Is the Camino a Curse?

[MKalcolm M]

Is the camino a curse?

I have walked in pouring rain, with every part of my body in pain, tired to the point of exhaustion. I have been foot-sore, bone weary, and pleading for this to end. I have had blisters that burst, then shed their skin, then turned into a bloody mess of raw flesh. But still I go back.

I have fought bitter and bloody court cases with my ex-wife to take my daughter on the camino. (We won). I work all year to save for this. I forgo pleasures and little luxuries each week to accumulate enough money to pay for it. I give up vacation time, I work overtime, Just to do it all again.

I watch YouTube videos of the camino, with tears pouring down my face. I love my house, but I call Santiago home...

I have walked 5 caminos, over 1600kms, more than a thousand miles, I have been back only 24 hours before I start planning the next one...

What is this, Why is this, this yearning to be on the path again, as the dawn breaks with the light and fresh dew of a new day walking Westwards (or North, or South, or South West), to crest a ridge and look into the next valley over a new panorama, to cook up a communal meal, to clink classes with fellow perigrinos, to laugh with strangers, to hear the pipes on the way, to laugh and cry and hug each other in front of the cathedral...

How I want to do it all again.

 

[KinkyOne]

Indeed it's a bitter sweet curse. I can feel you!

 

[The Kolbist]

I feel as I was gonna die after getting lost our way from SJDPP to Roncesvalles, walking 5 miles more, climbing the Pyrenees. I can still hear the words of my wife saying “we will not do this again” only to hear the words “when do we do this again?” when we got to Praza da Inmaculada. Climbing against the flood on the way to O’cebrero felt like my calvary. Burgos to Hontanas was the very definition of the temptation to quit in the desert. Yet, in the grand scheme of things, the Camino is a great blessing for me, a peregrino. Buen Camino

 

[rappahannock_rev]

I watch YouTube videos of the camino, with tears pouring down my face. I love my house, but I call Santiago home...

Me too, brother....

 

[Stivandrer]

naa, a slight infection, keeps coming back...

 

[VNwalking]

What is this, Why is this,

Because when you're there you're unreservedly here, but when you're here you're unreservedly there.

 

[domigee]

I sometimes see it as a curse (why oh why do I have to do this again?)
But I think it is rather a blessing

 

[stratophile]

It's more of a disease, eating away at you relentlessly. It typically starts slow, with only mild symptoms, but if not excised quickly it is often permanent. Friends and family eventually give up trying to cure you, though they never really stop looking at you with that sad 'what hath life wrought?' look as the disease takes ever-deeper root. Eventually, inevitably, the disease consumes you entirely leaving nothing behind but... pure happiness. Contentment. A better outlook on the world. And the wisdom to not walk the Francés in August.

 

[domigee]

It's more of a disease, eating away at you relentlessly. It typically starts slow, with only mild symptoms, but if not excised quickly it is often permanent. Friends and family eventually give up trying to cure you, though they never really stop looking at you with that sad 'what hath life wrought?' look as the disease takes ever-deeper root. Eventually, inevitably, the disease consumes you entirely leaving nothing behind but... pure happiness. Contentment. A better outlook on the world. And the wisdom to not walk the Francés in August.

I agree with everything you said .... except the bit about walking in August !

 

[Robo]

Maybe 'The Man Upstairs' is trying to teach us something?

And we'll finally be released from the Camino's 'pull' when we get it!

Whatever 'it' is.............

Think it will take me a few more Camino's...........

 

[easygoing]

I start planning my next Camino while walking the current one.

 

[lt56ny]

You walk because you must

 

[Turga]

What is this, Why is this, this yearning to be on the path again, as the dawn breaks with the light and fresh dew of a new day walking Westwards (or North, or South, or South West), to crest a ridge and look into the next valley over a new panorama, to cook up a communal meal, to clink classes with fellow perigrinos, to laugh with strangers, to hear the pipes on the way, to laugh and cry and hug each other in front of the cathedral...

I think you answered your own question quite well...

 

[MitPunkten]

I know exactly what you mean. Even though I‘ve never been on the Frances before, I can‘t wait to get on the camino again, to get home again.

 

[Lynn C O'Hara]

Is the camino a curse?

I have walked in pouring rain, with every part of my body in pain, tired to the point of exhaustion. I have been foot-sore, bone weary, and pleading for this to end. I have had blisters that burst, then shed their skin, then turned into a bloody mess of raw flesh. But still I go back.

I have fought bitter and bloody court cases with my ex-wife to take my daughter on the camino. (We won). I work all year to save for this. I forgo pleasures and little luxuries each week to accumulate enough money to pay for it. I give up vacation time, I work overtime, Just to do it all again.

I watch YouTube videos of the camino, with tears pouring down my face. I love my house, but I call Santiago home...

I have walked 5 caminos, over 1600kms, more than a thousand miles, I have been back only 24 hours before I start planning the next one...

What is this, Why is this, this yearning to be on the path again, as the dawn breaks with the light and fresh dew of a new day walking Westwards (or North, or South, or South West), to crest a ridge and look into the next valley over a new panorama, to cook up a communal meal, to clink classes with fellow perigrinos, to laugh with strangers, to hear the pipes on the way, to laugh and cry and hug each other in front of the cathedral...

How I want to do it all again.

It’s worse than my chocolate and Cheetos addiction!

 

[easygoing]

As I said, I start planning my next Camino while still walking the current one which isn't as weird as it seems because I have been walking the Camino Francis spring and fall for three years. I am very competitive and love to walk fast. Severe Tendonitis this year made me crazy with worry about what will I do if I can't walk for miles at a time.
Although I have a good life at home, I have been pondering what I miss from the Camino that I can add to my life at home. I can walk 2 miles to the coffee shop some mornings and say hello to everyone I meet.
But what puzzles me is I feel more free to be who I am on the Camino. People are so accepting on the Camino and your shell is a badge of belonging that I miss at home.
As I write this I am realizing that I am still basing my happiness on the reactions of others. I walk slowly (limp) again starting May 29 and will practice being happy and proud of my best efforts. And then I will bring the spirit of the Camino home.

 

[susanawee]

Maybe 'The Man Upstairs' is trying to teach us something?

And we'll finally be released from the Camino's 'pull' when we get it!

Whatever 'it' is.............

Think it will take me a few more Camino's...........

and me also Robo....I run the Australian Pilgrims on The Camino and Beyond facebook group and look forward each day to helping hopeful Camino seekers to achieve their aim of beginning their first Camino, and also, to veteran Camino Walkers who need their 'fix' each day, by providing a place for them to inter-react with like minded people 'who get it and, who get 'us'.

 

[Eric G]

My wife calls the Camino my "Mistress ". Currently on the CF with my daughter

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Is the camino a curse?

I have walked in pouring rain, with every part of my body in pain, tired to the point of exhaustion. I have been foot-sore, bone weary, and pleading for this to end. I have had blisters that burst, then shed their skin, then turned into a bloody mess of raw flesh. But still I go back.

I have fought bitter and bloody court cases with my ex-wife to take my daughter on the camino. (We won). I work all year to save for this. I forgo pleasures and little luxuries each week to accumulate enough money to pay for it. I give up vacation time, I work overtime, Just to do it all again.

I watch YouTube videos of the camino, with tears pouring down my face. I love my house, but I call Santiago home...

I have walked 5 caminos, over 1600kms, more than a thousand miles, I have been back only 24 hours before I start planning the next one...

What is this, Why is this, this yearning to be on the path again, as the dawn breaks with the light and fresh dew of a new day walking Westwards (or North, or South, or South West), to crest a ridge and look into the next valley over a new panorama, to cook up a communal meal, to clink classes with fellow peregrinos, to laugh with strangers, to hear the pipes on the way, to laugh and cry and hug each other in front of the cathedral...

How I want to do it all again.

Compadre,

The Camino can become an addiction, like breathing. To my perception, it is a place in this world where an, "ideal life," can be experienced, witnessed, lived, with all its warts, calluses, bad hair days, bad food, pain, blisters, sleepless nights, rain, scorching sun and unrelenting winds. That is the addiction to a truth in ourselves that we simply do not find anywhere else.

For me, I was on a hunt in Ireland to find my roots in 2016. I had the same issues with money, time etc and set my priorities. Once that was done, everything fell into place. Within weeks, I was in Ireland, on my way to the origins of my Family. I had incredible experiences with the most loving, caring people I have ever met, some of them cousins. And my ancestors had left Ireland in 1832.

One day, I took a walk around what is known as the Ballinderry Loop. It was during that walk that I found a place in my Heart for the Emerald Isle. I found myself asking, "How is it I feel more at home here than in the place of my birth?

My feelings while on the Camino are very much the same. The only way to live life is to live it to your greatest truth. Then, it goes beyond an addiction and becomes a calling,

 

[Thomas Yingst]

Bl

Is the camino a curse?

I have walked in pouring rain, with every part of my body in pain, tired to the point of exhaustion. I have been foot-sore, bone weary, and pleading for this to end. I have had blisters that burst, then shed their skin, then turned into a bloody mess of raw flesh. But still I go back.

I have fought bitter and bloody court cases with my ex-wife to take my daughter on the camino. (We won). I work all year to save for this. I forgo pleasures and little luxuries each week to accumulate enough money to pay for it. I give up vacation time, I work overtime, Just to do it all again.

I watch YouTube videos of the camino, with tears pouring down my face. I love my house, but I call Santiago home...

I have walked 5 caminos, over 1600kms, more than a thousand miles, I have been back only 24 hours before I start planning the next one...

What is this, Why is this, this yearning to be on the path again, as the dawn breaks with the light and fresh dew of a new day walking Westwards (or North, or South, or South West), to crest a ridge and look into the next valley over a new panorama, to cook up a communal meal, to clink classes with fellow perigrinos, to laugh with strangers, to hear the pipes on the way, to laugh and cry and hug each other in front of the cathedral...

How I want to do it all again.

cursed but who cares

 

[RemysMimi]

Is the camino a curse?

I have walked in pouring rain, with every part of my body in pain, tired to the point of exhaustion. I have been foot-sore, bone weary, and pleading for this to end. I have had blisters that burst, then shed their skin, then turned into a bloody mess of raw flesh. But still I go back.

I have fought bitter and bloody court cases with my ex-wife to take my daughter on the camino. (We won). I work all year to save for this. I forgo pleasures and little luxuries each week to accumulate enough money to pay for it. I give up vacation time, I work overtime, Just to do it all again.

I watch YouTube videos of the camino, with tears pouring down my face. I love my house, but I call Santiago home...

I have walked 5 caminos, over 1600kms, more than a thousand miles, I have been back only 24 hours before I start planning the next one...

What is this, Why is this, this yearning to be on the path again, as the dawn breaks with the light and fresh dew of a new day walking Westwards (or North, or South, or South West), to crest a ridge and look into the next valley over a new panorama, to cook up a communal meal, to clink classes with fellow perigrinos, to laugh with strangers, to hear the pipes on the way, to laugh and cry and hug each other in front of the cathedral...

How I want to do it all again.

OMG!!! I know exactly what you mean. I did my first Camino September/October of 2018 year. I didn't have any problems. Not one single blister or ache. I am 62 and in fair shape. But I cannot get it out of my head. I find myself with tears streaming down my face while driving along because I am thinking about a specific time or place on the Camino. It is driving me crazy. I come to these forums just to read what people have to say about their experiences. WHAT IS WRONG WITH US!! I am planning my second walk for April of 2020.

 

[Marie_pri]

I don't know what it is either. I said after I finish it 'won't do that again' did not think too much of it. Then exactly 6 months after, I'm wanting to do it again, dreaming of it, watching YouTube, revisiting photos and trying to see how I can make the funds to go back.

 

[Former member 35551]

I've done at least one long pass-thru hike every year since 2014 and after each one have said never again. Yet here I am; less than 48 hours from flying to Toulouse.

 

[longwalker60]

Is the camino a curse?

I have walked in pouring rain, with every part of my body in pain, tired to the point of exhaustion. I have been foot-sore, bone weary, and pleading for this to end. I have had blisters that burst, then shed their skin, then turned into a bloody mess of raw flesh. But still I go back.

I have fought bitter and bloody court cases with my ex-wife to take my daughter on the camino. (We won). I work all year to save for this. I forgo pleasures and little luxuries each week to accumulate enough money to pay for it. I give up vacation time, I work overtime, Just to do it all again.

I watch YouTube videos of the camino, with tears pouring down my face. I love my house, but I call Santiago home...

I have walked 5 caminos, over 1600kms, more than a thousand miles, I have been back only 24 hours before I start planning the next one...

What is this, Why is this, this yearning to be on the path again, as the dawn breaks with the light and fresh dew of a new day walking Westwards (or North, or South, or South West), to crest a ridge and look into the next valley over a new panorama, to cook up a communal meal, to clink classes with fellow perigrinos, to laugh with strangers, to hear the pipes on the way, to laugh and cry and hug each other in front of the cathedral...

How I want to do it all again.

The camino is a funny thing. I walked in October, had a great experience and want so bad to go back and do another one. I written in a previous post, I feel like the camino is pulling me, and I have to go back. We are all blessed to have had a camino experience. Buen Camino.

 

[lizlane]

Hmmm I will let you know when I get there but in December I almost bought an albergue for sale. Because I know once I go I will not want to come back. And it seems a better investment of money than the cost of flying back every year until I die. I've been subsisting on youtube videos, documentaries, have watched my copy of the Way countless times over the past seven years since I first heard my call. The desire to go has not diminished but only increased with each passing year. I went through a phase where I "made" myself give up the dream because it seemed so hopeless that I would ever be able to walk. That was a fate worse than death. This is the year I will finally be able to walk so I am so hopeful!!

I have committed to doing this regardless of who doesn't understand. My heart has been singing since.

 

[RemysMimi]

Hmmm I will let you know when I get there but in December I almost bought an albergue for sale. Because I know once I go I will not want to come back. And it seems a better investment of money than the cost of flying back every year until I die. I've been subsisting on youtube videos, documentaries, have watched my copy of the Way countless times over the past seven years since I first heard my call. The desire to go has not diminished but only increased with each passing year. I went through a phase where I "made" myself give up the dream because it seemed so hopeless that I would ever be able to walk. That was a fate worse than death. This is the year I will finally be able to walk so I am so hopeful!!

I have committed to doing this regardless of who doesn't understand. My heart has been singing since.

We stayed in a small hotel where a woman and her son did just that. She was from France and had walked the camino several times. She came through and saw the place for sale and the rest was history. Lovely woman and an amazing cook (she did all the cooking herself. It was a small place with but 8 rooms). She was very enchanting.

 

[lizlane]

My mom's estate was supposed to settle in January so I'm glad I didn't get as far as an official offer because I'm still waiting to close it. I do wish I had the means to have bought it but I should still walk first before buying lol~