I am planning my second Camino this spring and really want to slow it down by 4 or 5 days to see some things I missed on the first Camino (like Samos), but I know that it is likely I will lose track of my Camino friends as they will be traveling at a faster speed. Last time we ended in Santiago within a day or two of the pilgrims that started with us in SJPdP and it was glorious. I love my Camino family. Anyone have experience going slower than the crowd? Was there a whole other family going at a different pace?
ola Susan - and buen upcoming camino
reading your question/s - i wondered: what is she really after? really asking? what is this keen emphasis on 'family' about underneath the question?
we are all so very different - and we would answer those questions accordingly ... but truly:
which function does this 'family' hold for you? to shield from uninvited solitudes? to be a warrant of 'shelter' in case one gets sick/injured/lonesome or plain fed-up and want to chuck it all in? as a back-up plan in case one feels bored to tears? to help across stretches on the camino that are rather deserted and might pose an unease when traversing them alone? a buffer against various fears or other unacknowledged whatevers?
we all value different things at different degrees ... but it's well worth pondering, especially ahead of an camino, no?
would the camino be 'less than' if no magical feel-good family would appear with one feels great resonance and companionship? companionship, deep conversations, cameraderie, laughter - or tears - shared ... all this is so important, glorious and fun.
and they are gifts - and as we all hopefully know/realize: gifts can't be demanded, expected or calculated into the package .... gifts are gifts. a blessing in tangible or non-tangible form.
companions are gifts ...(i am talking about the ones one wants to be companion with) - but wouldn't we ask for trouble if we somehow (unconsciously) set us up expecting them as part of the camino package - and then be blazing mad or feel dejected because the 'universe' did not provide us with the goodies, aka our camino-family?
i don't know - just asking.
i am not advocating one over the other. but this entire topic is well worth contemplating, no?
on the portugues camino, i was walking alone approx 95% of the time. mainly by choice, but mostly because hardly pilgrims around between lisboa-porto. i somehow trusted that when i was to need to meet a particular person/s ... we'd cross path. and so it was. it was actually a beautiful experience.
in short: walk YOUR pace ....
wishing you the same - (a beautiful experience - however it might look for you) buen camino - C