Spiritual/logistical preparation

[Pcav182]

Hello all! Last I posted on the forum, back in September, I was contemplating walking in July/August 2017, concerned about being so young (18 y/o). Since then, all those concerns have been allayed with encouragement from the forum. Furthermore, having told my parents my plan, they have been surprisingly supportive, and not as worried as I would have thought. (That's not to say that they're not somewhat apprehensive)

Now, with my Camino being roughly six months away, I can't help but feel that there is some sort of preparation that I can be doing now. I feel it is too early to start physical preparations, but perhaps there is something that should be doing to prepare, in both a logistical and spiritual/ religious sense.
On the logistical side, is there some type of planning/ registering that I should be doing now? Do most not plan their Camino, and simply show up and go with the flow?

Now on the spiritual/religious side: While there is no doubt in my mind that I am being called to the Camino- when people ask me why I am walking it, I cannot come up with a sufficient answer. I am devoutly Catholic, and can't help but feel that my walk is mostly based around my religion. Also I feel that my Camino has much to do with my individual self, and who I am. Why do you feel that you are called to the Camino?

Also any general advice for a young pilgrim is much appreciated!

(I'm not a very good writer, so I hope that I was able to be clear)

 

[MTtoCamino]

Welcome Pcav
You will find a lot of young people,along with many ages, including younger.

You simply have no reason to give anyone an explanation why you are are on Camino.

Yes simply show up with the basic 30-48l pack & start following arrows. If you put your pack list on the forum you will get helpful advise.
The process is part of the walk.
Buen Camino
Keith

 

[pilgrim b]

Hello and welcome Pcav182 to the forum, you write pretty well so don't worry on that score just keep posting.
As for your spiritual / religious approach, don't worry too much about that either. The Camino has called you to walk and your heart has reasons that the mind knows very little about. So go with that open heart ready to receive what ever the camino might teach you. Go with no expectations, accepting each day and what it has to offer you, and you may enjoy the most wonderful adventure of your life.
Buen camino my friend let the camino provide

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Also I feel that my Camino has much to do with my individual self, and who I am.

You know, it may be helpful if you tell us whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. That is to say do you feel more comfortable and truly yourself when alone or in interaction with others?

 

[SabsP]

Hello all! Last I posted on the forum, back in September, I was contemplating walking in July/August 2017, concerned about being so young (18 y/o). Since then, all those concerns have been allayed with encouragement from the forum. Furthermore, having told my parents my plan, they have been surprisingly supportive, and not as worried as I would have thought. (That's not to say that they're somewhat apprehensive)

Now, with my Camino being roughly six months away, I can't help but feel that there is some sort of preparation that I can be doing now. I feel it is too early to start physical preparations, but perhaps there is something that should be doing to prepare, in both a logistical and spiritual/ religious sense.
On the logistical side, is there some type of planning/ registering that I should be doing now? Do most not plan their Camino, and simply show up and go with the flow?

Now on the spiritual/religious side: While there is no doubt in my mind that I am being called to the Camino- when people ask me why I am walking it, I cannot come up with a sufficient answer. I am devoutly Catholic, and can't help but feel that my walk is mostly based around my religion. Also I feel that my Camino has much to do with my individual self, and who I am. Why do you feel that you are called to the Camino?

Also any general advice for a young pilgrim is much appreciated!

(I'm not a very good writer, so I hope that I was able to be clear)

You are a very good writer and you make yourself very well clear.

Do not worry.
Enjoy.
Be true to yourself.
Be kind to fellow pilgrims and to yourself also for that matter.
" The Flow " is always a good path to follow but don't forget your common sense.
One foot on the path and then the other.

Ultreia!

 

[camster]

Congratulations on making this trip official Your preparation, be it spiritual or religious should be your own take, since the Camino is a personal journey.

Even though I haven't walked it yet, I encourage you to start preparing your body the sooner you can. I read you thought it was too soon to start preparing, but the sooner you start walking, the earlier you'll discover your needs, how your body reacts to certain things you do, etc. I've been preparing for over a year physically and old aches have sprung up which time has, fortunately given me the opportunity to take care of before officially going.

Whatever you do, good luck and buen camino

 

[Mark Lee]

Eighteen years old? Yeah, you will be OK. Nevertheless pack wisely and choose your footwear wisely.
As far as why you are walking the Camino? You know why, and that's all that matters. Rather than try to explain everything about it, I encourage people who inquire to research it themselves. I tell them they might want to walk it too someday.
cheers and ultreia

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Do most not plan their Camino, and simply show up and go with the flow?

If you can, if you don't have some particular time restriction like meeting a friend in X, I believe that the best way to enjoy the Camino is not to plan (other than how to get to where you are starting and securing a ned there, and knowing how you are getting back home) and go at your own pace, which is different than going "with the flow". This is especially true on the Frances where there are albergues jist about every and any where.

I would still bring a guide book to learn about where you are, knowing if you should plan for extra water the next day if, for example, there are no fountains or shops for 15 km.

The planning I wish I would do is reading about the history of the Camino, of the places we walk through, even current day Spanish politics. I would also like to understand more about how the architecture of churches so I could appreciate them more.

I would also recommend spoting a few exceptional places not to be missed. For me this includes making a short detour to the Eunate chirch just before Puente La Reina and the small church right on the Camino as you leave Melide. There are people at the last one happy to give you a mini tour that explains the extraordinary symbols found in and outside. Take the 5 minutes. In fact, keep taking the 5 minutes for a peek into this or that building.

You are very lucky to experience the Camino at this age. What ypu will learn about yourself, others and the world will make the rest of your life very rich. Enjoy every second of it.

 

[nycwalking]

18 and walking camino: wow! Your reasons and your camino are your own. You have prepared your spirit by making a decision to go. Pace yourself while walking.
Buen camino

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hola and welcome @Pcav182.
Before my first pilgrimage I was given 'Making a Pilgrimage' by S Welch a very helpful little book for preparation, used on that and further pilgrimages. Available from Amazon and independent Christian bookshops.
for the time shortly before and while on pilgrimage we downloaded 'Forty Days'. A series of readings for each day in pdf format. We have used it several times now. (Edit - to add pdf file link)
There are also other books, both spiritual and practical written by members of this form. See the resources section and also check out @sillydoll (Pilgrim Tips and Packing lists) posts for these. Again my links are Amazon so that you can see what is available.
Buen Camino

 

[David]

Hello again. Sounds like you have great parents - be aware of this, feel blessed. Your profile is pretty empty, we don't even know which country you live in, and I cannot use your name as it isn't there - so, Pcav182, it is like this; your Camino is in May, don't try to over think it as it is 'then' and you are living in 'now'.

Be here now, live now - there are no spiritual preparations that you can or should do as you have no idea what experience you will have nor what it will be like for you nor what will happen so any preparation will be built on wild guesses.
If you want spiritual preparation then it has to be in the way you live your life now - now.

Your Camino may just be a long walk in a foreign country or it may have a deeper dimension to it, or both - and you cannot prepare for that, it will be to do with how you personally are in the world, how you react to what the universe manifests, whether you notice what is going on around you or are self-absorbed. So what are you like? Do you help others? Do you help your parents? Are you confident and outgoing or nervous and solitary?

This is a marvellous opportunity for you at your age - you do not come from a poor background (you wouldn't be able to go if you did at 18) and allied to that I assume that your education has been a good one too ... you will be out there alone probably for the first time, without the support and shelter that you grew up with and meeting people of all ages from many backgrounds .... how marvellous that will be, so, interact with these people, learn about different cultures, different ways of thinking and being.
Of which, if I could suggest, leave all the gadgets behind .. this is your chance to enter a different world, completely separate from your home life - so leave the gadgets behind. Tell friends and family not to phone you but only to send a text if there is an emergency at home. Tell your parents that you will not be checking in every evening, that you are going "off grid" for a while. Then switch your phone on just once a day to check for emergency texts and then switch it off again (also means you will never have to charge it!). Every few days send a safety text to your parents so that they do not worry too much. In the same way that you cannot serve God and Mammon at the same time you cannot be on Camino and be at home at the same time - for a deep Camino to materialise you have to surrender completely to the experience - so leave the gadgets behind and keep your phone switched off - don't phone home to say what an experience you are having, internalise the experiences and process them yourself, alone.

But that is then, and this is now - be the person you want to be, the best person you can be, now - and the Camino in May will become an extension of that - and, as you are a devout Catholic, if you want one command from Yeshua to set you on the right path (excuse the pun) then remember the command at the end of his story of the Good Samaritan - "Then go, Ye, and do likewise".

It is very much like this -




As for physical preparation - start sorting your pack! pack light, no, really, pack light! - don't take what you might need (there are shops in Spain) take only what you will need. A lot of the Camino is pretty rough ground so you will need to practise walking on uneven surfaces and, unless you have hills to walk up and down, find a public building where you can use the staircase and regularly walk up and down that wearing your loaded pack ..... ah, the preparation - enjoy it all - and that is the key (as it is in life) enjoy it all!

Buen Camino

p.s. - sort your footwear now!

 

[Priscilla NC]

Kudos for asking questions! You will have an amazing adventure.

You received great advice on the spiritual aspects, I will not add to that.

As for physical preparation: I don't think it's too early to pay attention to footwear and socks. Your experience will be negatively affected if you have big foot issues.

Find what works for you, what sock combinations work best with the most comfortable footwear you can find for your feet. It took me a while to dial this in, but I did have a blister-free and comfortable Camino experience.

Buen Camino!

 

[movinmaggie]

Others have wisely just about said it all, but as long as you do have this time, perhaps learn some Spanish. Duo Lingo is free on line. Your writing is just fine, but don't feel you need to document every step. You seem like a very well grounded person for 18. You will meet and befriend many along the way. I agree, you must have model parents. It's not always easy to give our young ones wings. Wish you a memorable Buen Camino.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Also any general advice for a young pilgrim is much appreciated!

In addition to my post (#10) about spiritual preparation a thought for you and your parents.
Mobile phone signals are not always good. No news is good news usually, but parents do worry (I am one). We have an arrangement that texts are sent as they will often 'go' when calls cannot be made and can be picked up when a signal is good. It helps to make an arrangement to text every few days to keep family happy, so long as they understand that it is not always possible. Ours usually just said something like 'In (place name) - all good.'

 

[jrm]

Congrats on your decision to go! I also think its great that you are thinking of ways to prepare yourself mentally and spiritually. One book I read before I went that I really enjoyed was called 'The Sacred Journey' by Charles Foster. It talked a lot about the history and practices of pilgrimage, along with why we feel pulled towards it at times. I found it very enjoyable. It's written from a Christian perspective, but speaks to many different religions and their inclusions of pilgrimage.

 

[mcopeland]

Before we left for our Camino we asked our friends if they would like us to offer our prayers for their special intentions. We wrote those all down and prayed for a different one each day (prayed a rosary every day, especially helpful when the going was rough), as well as offering up any hardships we encountered.

 

[whariwharangi]

Logistics:

-Passport
-Determine VISA requirements. Read up on Schengen Rules. See your State Department website for information
-Credencial (which you can obtain via this forum)
-Travel Arrangements
-See your doctor about vaccinations
-Get a guidebook for the camino

-Get your gear in order.
-Get your footwear and break it in.

 

[Nanc]

6 months? Congratulations- it will go fast. But why NOT start physical preparation now. I began serious training almost a year before I left.
(Went through numerous sock, rain gear, shoes and even food, trials)

For many of us, within the other spiritual / emotional reasons to do a Camino, is the readon that it involves walking. Alot.

So if you enjoying walking or hiking, why wouldn't you give yourself that gift now in anticipation of more to come?
(Lots of time on walks/ hikes to be at one with silence and your higher power in preparation of your Camino)

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Hello all! Last I posted on the forum, back in September, I was contemplating walking in July/August 2017, concerned about being so young (18 y/o). Since then, all those concerns have been allayed with encouragement from the forum. Furthermore, having told my parents my plan, they have been surprisingly supportive, and not as worried as I would have thought. (That's not to say that they're not somewhat apprehensive)

Now, with my Camino being roughly six months away, I can't help but feel that there is some sort of preparation that I can be doing now. I feel it is too early to start physical preparations, but perhaps there is something that should be doing to prepare, in both a logistical and spiritual/ religious sense.
On the logistical side, is there some type of planning/ registering that I should be doing now? Do most not plan their Camino, and simply show up and go with the flow?

Now on the spiritual/religious side: While there is no doubt in my mind that I am being called to the Camino- when people ask me why I am walking it, I cannot come up with a sufficient answer. I am devoutly Catholic, and can't help but feel that my walk is mostly based around my religion. Also I feel that my Camino has much to do with my individual self, and who I am. Why do you feel that you are called to the Camino?

Also any general advice for a young pilgrim is much appreciated!

(I'm not a very good writer, so I hope that I was able to be clear)

yes, go with the flow, it's that easy (if you've done your homework regarding gear and logistics). i personally wouldn't worry too much about the spiritual side, that will happen, or won't (usually does . if anything, perhaps read a bit about the art and history of the Camino, knowing a bit more about the regions you are walking through, some Camino lore, and the stuff you are looking at will definitely enhance your own Camino.

good luck and Buen Camino

 

[mfmarti2]

I am also doing the Camino for Spiritual reasons. Although I do not know what God's plans are, I feel called and I am going. Nonetheless I'd like to do some spiritual preparation to make the most of it so I asked the same question to a veteran and was recommended these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802825923/?tag=casaivar02-20 - by Kevin Codd, a priest
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1570756163/?tag=casaivar02-20 - by Joyce Rubb, a nun

Haven't started either book yet. Let me know if you come across any others!

 

[David]

I am also doing the Camino for Spiritual reasons. Although I do not know what God's plans are, I feel called and I am going. Nonetheless I'd like to do some spiritual preparation to make the most of it so I asked the same question to a veteran and was recommended these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802825923/?tag=casaivar02-20 - by Kevin Codd, a priest
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1570756163/?tag=casaivar02-20 - by Joyce Rubb, a nun

Haven't started either book yet. Let me know if you come across any others!

of The Imitation of Christ - Thomas a Kempis ... you can get small pocket sized editions. Translations pre 1950 have a certain classical tone to them - Rt Rev. Bishop Richard Challoner or derived from are good translations. - loads on Ebay!