What was the biggest surprise of your Camino?

tomnorth said:

One of my favorite questions to ask someone who has experienced something new is to ask what the biggest surprise was. The answers usually lead to an interesting discussion. The biggest surprise of my first Camino was how addicting the walking became. I absolutely loved it. I feared I would get bored with the walking, but the opposite was the case. I fell in love with it.

So how about you? What was the biggest surprise of your Camino?

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My biggest surprise was without doubt how time slows down. Every day was so intense that I truly lost any sense of normal time frames. After a week, when arriving in Logroño, I could have been away from home a month or more. I can’t quite put my finger on why that is but it’s wonderful nonetheless as I makes the Camino even more prominent in one’s memories.

The biggest surprise for me is how Camino reflects true Christian life. You got the elements of suffering, joy and sharing. This is where everyone is a good samaritan. This is where one shares one’s faith by his actions rather than words. In my camino, I realized that you put your entire Camino day in the hands of God as you have no idea of the road ahead of you, what is the effect of the terrain gonna be on your feet, where’s the next open bar or restaurant is, is it gonna rain or not, what or where are you gonna sleep for the night. For me, you entrust everything on divine providence. Wherever it is, I always find God and i find the face of Jesus in the faces of the other tired and weary pilgrims. The kindness and the different stories shared by every pilgrim I met inspires me to continue walking on the footsteps of saints and sinners pilgrims before me. Life is a pilgrimage. Camino is a pilgrimage. Camino is life. Like someone else said, at the end of our journey (Santiago), there is a ticket home. Yet, for me, I get home only to plan for the next Camino. All of this were the biggest surprise for me. Buen Camino peregrinos!