What are the subtle changes you experience after the camino?

[MKalcolm M]

Walking the Norte allowed me the space and time to face some big issues and make some life changing decisions, but after the camino I’ve also noticed some smaller influences as well.

I walked with a bamboo staff which I picked up in the alberge at Irun. After a time, it wore down and got shorter, so I selected another one from some fallen bamboo, and this accompanied me all the way to Santiago. Now, when I see a bamboo grove, rather than admire the aesthetics of the plant, I always start eyeing up which stem would make the best walking staff...

When I see distances on a sign, I can't stop converting miles to kilometers and working out how many days it would take to walk there.

Recently my 12 year old daughter and I walked the Portuguese camino. After we got back, she stepped on a wooden plank with a protruding nail in it, which went through the sole of her boot and into the ball of her foot. As we drove home from getting it checked at hospital, she told me that her first thought after the shock and pain of it was “But now my boot won’t be waterproof any more”, a concern which would never have occurred to her before the camino.

So what are the little ways in which the camino lives on for you?

 

[mspath]

Perhaps most important
have been the psychological changes during each camino. I have learned my limits as well as the importance of personal tenacity and endurance both on the trail and off. Compared with ten climbs up O Cebreiro daily trivialities in ordinary life now have little importance!

Nevertheless, what matters is to keep moving! As Churchill said after Dunkirk "we will go on to the end".

 

[SabsP]

Wonderful examples.

Some of mine :
Having to " quit " something in daily life , whatever the reason may be : it is ok. It is not a failure but selfknowledge.
When doing my daily walks : smile to everyone and say hi like on the Camino. Some locals might think you are mad but that doesn't matter.
Going for a fancy dinner : thinking how many days you could live from this money on a Camino.
After every Camino : the realisation that I have too much clutter in my house. So less is indeed more.

 

[alexwalker]

Your mind.

 

[bhavagrahidasa]

I often find myself making comparisons between what I am doing and how it would be on the Camino, similar to what @SabineP mentions above about the cost of a meal being able to support you several days on the Way. I have also noticed I no longer pack so much when going away and take just essentials when before I would always have checked luggage even just for a weekend away! My life, in general, has become uncluttered and I am contented so easily with the small but sweet things in life. I walk everywhere happily and drink wine from tumblers. And saying Hola instead of hello and Gracias-especially when out for a meal....so weird.

Perhaps the real difference for me is the self-confidence I developed and how I am now able to manage my anxiety better by lessons I learnt on the Camino. If you will indulge me, the following is from my journal entry when I walked from Santo Domingo to Belorado. It is self-explanatory as to why it has helped me but it still makes me thankful that the Camino can gift us with life changing experiences and realisations. My life is so much easier since I learnt that I can actually make that journey in life and day after day get to where I am meant to be.

It is said that the Camino Santiago is a metaphor for life, that the events and realisations you have while walking The Way are a reflection of yourself and the life you lead.
It was extremely overcast as I left Santo Domingo and this, I would discover, made for pleasant walking without the ever present sun draining your energy. About 30 minutes into walking I noticed an intense silver lining illuminating some dark clouds that hugged the hills in the distant. The adage of every cloud has a silver lining sprang to mind and I began to wonder, what metaphors did the Camino hold for me.
Of course, the blatantly obvious ups and downs of life were comparable to the hills, mountains and valleys I crossed but within this lay a more subtle message for me.
I had developed a fear of the hills since my dismal failure on day one to complete the crossing of the Pyrenees and had begun to view each hill with dread and suspicion. But as I walked along I noticed that I was no longer having so much trouble to walk the undulating countryside. In fact, the hills I often saw in the distance and which cause me to panic were now tackled with ease as I realised that my walking had often been on a gentle rise so imperceptible that I hadn't noticed my reaching the top. What appeared in the distance to be a struggle was in fact quite manageable......maybe a huff or a puff, but nothing that I was unable to achieve.
I realised that this was also the way I saw my problems in life. I often concentrated so intensely on the future and its possible problems that I had literally made myself ill. Endless sleepless nights and stress filled days had made anxiety my master and I crumbled in insecurities achieving nothing. I failed then to see that when or if those difficulties actually arose I usually managed them quite well. My lesson from these hills.......live in the moment. Don't be fooled by what you think you see in your future. Don't automatically assume that situations will be insurmountable but remind yourself that just like the hills you now covered easily, so too could you manage any problems that come your way. Equally, don't cling to the past for that pàth has been tread. Look where you're standing or walking NOW, enjoy the view and know that what lays before you is a landscape you can indeed manage and often manage very well.

 

[trecile]

I walked to Starbucks this morning and there were no fellow pilgrims to chat with over coffee.

 

[Kanga]

I don't sweat the small stuff. More tolerant. Need less. Happier. Plan less, live more. My clothes fit better.

 

[markmcilroy]

...quite amazed on how little in the way of material things one needs to live. And now when I travel around my country for a few days I hardly take much at all.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I can let things go easier, like slights from rude folks. I just don't let things stay with me.

I've also noticed that I slow down in nature more, and smile at the greenness of leaves in the sunlight. I've become more accepting of who "I" am, and am less inclined to worry about what others think.

And, of course, I hike a lot more and have prioritized fitness. My clothes--like Kanga's--fit better!

 

[CaminoDebrita]

and....I also peruse the Spanish and Portuguese wine section at the grocery store to cheer myself up!

 

[trecile]

and....I also peruse the Spanish and Portuguese wine section at the grocery store to cheer myself up!

Yeah, but a bottle of Rioja wine costs about $12 here!

 

[VNwalking]

Maps of Europe do not look the same as they used to. Well, on one level they do, of course, but each one has a hidden scale from SJPP to Santiago that I use to compare distance, with lingering astonishment: I could walk that far if I wanted to. And it would not really be that big of a deal, just a tortoise-like plodding one step at a time for a month or so...

 

[markmcilroy]

and....I also peruse the Spanish and Portuguese wine section at the grocery store to cheer myself up!

yes that is so true.....but its 10 times the cost by the time it hits our supermarket shelves in NZ.

 

[Levi]

Waking up some mornings and knowing I have to walk (somewhere) that day...
Knowing I can change my landscape simply by steadily putting one foot in front of the other...

 

[Robo]

Subtle Changes ? I wish

The Camino should carry a warning!

After undertaking this journey, Pilgrims may suffer from any or all of these effects:

1. Not really caring about material 'stuff' any more.
2. Being much more 'chilled' about life in general (dangerous for sales people with sales 'targets')
3. Upsetting family by showing no interest in using holiday time....for 'holidays'
4. Not able to walk past a gear store without checking out the latest boots, shirts...
5. Spending way too much time on this Forum.
6. Trying to work out, based on age and health, how many more Caminos might be possible
7. Thinking it's OK to go to work in hiking gear, as it's more comfortable.
8. Shunning any offered alcoholic drink unless it's Rioja.
9. Basically........not being the same person at all.......
10. And being perfectly happy with all of the above

 

[VNwalking]

• Thinking it's OK to go to work in hiking gear, as it's more comfortable.

It's not?

(Robo, you hit the nail squarely on the head....)

 

[Robo]

It's not?

(Robo, you hit the nail squarely on the head....)

I do still go to work in my Camino Gear

Starting to worry I'll wear out my gear....

'Normal' clothes are just so.........impractical!

 

[PanamaFrancis]

I often find myself making comparisons between what I am doing and how it would be on the Camino, similar to what @SabineP mentions above about the cost of a meal being able to support you several days on the Way. I have also noticed I no longer pack so much when going away and take just essentials when before I would always have checked luggage even just for a weekend away! My life, in general, has become uncluttered and I am contented so easily with the small but sweet things in life. I walk everywhere happily and drink wine from tumblers. And saying Hola instead of hello and Gracias-especially when out for a meal....so weird.

Perhaps the real difference for me is the self-confidence I developed and how I am now able to manage my anxiety better by lessons I learnt on the Camino. If you will indulge me, the following is from my journal entry when I walked from Santo Domingo to Belorado. It is self-explanatory as to why it has helped me but it still makes me thankful that the Camino can gift us with life changing experiences and realisations. My life is so much easier since I learnt that I can actually make that journey in life and day after day get to where I am meant to be.

It is said that the Camino Santiago is a metaphor for life, that the events and realisations you have while walking The Way are a reflection of yourself and the life you lead.
It was extremely overcast as I left Santo Domingo and this, I would discover, made for pleasant walking without the ever present sun draining your energy. About 30 minutes into walking I noticed an intense silver lining illuminating some dark clouds that hugged the hills in the distant. The adage of every cloud has a silver lining sprang to mind and I began to wonder, what metaphors did the Camino hold for me.
Of course, the blatantly obvious ups and downs of life were comparable to the hills, mountains and valleys I crossed but within this lay a more subtle message for me.
I had developed a fear of the hills since my dismal failure on day one to complete the crossing of the Pyrenees and had begun to view each hill with dread and suspicion. But as I walked along I noticed that I was no longer having so much trouble to walk the undulating countryside. In fact, the hills I often saw in the distance and which cause me to panic were now tackled with ease as I realised that my walking had often been on a gentle rise so imperceptible that I hadn't noticed my reaching the top. What appeared in the distance to be a struggle was in fact quite manageable......maybe a huff or a puff, but nothing that I was unable to achieve.
I realised that this was also the way I saw my problems in life. I often concentrated so intensely on the future and its possible problems that I had literally made myself ill. Endless sleepless nights and stress filled days had made anxiety my master and I crumbled in insecurities achieving nothing. I failed then to see that when or if those difficulties actually arose I usually managed them quite well. My lesson from these hills.......live in the moment. Don't be fooled by what you think you see in your future. Don't automatically assume that situations will be insurmountable but remind yourself that just like the hills you now covered easily, so too could you manage any problems that come your way. Equally, don't cling to the past for that pàth has been tread. Look where you're standing or walking NOW, enjoy the view and know that what lays before you is a landscape you can indeed manage and often manage very well.

A beautiful reflection. Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[Gerhard58]

Without noticing it I have quit smoking! No problem. Have not touched a smoke in 4 months since my return from CF and don't miss it at all!!

 

[JulieandPeter]

I often find myself making comparisons between what I am doing and how it would be on the Camino, similar to what @SabineP mentions above about the cost of a meal being able to support you several days on the Way. I have also noticed I no longer pack so much when going away and take just essentials when before I would always have checked luggage even just for a weekend away! My life, in general, has become uncluttered and I am contented so easily with the small but sweet things in life. I walk everywhere happily and drink wine from tumblers. And saying Hola instead of hello and Gracias-especially when out for a meal....so weird.

Perhaps the real difference for me is the self-confidence I developed and how I am now able to manage my anxiety better by lessons I learnt on the Camino. If you will indulge me, the following is from my journal entry when I walked from Santo Domingo to Belorado. It is self-explanatory as to why it has helped me but it still makes me thankful that the Camino can gift us with life changing experiences and realisations. My life is so much easier since I learnt that I can actually make that journey in life and day after day get to where I am meant to be.

It is said that the Camino Santiago is a metaphor for life, that the events and realisations you have while walking The Way are a reflection of yourself and the life you lead.
It was extremely overcast as I left Santo Domingo and this, I would discover, made for pleasant walking without the ever present sun draining your energy. About 30 minutes into walking I noticed an intense silver lining illuminating some dark clouds that hugged the hills in the distant. The adage of every cloud has a silver lining sprang to mind and I began to wonder, what metaphors did the Camino hold for me.
Of course, the blatantly obvious ups and downs of life were comparable to the hills, mountains and valleys I crossed but within this lay a more subtle message for me.
I had developed a fear of the hills since my dismal failure on day one to complete the crossing of the Pyrenees and had begun to view each hill with dread and suspicion. But as I walked along I noticed that I was no longer having so much trouble to walk the undulating countryside. In fact, the hills I often saw in the distance and which cause me to panic were now tackled with ease as I realised that my walking had often been on a gentle rise so imperceptible that I hadn't noticed my reaching the top. What appeared in the distance to be a struggle was in fact quite manageable......maybe a huff or a puff, but nothing that I was unable to achieve.
I realised that this was also the way I saw my problems in life. I often concentrated so intensely on the future and its possible problems that I had literally made myself ill. Endless sleepless nights and stress filled days had made anxiety my master and I crumbled in insecurities achieving nothing. I failed then to see that when or if those difficulties actually arose I usually managed them quite well. My lesson from these hills.......live in the moment. Don't be fooled by what you think you see in your future. Don't automatically assume that situations will be insurmountable but remind yourself that just like the hills you now covered easily, so too could you manage any problems that come your way. Equally, don't cling to the past for that pàth has been tread. Look where you're standing or walking NOW, enjoy the view and know that what lays before you is a landscape you can indeed manage and often manage very well.

I am going to print this. Thank you for sharing.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

Yeah, but a bottle of Rioja wine costs about $12 here!

That's probably why I basically swim in it once in Spain

 

[Paladina]

Subtle Changes ? I wish

The Camino should carry a warning!

After undertaking this journey, Pilgrims may suffer from any or all of these effects:

1. Not really caring about material 'stuff' any more.
2. Being much more 'chilled' about life in general (dangerous for sales people with sales 'targets')
3. Upsetting family by showing no interest in using holiday time....for 'holidays'
4. Not able to walk past a gear store without checking out the latest boots, shirts...
5. Spending way too much time on this Forum.
6. Trying to work out, based on age and health, how many more Caminos might be possible
7. Thinking it's OK to go to work in hiking gear, as it's more comfortable.
8. Shunning any offered alcoholic drink unless it's Rioja.
9. Basically........not being the same person at all.......
10. And being perfectly happy with all of the above

Maybe the Camino should carry a warning against postpilgrimage self-delusion: the latest boots, shirts etc. are still material stuff, albeit the kind of stuff we attempt to justify. And, yes, I'm also guilty as charged.

 

[VNwalking]

Without noticing it I have quit smoking! No problem. Have not touched a smoke in 4 months since my return from CF and don't miss it at all!!

Gerhard, not to be contrary, but this is NOT subtle.
Wonderful.

 

[amorfati1]

Walking the Norte allowed me the space and time to face some big issues and make some life changing decisions, but after the camino I’ve also noticed some smaller influences as well.

I walked with a bamboo staff which I picked up in the alberge at Irun. After a time, it wore down and got shorter, so I selected another one from some fallen bamboo, and this accompanied me all the way to Santiago. Now, when I see a bamboo grove, rather than admire the aesthetics of the plant, I always start eyeing up which stem would make the best walking staff...

When I see distances on a sign, I can't stop converting miles to kilometers and working out how many days it would take to walk there.

Recently my 12 year old daughter and I walked the Portuguese camino. After we got back, she stepped on a wooden plank with a protruding nail in it, which went through the sole of her boot and into the ball of her foot. As we drove home from getting it checked at hospital, she told me that her first thought after the shock and pain of it was “But now my boot won’t be waterproof any more”, a concern which would never have occurred to her before the camino.

So what are the little ways in which the camino lives on for you?

Good contemplation question - Thank you!
There are Subtle and Profound changes - all the same.

In late summer of 2013 I had a dream - and upon contemplating and talking it over with a dear friend I realised that what I had always believed that ailed my family, wasn't really the core issue after all (in my view) - The dream showed me that it was actually the loss of faith in life, in creation/creator that had ailed through the generations (war refugees; i.e. all property/status lost).
I then knew that I too had "lost" a core and fundamental sense of trust in life, or maybe never really had one… as it was being 'inherited' from my parents.
Well, i didn't lose the faith/trust at the supermarket or left it behind at the bus-stop by chance. But there it was nonetheless: the lack of basic trust in life.

I then knew that I had to undertake this pilgrimage - for reasons then not known to me.
I had NO idea what it would be, what it might be, or how to do that walking bit … as i am rather a proper garden-lounge potato and certainly not active-lifestyle inclined.
i like my afternoon tea and fine pastries in the garden under the cedar trees, and not huffing and puffing up hills.
But i also did not question ‘why’ i went onto the camino. it called, “pulled” from within.
i was summoned, if you may, and so off i went.

And all was, to me, a huge Blessing and a gift. One that keeps giving.
While walking i was very mindful of all the ancestors who went through whatever they and other millions of torn people went through… kept sending prayers back through the ages (as i happen to believe that prayers don’t just work ‘forwards’ but ‘backwards’ through time as well)
May their souls rest at peace and be not tormented.

And after i returned from the camino - lovely shifts emerged - for which i am grateful.
(i still won’t like smelly, noisy or snoring folks though.)

i realised that i now move entirely differently through life.
and might have mentioned this elsewhere in another post years ago, don’t remember. sorry if i bore anyone to sobs.
during the camino, i saw/experienced that when life presented a problem (i.e. getting reallyyyyyyy very sick and weak, being very alone, no wifi ..and having a pitiless accommodation host) … life also will present a solution. Ask within. Ask without. And be willing to see and to listen ...

Now, at any new undertaking, i don’t need to have it all figured out 100%. I just need to know the next step.
on the camino - when i got up in the morning and set off … i never knew where lunch would come from, or where i would sleep that night.
yes, i had a wee bit of food in the back-pack, but did not know where i would find a bar/restaurant/shop with new supplies.
yes, i was not a mendicant/beggar … asking for alms to buy the food etc … but still
…the unknowns outweighs the knowns by very mucho!

yet - it all unfolded. it’s not just that the camino provided. life provided. life is a camino.

 

[domigee]

[QUOTE="MKalcolm M, post: 549784, mem

So what are the little ways in which the camino lives on for you?[/QUOTE]

None, I am just as stupid as ever .That is why I need to keep on walking

 

[VNwalking]

None, I am just as stupid as ever .That is why I need to keep on walking

Sorry, I don't buy it @domigee. I bet you're not.

 

[scott the farmer]

I cry more easily and I don't stress over issues anymore

 

[Gerhard58]

Gerhard, not to be contrary, but this is NOT subtle.
Wonderful.

Thanks

 

[alexwalker]

Sorry, I don't buy it @domigee. I bet you're not.

Eehhh... She is just like me. Do not insult us...

Look at my Camino history to the left: Haven't learnt anything: Going to Pamplona via a Camino friend in Madrid on Monday (4 days left!) for another fix. No return ticket: I finish when I finish. Hopefully learning this time. Or maybe not: Am contemplating next spring already, to be on the safe side...

But yes, my many Caminos have tought me many things. But never too late to get another shot...

 

[mvanert]

Wonderful examples.

Some of mine :
Having to " quit " something in daily life , whatever the reason may be : it is ok. It is not a failure but selfknowledge.
When doing my daily walks : smile to everyone and say hi like on the Camino. Some locals might think you are mad but that doesn't matter.
Going for a fancy dinner : thinking how many days you could live from this money on a Camino.
After every Camino : the realisation that I have too much clutter in my house. So less is indeed more.

I really agree with you about smiling and saying 'hi' when doing my daily walks! I'm convinced saying 'hi' or 'good morning' makes me and the person I'm talking to feel better at that moment. I encourage everyone to do it.

 

[bhavagrahidasa]

A beautiful reflection. Thanks so much for sharing!

I am glad you enjoyed it. As usual, I probably over shared but I am glad I did, thank you for your kind comment.

 

[bhavagrahidasa]

I am going to print this. Thank you for sharing.

Oh, you have made my day! Thank you and i am glad you enjoyed it. I have it stuck to my fridge to remind myself! All the best, Bryce

 

[JulieandPeter]

Oh, you have made my day! Thank you and i am glad you enjoyed it. I have it stuck to my fridge to remind myself! All the best, Bryce

I hope you don't mind, but I posted it on my Facebook page and said I wished I had written it. I'd love to give you writing credit - is Havagrahidasa your last name? I read it out loud to my husband at dinner last night, and today when I went into worry mode (while having a lovely bike ride), I thought of your words and returned to the present moment of being in the park on a beautiful day. So thank you!!! I should have asked your permission to share on FB (hopefully I didn't break a forum rule), however, your reflections on how the Camino changed your perspective have already helped some of my friends who have never walked a Camino or been to Spain. If you want me to remove it, please let me know.

 

[bhavagrahidasa]

I hope you don't mind, but I posted it on my Facebook page and said I wished I had written it. I'd love to give you writing credit - is Havagrahidasa your last name? I read it out loud to my husband at dinner last night, and today when I went into worry mode (while having a lovely bike ride), I thought of your words and returned to the present moment of being in the park on a beautiful day. So thank you!!! I should have asked your permission to share on FB (hopefully I didn't break a forum rule), however, your reflections on how the Camino changed your perspective have already helped some of my friends who have never walked a Camino or been to Spain. If you want me to remove it, please let me know.

Unfortunately, my name is nowhere near being that exotic, I am simply Bryce Little. And I am really touched and definitely pleased that you felt it appropriate to share. I have quite debilitating mental illness which includes anxiety and when i decided to walk the Camino, after the death of my father, my friends thought I was mad! Of course, i had some not so great moments but I remember so clearly having this little realisation and it really did have an effect on me. If i was able to conquer the Camino's physical challenges then i knew i could also face other challenges too. It certainly changed my life in a positive and gentle way. I am really happy you have got something from it too. It has really tickled me. All the best, Bryce

 

[nycwalking]

My subtle change: After first camino, I never thought I'd want to walk again, let alone become a camino addict. Neither did I think many decisions from first camino on would have a tag question: How will this decision affect my next camino?

 

[Tay]

The big way the Camino has changed me, and I joke with my friends that it's messed me up - in a good way, is that I no longer want to worry or stress, especially about work and my career. It's demotivated me, but I see this as a positive, although I think society would not approve. I have a better life perspective. In the smaller ways, my housemates dirty dishes no longer bother me and I appreciate showers more now, good socks and high quality band aids a lot more

 

[VNwalking]

Haven't learnt anything

Ha! I don't buy that either. Bet you have.
A very buen camino to you Alex!

 

[Lisa HS]

This is a long, and lovely, thread. I've really enjoyed reading it. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share.

The Camino left me with so many things, since I walked SJPdP to Santiago in Spring 2016. I've always kind of had a hard time putting it into words...

Then, last month, I lost my dear, sweet heart-dog. Ditto was only 10, and a quick cancer took her from us all too soon. Other than my time on the Camino, we were together almost always...soul-mates. Although I've experienced loss in my life, I've never felt pain like this. I could hardly get out of bed. Something has kept me going, though. I know...I mean KNOW...that if I can just get up each day, walk through the day, go to bed that night and then do it again the next day...and the next....and the next...that eventually I will get to that place where I can find peace of heart. This is my Camino now.....Santiago is out there somewhere, and although I get lost from time to time, mostly I'm heading towards that promise. If I could walk 500 miles, I can do this.

I've had many people ask me this past year how it's possible to walk so far. I say, "well, if you just get up every morning and walk a bit, then just keep doing it, EVENTUALLY you will discover that you've walked 500 miles". As I continue THIS Camino, each day, peace of heart is slowly finding me.