Pilgrim_95
Young Pilgrim
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Portugues - 2015
Norte - 2016, 2020
Frances - 2018
I was literally sad and lonely walking uphill from Saint Jean when I saw a young redhead around 30m ahead of me with sunflower tattoos on her ankles. I took a picture of her and sent it to my friends trying to convince them to come to join me on that unwanted journey. I agree.... a creepy move... but she knows... as we are moving in together in seven weeks.
That event took place eleven months ago when I was walking my third Camino as a freshly 21 years old college student. I originally did not plan to do it but my "friend" convinced me and after a tough year and some unbelievable events in my personal life, I needed to be somewhere else for a while.
Unexpectedly, the original fellowship of three ended up being a solo ride after my "it is complicated" nightmare did not pass some exams and the author of this whole Camino idea welched on the trip a day before the flight from Prague with a text saying: "Sorry, can't make it." So there I was heading to Spain not even knowing if I my next Camino adventure will happen on the Camino Norte or Frances. I just let the magical forces of improbable events lead my destiny.
We are too close. We are walking too slowly. This is awkward. I need to say something. "Hey... I am Albert, where are you from?" I asked the ginger whose legs were stored as a digital memory in my phone ten minutes ago. "Hey, I am Pippa, I am from Reading, England, what about you?". The hill was really steep so it took me a few seconds to reply: "The Czech Republic, I live in the medieval city where the original Budweiser beer is made." I actually prepared that line on the plane to Biarritz.
The first stage to Roncesvalles is considered the most physically demanding but did not feel like that at all as I was engaged in a conversation with my new companion discussing quotes from The Lord of the Rings, personal lives and my childhood "traumas" when I was the only kid going to the aquaristics/pet club and had to clean the guinea pig cage all the time for unknown reasons.
Days were passing and we became total buddies. Drinking Cuba libre from the same glass, popping blisters, sharing tuna with cats while snacking in the shadows, watching her as she is throwing up after a brutal food poising while carrying her backpack. The classical daily moments all pilgrims know... and then we just fell in love. Enjoying every moment of the Camino, meeting great people, even convincing our new lovely Japanese friends Takuma and Du that Bacardi is actually from the Santiago we are heading to. It was the best time of our lives...
She started to cry. I felt that tears are also falling from my eyes. It was the last night before our flights back. We were spooning. The summer love was about to end. Neither of us wanted that but the future looked scary and complicated. Eventually, we listened to our hearts... We listened to the Camino.
We started to visit each other every other month. We lived for those few days which were always the best yet painful at the same time. After Christmas, it started to be unbearable and we needed a plan. So, I dropped out of university, took a programming job and applied to a software engineering course in Edinburgh. My dear Pippa applied for Spanish - French linguistic program and we got in. We saw each other few days ago and now we just have to wait once more until we are finally reunited. Forever
That event took place eleven months ago when I was walking my third Camino as a freshly 21 years old college student. I originally did not plan to do it but my "friend" convinced me and after a tough year and some unbelievable events in my personal life, I needed to be somewhere else for a while.
Unexpectedly, the original fellowship of three ended up being a solo ride after my "it is complicated" nightmare did not pass some exams and the author of this whole Camino idea welched on the trip a day before the flight from Prague with a text saying: "Sorry, can't make it." So there I was heading to Spain not even knowing if I my next Camino adventure will happen on the Camino Norte or Frances. I just let the magical forces of improbable events lead my destiny.
We are too close. We are walking too slowly. This is awkward. I need to say something. "Hey... I am Albert, where are you from?" I asked the ginger whose legs were stored as a digital memory in my phone ten minutes ago. "Hey, I am Pippa, I am from Reading, England, what about you?". The hill was really steep so it took me a few seconds to reply: "The Czech Republic, I live in the medieval city where the original Budweiser beer is made." I actually prepared that line on the plane to Biarritz.
The first stage to Roncesvalles is considered the most physically demanding but did not feel like that at all as I was engaged in a conversation with my new companion discussing quotes from The Lord of the Rings, personal lives and my childhood "traumas" when I was the only kid going to the aquaristics/pet club and had to clean the guinea pig cage all the time for unknown reasons.
Days were passing and we became total buddies. Drinking Cuba libre from the same glass, popping blisters, sharing tuna with cats while snacking in the shadows, watching her as she is throwing up after a brutal food poising while carrying her backpack. The classical daily moments all pilgrims know... and then we just fell in love. Enjoying every moment of the Camino, meeting great people, even convincing our new lovely Japanese friends Takuma and Du that Bacardi is actually from the Santiago we are heading to. It was the best time of our lives...
She started to cry. I felt that tears are also falling from my eyes. It was the last night before our flights back. We were spooning. The summer love was about to end. Neither of us wanted that but the future looked scary and complicated. Eventually, we listened to our hearts... We listened to the Camino.
We started to visit each other every other month. We lived for those few days which were always the best yet painful at the same time. After Christmas, it started to be unbearable and we needed a plan. So, I dropped out of university, took a programming job and applied to a software engineering course in Edinburgh. My dear Pippa applied for Spanish - French linguistic program and we got in. We saw each other few days ago and now we just have to wait once more until we are finally reunited. Forever
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Just purchased my flight tickets to Edinburgh! Camino seems to be an ideal place to find a partner as you know you have at least one thing in common 
