Research project- FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!!!

[PeregrinoDeNebraska]

Hello!

I am a junior in college and I will be doing the camino with a group of 13 students from my school starting May 4 in SJPdP. I am a Psychology major, looking into Social/Positive Psych Research.

I was brainstorming ideas for a research project and all of a sudden I thought, "Why not do a project on the Camino?!" I am still developing the project, but I need to get a idea of who does the Camino. If you could respond to the questions below, whether you did it long ago or are planning to do it in the near future, it would help me out so much!!

1) Who did you walk the Camino with? (if a group,how many?)
2) Why did you walk the Camino? If you could first answer this with a word or two description, that would be awesome! Example: Spiritual, Physical Fitness, an adventure, etc. If you would then like to go into more detail, I'd love to hear your story!! I just want to make sure I get the groupings right.
3) What country are you from?
4) What is your age?

If any of those are things you wish not to disclose, that is totally fine!! Thanks in advance for your help with this.
-Brittany

 

[lindseh]

Re: Research project--HELP/FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!!!

Hi Brittany,

There are statistics collected by the pilgrim's office in Santiago that can answer all of those questions, because every pilgrim fills out a form to get a Compostella. They've often been posted on the forum, trying doing a keyword search. It'll give you a way broader and more representative sample than asking here.

On a side note, I'm also a psych major, and I'm starting the day before you walking alone - maybe see you along the way!

Lindsey

 

[lindseh]

Re: Research project--HELP/FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!!!

Actually, the stats won't tell you the group size people walked in. But I would guess that 95% walk by themselves or with one other person.

 

[PeregrinoDeNebraska]

Re: Research project--HELP/FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!!!

Lindsey,

I tried searching it but was unsuccessful--I will reword it!

That is great news, though, thanks so much for letting me know about the data at the end!! I really do hope we will see each other along The Way

Blessings,

Brittany

 

[MeganG22]

Re: Research project--HELP/FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!!!

1. I walked the Camino in October with my boyfriend- now ex boyfriend (The story: he left the day after we got home from Europe. We spent one week in Ireland prior to starting the Camino during which we realized we were heading in different directions in life in general. There were never any fights, arguments, or anger- this may all sound weird, but the Camino provided us somewhat of a "healing" journey in which we could openly discuss our lives and desires and still help each other and be there for each other- and in some ways, start moving on. It was an incredible thing we got to do together at "the end of 'us' " and I wouldn't change it for anything.)
2. An adventure. (Heard about it years ago through my ex's coworker and immediately thought YES. The appeal for me was the fact that it was all through small towns in a country in which I had only visited a large city- Madrid. I pictured strolling through open countryside and quaint towns and literally just KNEW that it was the right thing for me.)
3. United States
4. 27 years old

 

[lindseh]

Re: Research project--HELP/FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!!!

Here's the site you need:

http://peregrinossantiago.es/eng/pilgri ... tatistics/

It's a wealth of info and really cool to poke around!

Good luck... wish I could do find a way to do an assignment about the camino!

 

[PeregrinoDeNebraska]

Re: Research project--HELP/FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!!!

WOW!! This is amazing!!! Thank you so much! Also, I watched your youtube videos...very helpful!! I plan on buying the lush shampoo.

And vagando2011, thank you for sharing!

 

[scruffy1]

Re: Research project--HELP/FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!!!

Nebraska Shalom
Try and rephrase questiopn number 2, the reason to walk the Camino is defined before one leaves home, often and most certainly changes several times while on the Camino, and may be something totaly different upon returning home after a bit of introspection.
Scruffy

 

[julie]

Re: Research project--HELP/FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!!!

Try and rephrase questiopn number 2, the reason to walk the Camino is defined before one leaves home, often and most certainly changes several times while on the Camino, and may be something totaly different upon returning home after a bit of introspection

Agreed. Though often the reason is not defined before one leaves home. Or at least it wasn't in my case. Unless "I have an overwhelming urge and I don't know why I have to go but I know that I have to" is a reason.

 

[wayfarer]

1. I walked the Camino with my brother.
2. I walked it for spiritual reasons and probably for a bit of adventure.
About twenty years ago, I read an article in National Geographic about this pilgrim walk through France and northern Spain. It caught my interest at the time as something I might like to do at some stage of my life as I love walking. Over the years,, I came across more articles about the Camino but after a heart bypass I had all but given up hope of ever doing the walk. About six years ago my brother, who was home on holidays from Australia, asked me had I ever heard of the Camino. He had just read about it and said he would like to do it too. We talked about it on and off for the last few years but got no nearer to doing it.
In February of 2012, I got an early morning phone call from him saying “Pack your bag, get your boots, we are doing the Camino”. He had his tickets booked to fly into France on the 18th of April, so the walk was on!
Irish pilgrims traditionally begin their Camino at St. James’ gate in Dublin, so I went there and got a pilgrim passport and had it stamped in the offices of Guinness’ brewery.
I arrived in Biarritz on the 18th of April with my wife, Jane, who had come to see me off, and we met my brother in Bayonne train station and took the train to St Jean Pied de Port where our walk began.
3. I am from Ireland.
4. I was 58 when I walked the Camino.

It was a fantastic adventure, the only problem is that I can't get it out of my head and that I want to do it again.

 

[frasert]

1 alone
2 spiritual
3 Australia
4 46

 

[nincha]

1. Alone
2. Self discovery / adventure
3. USA
4. 30

 

[clearskiescamino]

1. Alone...but met loads of fab people
2. A bit of spiritual, adventure and to get away from the madness
3. Dublin, Ireland
4. 36 when I walked my first camino in 2011. So that makes me...ahem..*mumbles*

 

[fortview]

It was a fantastic adventure, the only problem is that I can't get it out of my head and that I want to do it again.

Ha ha, tell me about it Wayfarer !

1.with my husband. And so pleased we could do it together.

2. Partly spiritual, partly as a way of starting our retirement, after 2 stressful careers.

3.Gloucestershire, UK

4.55 and 58

 

[siseale94]

Oct, 2012 CF, Pamplona to Santiago de Compostela.

1) Alone but then with many.

2) Adventure and Spiritual discovery

3) United States, The South

4) 61 at the time.

Can't wait to return

 

[DeadFred]

1. My wife & I
2. Kalidoscope of Reasons
3 US
4. 68 & 56

Here's a great video you might enjoy

http://vimeo.com/user9824047/videos/sor ... :thumbnail

 

[Sue M]

1. I walked with a priest who had done the Camino several times before, and with 2 men and the daughter of one of them, none of whom I'd known before. That means there were 5 of us. I found the group on the Internet.
2. I had seen the DVD 'The Way' and it inspired me to do it. Partly for religious/spiritual reasons, but also because I have recently retired and wanted one last challenge before I take to the rocking chair!
3. I come from Rugby in England.
4. I started on my 67th birthday.
We walked from St. jean Pied de Port to Burgos and I intended to walk from Burgos this year but haven't found anyone to walk with and didn't want to walk alone. I've signed up to walk from Leon to Santiago in June with Ramblers but they only do the scenic bits so I've also signed up with HF holidays to walk from Sarria to Santiago, every step of the way, in September. This is the best I can organise and even though it will be hotels not allergies I'll still see myself as a pilgrim. I haven't found a way to do the bit from Burgos to Leon so I'll have to miss it out.
Sue

 

[Pieces]

1) alone
2) felt drawn
3) denmark
4) 42 first time

 

[supersullivan]

1 With my partner.

2 After seeing the movie 'The Way' she was enthralled by the idea and concept of the camino and because of minor health problems but which in time would lessen her chances of doing the camino, we moved very quickly from the thought to the action and walked the 'baby' camino from Sarria last September. I'd heard about the camino about 25 years ago from a cycling friend who had cycled it and when I took up hiking 7 years ago it was in the back of my head to spend the summer I retire in about 8 years walking from Paris or Vezelay to S de C but when I returned last September thought hard about my own health ( type 2 diabetic ) and managed to persuade my boss to allow me to roll up 18 months holidays together so May will see me in St Jean with 4 weeks to see S de C but hoping to carry on to Muxia, longer stages than ideal but .... Not particularly religious so being honest partly as a long hike for a keen hiker/ partly as a chance to peel away the layers of superficiality modern society builds upon us and partly to make up for never having done the whole multi week backpacking around Europe that many of my friends did in their late teenage years.

3 Dublin, Ireland.

4 52 years.

 

[Mark2012]

1) Started alone, but met many on the way
2) Vaguely Spiritual - If I go into more detail, this posting would probably go on for longer than either of us would like!
3) Cork, Ireland
4) 38

Best of luck with the research. I'm currently doing a positive psychology-influenced PhD, so always happy to help a fellow researcher!

 

[lindseh]

Re: Research project--HELP/FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!!!

WOW!! This is amazing!!! Thank you so much! Also, I watched your youtube videos...very helpful!! I plan on buying the lush shampoo.

No worries! Haha I'm glad you liked them! Brilliant idea... They're so useful and make you smell so nice after a long sweaty day!

Okay also I forgot to answer your research question so here goes:

RE: my first camino in 2011

1) With my dear old dad
2) An adventure
3) Canada
4) 19 at the time!

 

[whariwharangi]

1. I walked alone
2. To experience the culture, to practice my Spanish language skills, to meet people on the road, and to drag myself away from yet another dreary winter spent in front of the computer playing games. I guess there is enough personal growth in this to call it 'spiritual'.
3. Canada
4. 53