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In the planning stage

rickyt

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Planning for Sept/Oct 2023 Camino Frances
Hello all,
I am probably at least a year or more away from being able to actually start my Camino. Presently I am just trying to read up and learn as much as I can. This forum is great and, so far, I have been able to find answers to my many questions. I have felt this strange pull to do this for many years; I don't really understand why that is. But, I have reached the point that I am just going to go with it and trust that whatever happens happens.
Thanks, in advance, for the collective wisdom of this group!
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
A warm welcome to the Forum, Ricky....

One thing which I might suggest is to write down in large letters the reasons why you want to go on Camino. Place that piece of paper where you can see it every day. That way, if anxieties and fears threaten to overwhelm you as you plan, you can just breath, read what you have written, and focus on those reasons until the negative stuff fades.

We are here to help -- with support and insights and answers to questions or concerns. Let us know if we can help in any way :)
 
A warm welcome to the Forum, Ricky....

One thing which I might suggest is to write down in large letters the reasons why you want to go on Camino. Place that piece of paper where you can see it every day.

Thanks for your reply Dave; I think that is a great idea. I haven't fully worked out all of the reasons yet, but I have more than a few.

In the short time that I have been perusing the forum I have been struck by the positivity and willingness to help out. That is something that isn't always found on online forums so, again, I thank you all.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
. . . . . In the short time that I have been perusing the forum I have been struck by the positivity and willingness to help out. That is something that isn't always found on online forums so, again, I thank you all.

I absolutely agree. Social media would be a far more useful tool, and far less of an unpleasant dreck of detritus, if other sites and forums mimicked this Forum's environment. :)
 
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A warm welcome to the Forum, Ricky....

One thing which I might suggest is to write down in large letters the reasons why you want to go on Camino. Place that piece of paper where you can see it every day. That way, if anxieties and fears threaten to overwhelm you as you plan, you can just breath, read what you have written, and focus on those reasons until the negative stuff fades.

We are here to help -- with support and insights and answers to questions or concerns. Let us know if we can help in any way :)

Welcome to the Camino Forum, Ricky!
As Dave said, we are here to help. There are members with vast knowledge and insights to the Camino and the process of planning, preparing, making the pilgrimage on any of many routes, and then the post-pilgrimage adjustment back into your life. And they are willing to share their thoughts generously.

As you are still in the planning stage, I fully agree with what Dave said, write down your motivation, place it somewhere you can see it so that when the fears and anxieties arise during the planning process, you will be motivated to overcome them. And fears and anxieties will come. I was named after Saint James (and my middle name, Christopher, is after...yes, Saint Christopher, a very Catholic name). After my mother passed a few years ago, the Camino subject came up, and it became clear that I should make the pilgrimage to honor my parents who named me after Saint James. As clear as this motivation was, I still had doubts and anxiety as I spent a year planning and perusing this forum. Clearly knowing my motivation allowed me to overcome those fears and anxiety. When I walked into Santiago de Compostela at the Obradoiro Square by the cathedral, it was magical!

Your Camino has already started.
Welcome, and Buen Camino!
--jim--
 
Hello all,
I have felt this strange pull to do this for many years; I don't really understand why that is. But, I have reached the point that I am just going to go with it and trust that whatever happens happens.

Your feeling of being drawn to the Camino and not being sure why is not unusual. I am reminded of a few quotes from Jack Hitt who walked the Camino Frances in the 1981 and again in the 1991 and wrote the book, "Off the Road: A Modern-day Walk Down the Pilgrim's Route into Spain." His book was part of the inspiration for Emilio Estevez's film "The Way" starring his father, Martin Sheen.

1. "One of the cool things about the road to Santiago is that almost any motivation to go ends up being a great one."

2. "The motive for walking was to discover the motivation for walking."

3. "We start the road for one reason and then the development of that question becomes far more complicated than we thought it was."

4. "You think you went for one reason and you end up going for a whole multiplicity of other reasons and they're all fascinating. And that question never goes away and never gets fully or satisfactorily answered."

5. "The road sort of beats all of the cliche's out of you."

These quotes make so much sense to me, especially after walking the Camino Frances twice. It is harder than many think to walk for 6-7 hours a day, day after day after day. But it is also far more uplifting than I could have possibly imagined even after reading many books and studying the Camino Forum at length. Walking through Spain, you smell the fields and the forests, you hear the farm tractor in the distance, and the crunch of your boots on the path, you walk with people from all over the world, sometimes not even sharing a language, but sharing the difficulty of a steep climb and the beauty of the view from the top. It is meditative, introspective, and in that, beautiful and uplifting. And the question of motivation never really goes away and never gets satisfactorily answered...so I start planning the next pilgrimage, and maybe I'll get closer to an answer...if it matters.

Buen Camino,
--jim--
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Your feeling of being drawn to the Camino and not being sure why is not unusual. I am reminded of a few quotes from Jack Hitt who walked the Camino Frances in the 1981 and again in the 1991 and wrote the book, "Off the Road: A Modern-day Walk Down the Pilgrim's Route into Spain." His book was part of the inspiration for Emilio Estevez's film "The Way" starring his father, Martin Sheen.

1. "One of the cool things about the road to Santiago is that almost any motivation to go ends up being a great one."

2. "The motive for walking was to discover the motivation for walking."

3. "We start the road for one reason and then the development of that question becomes far more complicated than we thought it was."

4. "You think you went for one reason and you end up going for a whole multiplicity of other reasons and they're all fascinating. And that question never goes away and never gets fully or satisfactorily answered."

5. "The road sort of beats all of the cliche's out of you."

These quotes make so much sense to me, especially after walking the Camino Frances twice. It is harder than many think to walk for 6-7 hours a day, day after day after day. But it is also far more uplifting than I could have possibly imagined even after reading many books and studying the Camino Forum at length. Walking through Spain, you smell the fields and the forests, you hear the farm tractor in the distance, and the crunch of your boots on the path, you walk with people from all over the world, sometimes not even sharing a language, but sharing the difficulty of a steep climb and the beauty of the view from the top. It is meditative, introspective, and in that, beautiful and uplifting. And the question of motivation never really goes away and never gets satisfactorily answered...so I start planning the next pilgrimage, and maybe I'll get closer to an answer...if it matters.

Buen Camino,
--jim--


Thank you so much for this Jim. I absolutely love how you explained things here. "And the question of motivation never really goes away and never gets satisfactorily answered." That is pretty much where I am at. I can't explain fully why I feel the need to do this, but the feeling is there nonetheless and so I have come to a place of acceptance of that pull and now I am going to do something about it.

Thanks again!
 
Hello all,
I am probably at least a year or more away from being able to actually start my Camino. Presently I am just trying to read up and learn as much as I can. This forum is great and, so far, I have been able to find answers to my many questions. I have felt this strange pull to do this for many years; I don't really understand why that is. But, I have reached the point that I am just going to go with it and trust that whatever happens happens.
Thanks, in advance, for the collective wisdom of this group!


I know that 'strange pull' well. Actually had NO IDEA why I was compelled to walk my first camino. The only thing I was sure about was that I had to go. I was 55 years old, never walked for pleasure, never backpacked a day in my life, had no idea how to read even a guide map, vision problems, huge dietary issues, did not speak any Spanish whatsoever, had never flown alone, had never been to Europe, suck at math ( which was a tad tricky with conversions for money and miles ), and was 9 months post mastectomy. My adult children were horrified at my announcement to walk. There was absolutely no reason why I would want to go...but I trusted that I needed to go.
While I was there,I got bronchitis crossing the Pyrenees and broke a bone in my foot after getting knocked over shortly after Cruz de Ferro. I walked with a miserable old woman who complained about everything, was extremely rude to others and had no respect at all for the many religious places along the way ( that's a whole other story ) or the people living along the camino. When I returned home I was cursing myself for going and had no idea why I had subjected myself to such torture. I was inventing swears. I got home on November 12th and by Christmas was announcing that I was going to walk it all again!
It took months to understand why I was so compelled to go. Months. And I have walked just about every year since.
My point in all of this, is to trust that you are being called. Trust that it is for a reason and walk with joy!

~ Just walk and The Way appears ~ Rumi
 
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I know that 'strange pull' well. Actually had NO IDEA why I was compelled to walk my first camino. The only thing I was sure about was that I had to go. I was 55 years old, never walked for pleasure, never backpacked a day in my life, had no idea how to read even a guide map, vision problems, huge dietary issues, did not speak any Spanish whatsoever, had never flown alone, had never been to Europe, suck at math ( which was a tad tricky with conversions for money and miles )

Sophie, that is my daughter's name, by the way.
Your description of yourself at the time sound almost exactly like me at the present. I am just entering my 50's but everything else is pretty much spot on. As much as I am sorry to hear that your first Camino was full of struggles, I am glad to hear that it did not hinder you from wanting to do it again. I am quite certain that it will be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Physically for sure, but also mentally. I hope to get a lot out of it but I am also leaving myself open and having no real expectation of the outcome. That is difficult for me, as I like to have a good idea of the outcome before starting any project. But, what also appeals to me is the simplicity of this. When I go, I will wake up and walk until I am done walking for the day. Then I will go to sleep and get up and do it again.
I would be lying though if I said that I wasn't looking forward to the possibility of inventing some new swears like you did. That sounds kind of fun.
Thank you for your thoughtful response!
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Hello all,
I am probably at least a year or more away from being able to actually start my Camino. Presently I am just trying to read up and learn as much as I can. This forum is great and, so far, I have been able to find answers to my many questions. I have felt this strange pull to do this for many years; I don't really understand why that is. But, I have reached the point that I am just going to go with it and trust that whatever happens happens.
Thanks, in advance, for the collective wisdom of this group!
Hi Ricky,
Your words really resonate with me as I am in a similar space. I’ve felt drawn to the Camino for some years, but that’s been growing much stronger recently and I finally decided that I just ‘have to’ do this. So I’ve arranged 8 weeks off work in Sept and Oct 2019 and my learning and preparing has begun. This forum is a great help and already feels like a community. My initial motivation seems clear now, but, as others have advised, that may well change either before or on the road. Or may grow. I think what’s important now is intention. The intention is strong and I spend time each day thinking and researching (and mooching around on this forum). I’ve started Spanish lessons too. I wish you well in your preparations. Warm wishes, Mary
 
@rickyt , and a welcome to the forum from me.

Assuming you have a why, other questions include:

How: walking or cycling (or are you an equestrian?)

When: season - Spring or Summer or Autumn

What: equipment such as pack, sleeping bag, changes of clothes, phone/tablet, water and not much else - boots v shoes (waterproof or sandals or breathable)

With: your own company, with a friend or a group

Where: to start - first do a short trip to shake down then return later for a very long distance route, such as starting in Le Puy-en-Velay or Sevilla or Barcelona OR just do it.

Other aspects to consider are the level of stamina of mind and body you will need before starting.

I wish you well and kia kaha (take care, be strong, get going).
 
Hi Ricky,
Your words really resonate with me as I am in a similar space. I’ve felt drawn to the Camino for some years, but that’s been growing much stronger recently and I finally decided that I just ‘have to’ do this. So I’ve arranged 8 weeks off work in Sept and Oct 2019 and my learning and preparing has begun. This forum is a great help and already feels like a community. My initial motivation seems clear now, but, as others have advised, that may well change either before or on the road. Or may grow. I think what’s important now is intention. The intention is strong and I spend time each day thinking and researching (and mooching around on this forum). I’ve started Spanish lessons too. I wish you well in your preparations. Warm wishes, Mary
Hi Mary,
It is comforting to know that I am not alone in that pull. Congrats on setting the date. I am not there yet but I am hopeful that life will allow me this sometime in the not so distant future. Two kids in college though so not a ton of money laying around and then there is work. Can I get that much time off? Time will tell but until then I will enjoy the preparations. I recently started Spanish lessons also. It sounds like we have a lot in common.
I look forward to hearing more about your adventure. Be well.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
@rickyt , and a welcome to the forum from me.

Assuming you have a why, other questions include:

How: walking or cycling (or are you an equestrian?)

When: season - Spring or Summer or Autumn

What: equipment such as pack, sleeping bag, changes of clothes, phone/tablet, water and not much else - boots v shoes (waterproof or sandals or breathable)

With: your own company, with a friend or a group

Where: to start - first do a short trip to shake down then return later for a very long distance route, such as starting in Le Puy-en-Velay or Sevilla or Barcelona OR just do it.

Other aspects to consider are the level of stamina of mind and body you will need before starting.

I wish you well and kia kaha (take care, be strong, get going).


Oh there are no shortage of questions beyond the why. Haha some are definitely easier to answer but all are important, I agree. Thank you for your insights.
 

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