Yes, for my wife and me it was life changing. It became a part of our identity. It redefined our relationship and how we approach relationships with others. Rather than continue I will share my 2013 reflection written the day we left Spain to return home:
May 31st. Tir Na Nog (Gaelic for "The Land of Youth")
""Second to the Right, and Straight on till Morning." That, Peter had told Wendy, was the way to Neverland." (From "Peter Pan", by J. M. Barrie)
Scarcely could there be better directions to The Camino. I have learned that it is not so much a place, although it is a place, as it is a Way. It is not learned in a book or in a video, it is an experience that unfolds within. The things which were important at the start; selection of equipment, route planning, communications, became laughingly insignificant. Destination yielded to Journey. Appreciation for the qualities of those dear to you came into sharper focus. One's "guard" began to drop, and thus the door to friendship opened wider. Expectations gave way to Acceptance.
For others, The Camino may have remained a vacation, or an adventure, or an item checked off of a bucket list, but for me the Camino was a blossoming rebirth of the happiness, innocence, and affections found in childhood. My Camino also came complete with pain, discomfort, and anxieties, but without these things there could have been no growth or appreciation of the Camino's "gifts". These gifts included the cacophony of sights, sounds, smells, textures... a veritable feast for the senses. These gifts included intense spiritual experiences, and of course friendships which were the Expresso of a morning cup of coffee; deep, intense, rich, but fleeting.
At the grave risk of inadvertent omission, I acknowledge those friendships at the end of this note... the people who gave my Camino special dimension. We shared the path, a glass of wine (Vino Tinto!), a Perigrino menu, an Alberge (and the attendant lack of privacy that comes with it), and of course the hearty declaration, "Buen Camino!"
These were friendships that carried the uncertainty of not knowing if a parting would be followed by a separation of a day, a week, or a lifetime. Each reunion on the Camino was often unexpected, and carried with it the mutual and unadorned joy that is more typical of a grandchild's excitement at seeing a long absent, beloved, grandparent. For an adult, this unreserved affection is a rare gift.
Is it any wonder that my hesitation may be misunderstood when I am asked, "So how was the Camino?". What can I possibly say that does justice to the question, and the experience?
I carried my backpack over 800 km on the Camino. Difficult at first, but it soon became second nature. I have wondered what I might carry with me from the Camino into everyday life. During an evening religious service in Rabanal, a monk urged us to be mindful that Christ walked the Camino. He added that Jesus was disguised as a Pilgrim, and that He was always careful not to announce His identity. The message worked on me as I found myself thinking, "What if she..., or he...?", as I passed Pilgrims here and there on The Way. I became a bit more sincere when I said "Buen Camino", perhaps a little kinder, a tad less inclined to judge, more patient. Perhaps that is the best thing for me to carry forth from the Camino, that the spirit of Christ is within each of us, and that I should act accordingly. There is more that deserves to be preserved in my life from the Camino. Childlike wonder that we are all born with, and which was stirred anew early on The Way, should not be allowed to dim. Each day should be a search for a new joy, and when found it should be shared with someone. There is within each of us the capacity to do our best, and in that to then do great good. Happiness has its source in these things, and when found gives one's soul wings...
From Peter Pan: (Wendy's daughter, Jane, to Wendy) "What do you see now?"
(Wendy) "I don't think that I see anything tonight."
"Yes you do, you see when you were a little girl."
"That is a long time ago, sweetheart.. Ah me, how time flies!"
"Does it fly, the way you flew when you were a little girl?"
"... Do you know, Jane, I sometimes wonder whether I ever really did fly."
"... Why can't you fly now, mother?"
"Because I am grown up, dearest. When people grow up they forget the way."
May I never forget... "The Way".
Love to you all. Have Fun, Do Good, and Be Safe! Buen Camino!!
Peter Schloss.
Dedication: To You, who I name, and those who I forget to name, the Camino wove you into the fabric of my life. Please do not underestimate your contribution... or my gratitude: Kris, Maggie, Bernard, Roberto, John, Jackobien, Henk, Christine, Gabby, Sabrina, Paul, Martin, Heika, Ed, Sam, Brent, Tony, Geraldine, Jenni, Jack, David, Carole, Jerri, Ramona, Kalina, Regina, Alan, Deb, Dick, Bonnie, John, Patricia, Philip, Alex, Vickie, Kate, Deb, Patrick, Karin, Sven, Claudia, Nathalie, Jay, Mark, Chance, Olivia, Stephanie, Marcia, Tess, Lisa, Rose, Mike, Angie, Marianne, Gurtz, Javier, Jessica, Marign, Una, Eric, Andre, Raphael, Begonia, Neus, a Monk, a barber, a Pilgrim from the 11th Century...
and of course, to my very good wife, Christine.
Some of you will read this, but for others this dedication will be a message in a bottle. If in reading this you can pass it on to another who might not otherwise receive it, then the bottle will reach its shore.
Pete
2017 Post Script: We depart this coming March to walk the Portuguese.