "couple" friends were shocked, while others probably more experienced with doing a pilgrimage, more understanding and appreciative, given that they may have gone through similar experiences.

We obviously scared off some couples from ever walking the Via Francigena, let alone doing the Camino in Spain. But surprisingly many couples even after reading our book, decided to walk the Via Francigena anyway. From what I can tell all couples are still together.

We mature as individuals and as couples through these unique experiences and challenges.

 

[luvtraveling]

Beautifully written! Made me wish even more that my late husband was here to cheer me on when I leave for my Camino in 25 days. Even more importantly, it made me wish he could be here when I return in October! But, I know he will be with me every step of the way and that is enough.

 

[JohnMcM]

luvtravelling,
I believe he will be cheering you on too. I also believe he will be there when you return, in your spirit, in your heart and in your memories because you can wish it so.

 

[luvtraveling]

I believe he will be cheering you on too. I also believe he will be there when you return, in your spirit, in your heart and in your memories because you can wish it so.

Thanks, John. That's how I feel, too. It's been a difficult 3 1/2 yrs!