Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum (and the Camino), so I thought I'd introduce myself and talk about my plans.
I first heard about the Camino in an art history class a few years ago during a lecture on Gothic cathedrals, basically as a sidenote about the Santiago cathedral and its importance. For some reason, the brief description stuck in my head, probably because the idea of pilgrimage and its meaning sounded appealing to me at a point when I was just starting to get my life together and find some purpose. More college actually made the Camino seem even more appealing, since it ties into my major and minor (anthropology/archaeology and religion). I decided to actually do the pilgrimage this year because it seemed appropriate and I actually had some free time. This is a huge transition year for me: I graduated college and will be starting grad school later in the year, with an accompanying huge change in location. I'm really looking forward to how the Camino can help usher in and mark a new stage in my life.
So, why the Primitivo instead of the Frances? It was actually a pretty hard decision. In the end, the fact that the Primitivo is closer to the traditional medieval route swayed me. I love old things (heck, I study archaeology!), so the idea of walking the same route as people would have done a thousand years ago seemed insanely cool to me. I've also always liked walking through mountains, being from the Pacific Northwest. But mostly, it's about trying to find my own relationship to an ancient ritual and finding meaning from it. People close to me have had a hard time understanding why I want to do the Camino, but I know it's going to be an amazing experience.
Anyway, that's my (probably far too long) introduction. I have a little over a month before I leave, and can't wait to start walking.
I first heard about the Camino in an art history class a few years ago during a lecture on Gothic cathedrals, basically as a sidenote about the Santiago cathedral and its importance. For some reason, the brief description stuck in my head, probably because the idea of pilgrimage and its meaning sounded appealing to me at a point when I was just starting to get my life together and find some purpose. More college actually made the Camino seem even more appealing, since it ties into my major and minor (anthropology/archaeology and religion). I decided to actually do the pilgrimage this year because it seemed appropriate and I actually had some free time. This is a huge transition year for me: I graduated college and will be starting grad school later in the year, with an accompanying huge change in location. I'm really looking forward to how the Camino can help usher in and mark a new stage in my life.
So, why the Primitivo instead of the Frances? It was actually a pretty hard decision. In the end, the fact that the Primitivo is closer to the traditional medieval route swayed me. I love old things (heck, I study archaeology!), so the idea of walking the same route as people would have done a thousand years ago seemed insanely cool to me. I've also always liked walking through mountains, being from the Pacific Northwest. But mostly, it's about trying to find my own relationship to an ancient ritual and finding meaning from it. People close to me have had a hard time understanding why I want to do the Camino, but I know it's going to be an amazing experience.
Anyway, that's my (probably far too long) introduction. I have a little over a month before I leave, and can't wait to start walking.
