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[DurhamParish]

Six of us!!! A couple that we know wanted to do one of the "slack-packing pre-packaged" caminoes. So it's this couple, my wife and myself, and two other ladies that will be walking from Sarria to Santiago starting on April the 7th.

I'm very excited for my wife and friends to have the experience of walking the camino and arriving in Santiago. My wife flew in and met me in Santiago when I arrived there after walking the Portuguese Camino, but the rest of them have never been there before.

I'm so excited, I can hardly wait!!!!!

 

[november_moon]

Congratulations on making your plans and Buen Camino! We knew a couple people on the Camino who booked a package with baggage transport and all of that. Overall, I think it was a good choice for them.

We are not going back until 2016, so until then, I am just hanging out on the board, living vicariously through everyone else

 

[clearskiescamino]

I love that phrase "slack-packing pre-packaged"

 

[DurhamParish]

Congratulations on making your plans and Buen Camino! We knew a couple people on the Camino who booked a package with baggage transport and all of that. Overall, I think it was a good choice for them.

I KNOW for sure that my wife and my buddy's wife and at least one of the other ladies would NOT take to albergue living AT ALL. Also, not sure if any of the ladies would be able to handle a full backpack for even a day, much less day after day. But it is really nice that there exists such a way for people like them to experience the joy of the camino, even though they won't get the full experience of pilgrim life.

 

[alexwalker]

You just do it the way it can be done for you. I am sure your friends and wife will have a fantastic experience (well, you know it, having been there...)

 

[Al the optimist]

The Camino is not about struggling to carry a pack or having to endure the downside of albergue life (though the upsides are great). It is about the inner journey in the experience gained by being touched by the people, the surroundings and your own soul. As long as you find the time while walking to travel this path then what does it matter how you physically travel. I wish your group Buen Camino.

 

[DurhamParish]

Thanks Al.

 

[karenfromcali]

So excited for you too!
When I walked my camino earlier this year I though I had a mind of no judgement. And yet, when I saw people walking from Sarria or some other shorter distance, and I had walked from St Jean, I still felt an inner air of 'superiority'. Why do we do that? (Or I should say why would I do that?)
With or without transported packs, the walk in itself is a huge undertaking no matter where you start from! The pilgrimage really is personal to each individual with no set rules or regulations. I found this out when I reached Santiago and saw tears of joy and exhaustion from pilgrims of all ages, no matter how far they had walked. With or without a carried pack. We don't know why people walk, or how heavy their burden, because sometimes it's the inner burden that we don't see which is the heaviest. It's just one foot in front of the other for all of us!
Have a wonderful time!
Buen Camino to you all

 

[DurhamParish]

So excited for you too!
When I walked my camino earlier this year I though I had a mind of no judgement. And yet, when I saw people walking from Sarria or some other shorter distance, and I had walked from St Jean, I still felt an inner air of 'superiority'. Why do we do that? (Or I should say why would I do that?)

Thanks.

Why do we do that? Because we are human beings . . . . something we're kinda stuck with. But it isn't something that we can't overcome.

For years I worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs. I remember being on elevators where I worked and when I'd see someone get on and ride just one floor (instead of using the stairs) and I'd always think "that lazy $%&* @#!&". Then one day I saw a man ride just the one floor, but I knew he had a lower leg prosthesis and was able to walk with it being barely noticeable. I quit judging others for riding only one floor because we can't always see what kind of burden that they carry.

 

[Radhika Murari]

I KNOW for sure that my wife and my buddy's wife and at least one of the other ladies would NOT take to albergue living AT ALL. Also, not sure if any of the ladies would be able to handle a full backpack for even a day, much less day after day. But it is really nice that there exists such a way for people like them to experience the joy of the camino, even though they won't get the full experience of pilgrim life.

I am crazy-scared of accommodations that are not up to scratch. I am actually waking up at 2:30 am with panic attacks when I think of the places I will have to sleep and shower in. At home, I don't even share a bathroom with my husband and son...


Any words of advice to help me (please, without judgement, I am nervous enough)?

 

[Tia Valeria]

I am crazy-scared of accommodations that are not up to scratch. I am actually waking up at 2:30 am with panic attacks when I think of the places I will have to sleep and shower in. At home, I don't even share a bathroom with my husband and son...


Any words of advice to help me (please, without judgement, I am nervous enough)?

There is nothing to say that you have to sleep in shared accomodation. You can use private albergues/hostales/pensiones etc with a room with its own bathroom. It will cost more obviously but you may feel it is worth the extra cost. It might take some research to find your own personal preference for stages that have greater accommodation choice, and it need not mean missing out on meeting other pilgrims.
Buen Camino

 

[SYates]

I am crazy-scared of accommodations that are not up to scratch. I am actually waking up at 2:30 am with panic attacks when I think of the places I will have to sleep and shower in. At home, I don't even share a bathroom with my husband and son... Any words of advice to help me (please, without judgement, I am nervous enough)?

A couple First, try to imagine equally the positive points of 'albergue / camino life'! The camaraderie, friendship, eating together, laughing together ... Second, there is nearly always a plan B possible if things become too much for you, in most places there are lovely pensions/hotels with clean single bedrooms and private bathrooms available. Third, imagine how proud you will be of yourself after having done the Camino and overcome your personal restrictions/fears.
Buen Camino! SY

 

[Radhika Murari]

A couple First, try to imagine equally the positive points of 'albergue / camino life'! The camaraderie, friendship, eating together, laughing together ... Second, there is nearly always a plan B possible if things become too much for you, in most places there are lovely pensions/hotels with clean single bedrooms and private bathrooms available. Third, imagine how proud you will be of yourself after having done the Camino and overcome your personal restrictions/fears.
Buen Camino! SY

SYates, my friends are shocked that I want to do the Camino and can't understand why I would go so faaaarrrr out of my comfort zone. I am doing it precisely because it is so far outside my comfort zone I am hoping to get over the hurdle of accommodations and let go of some of my fussiness.

(FYI, about 25 years ago, I took up scuba diving to get over my fear of sharks. It worked.)

 

[SYates]

You are on the right way (camino) then ;-) SY

 

[karenfromcali]

SYates, my friends are shocked that I want to do the Camino and can't understand why I would go so faaaarrrr out of my comfort zone. I am doing it precisely because it is so far outside my comfort zone I am hoping to get over the hurdle of accommodations and let go of some of my fussiness.

(FYI, about 25 years ago, I took up scuba diving to get over my fear of sharks. It worked.)

I understand your fears and anxiety as I struggle with the same thing, although not because of the accomodation, but meeting people. It is also why I walk the camino. To try and push myself out of my comfort zone. So you are not alone. Trust me, no one will judge you here as we all bring our own set of concerns to the table.
When I walked last year I stayed in private albergues which are usually only a few euros more. If you have the Brierly guide you can plan ahead as to which types albergues are coming up at your next stop. If there are none that you want to stay at, and you feel uncomfortable, you can always stay in a pension/hostal. I stayed in some lovely albergues, and although small, they were very clean. I didn't see a single bed bug and trust me I looked. Those albergues that have a poor reputation are generally passed quickly through the ranks by word of mouth.
As far as being with your husband and son. You may not be in the same bed, but you will very likely be close together in the same room. They wont be far from you, and very likely right next to you. The shared bathrooms, well, just part of the experience, but I did find them to be clean.
Even though I was anxious, I truly would not have traded the experience of the camino for the world, and hope you will find the same thing to be true.
Please don't hesitate with other questions or concerns as we are all here for that very reason.
Buen Camino.

 

[DurhamParish]

As SY and kfc have both said, the camaraderie with the fellow pilgrims in the albergue will be a wonderful experience. I found that is most albergues, the showers and the toilets were in individual stalls so you do have some modicum of privacy; but on the other hand they were usually in close proximity to other stalls.

One thing I did for the sake of modesty, as well as convenience, was to sleep in the clothes that I would be wearing the next day.

 

[DurhamParish]

Have made the final payments and purchased the airline tickets. Come on April 5!!!!!