walking the camino "is it a virus"

[tali1810]

I started my Camino in 2012.
Do to an injury i couln't finish till october 2013.
When i arrived i told myself "glad to be finished but i am never going to do this again!!"
Now i read a blog from a friend who because of my blog (irony) decided to walk the Camino.
Jealousy is my companion now when i read his storys i remember mine.
The pain, tiredness, bunkbeds, smells, snoring,etc
So why jealousy?
I also remember the people i met, the laughter, drinking too much red wine (wine is the best medicine)
but most of all the "not thinking"
On the Camino you don't have to think about work, bills, family', social plans etc.
You only have to get up and walk till you feel tired, find a bed, eat, sleep and the next moring everything but the scenery is the "same".
I miss it.
I've been infected by the Camino.
I want to go again.
Yes there is pain,smells,snoring,bunkbeds,bedbugs etc but there is so much fun, so many people to meet,so many memories to make.
So for everybody who reads this and is questioning "should i go"... YES YOU SHOULD!!
Do not have to many expectations and just let the Camino happen to you.
I hope i will have a great experience next time!!

 

[Say Simba]

Until I read your post, and saw what you said about not thinking, the worrying about the drudgery that modern life is seemingly becoming, I did not realize it. Yet, you hit the nail on the head. For me, I just got tired of the professional work and its obligations. We, at least many in the States, have lost all sense of what is truly important in life. After the Camino, I just kept on going and never returned to that life. Now, that I have gone back to work, only overseas, it is on my terms, and I had to be begged to at least have a cell phone again. They know not to call me. I am planning my next Camino already, but first, there is that long walk down the Great Wall before I leave.

 

[soydechiapas]

Wow! You hit the nail on the head. It is a virus and I am so glad that it infected me. I miss thinking about nothing. All of us needs to periodically get away to do the Camino as a reset, as it were. My mind was reset and allowed to clear out the bugs. I am so grateful that I found out about the Camino and that I followed my instincts to do it.


Trent Shupperd
Sent from my iPad using Camino de Santiago Forum mobile app

 

[wayfarer]

Walking definately clears the mind, long before I ever walked the Camino I would walk any time I needed to sort something out in my head or when anything was worrying me, mix that with the wonderful people you meet along the Way and the spirituality you feel and you have a cocktail that keeps bringing you back again and again. A beautiful addiction.

 

[mralisn]

The best addiction I have ever had.

The only addiction I hope to never have cured.

 

[fraluchi]

[...]I am planning my next Camino already, but first, there is that long walk down the Great Wall before I leave.

It's probably not a bug but rather the fact that one takes the time to walk and becomes a human being again. No pressure of electronic gadgets, nor trying to beat the traffic jams or getting worried to arrive late at an appointment. Just to mention a few returns to "down to earth". The Camino(s) towards Santiago de Compostela offer many opportunities to cleanse body and soul in a fairly "organized" way. That's what makes them exceptional.
We in Costa Rica walk every day, very often through areas which are similar to the "Camino". We can do this during 365 days in the year because of our climate. But we do not have the "facilities" nor the purpose of pilgrimage which "the Camino" represents. As part of a group, which is tracing a walkable path from coast (Atlantic) to coast (Pacific) in Costa Rica for walk enthusiasts, we intend to promote small local businesses.
In the mean time, similar to Say Simba, we plan our next "Camino", which is a unique way of combining spiritual with physical purposes.
Ultreya!

 

[wes]

I started my Camino in 2012.
Do to an injury i couln't finish till october 2013.
When i arrived i told myself "glad to be finished but i am never going to do this again!!"
Now i read a blog from a friend who because of my blog (irony) decided to walk the Camino.
Jealousy is my companion now when i read his storys i remember mine.
The pain, tiredness, bunkbeds, smells, snoring,etc
So why jealousy?
I also remember the people i met, the laughter, drinking too much red wine (wine is the best medicine)
but most of all the "not thinking"
On the Camino you don't have to think about work, bills, family', social plans etc.
You only have to get up and walk till you feel tired, find a bed, eat, sleep and the next moring everything but the scenery is the "same".
I miss it.
I've been infected by the Camino.
I want to go again.
Yes there is pain,smells,snoring,bunkbeds,bedbugs etc but there is so much fun, so many people to meet,so many memories to make.
So for everybody who reads this and is questioning "should i go"... YES YOU SHOULD!!
Do not have to many expectations and just let the Camino happen to you.
I hope i will have a great experience next time!!

A virus, an addiction, a calling - whatever you might call it, walking "The Way" reveals what's important and what isn't.

 

[WanderingNotLost]

Fraluci, if your group can identify and document a walking route across Costa Rica where hikers can find and support local infrastructure in the form of daily / nightly food and shelter I believe many here would be interested in learning more. I'd personally jump at the chance to explore on foot your country's diverse ecosystem. My only concerns because of my lack of knowledge, relate to local safety and getting lost in the jungle. I'm sure these can be addressed with some education.

 

[PilgrimMidwife]

I would walk in Costa Rica in a second! How exciting, and good luck with your venture!

 

[fraluchi]

Fraluci, if your group can identify and document a walking route across Costa Rica where hikers can find and support local infrastructure in the form of daily / nightly food and shelter I believe many here would be interested in learning more. I'd personally jump at the chance to explore on foot your country's diverse ecosystem.

We're addressing these issues with several work groups in sections of the potential trails.