6 Reasons to Walk a Camino
and 3 reasons when you shouldn’t
“I didn’t know where I was going until I got there.”
— Cheryl Strayed
Recently, I set off to walk a nine-day camino in Sicily. I managed two days before realising I had to stop as the heat was overwhelming and much of the path was without shade.
I came this close to continuing because my ego didn’t want me to quit. But I had to admit that (a) I’m not an experienced hiker by any means, and (b) I’d be fretting the whole time of dehydration and/or sunstroke instead of leaning into the experience, the marvel, of it so I took the decision to stop for now, and pick it up again when the weather cools.
One of three most established and popular caminos in the world is partly in Italy, going from Canterbury to Rome, and it’s called Via Francigena. Sicily (picture the football that the “boot” of Italy is kicking – that’s Sicily; it’s a part of Italy the country, though it’s an island) got in on the act too and unearthed their own 1,000-year-old pilgrimage trail that runs from Palermo on the Tyrrhenian Sea, down to Agrigento on the Mediterranean. It’s called the Magna Via Francigena.
I have walked the French route of the Camino de Santiago in Spain twice. Walking the Sicilian camino was nothing like the Camino Francés. And yet, I can’t explain how mind-expanding, how soul-shifting, how trippy it all was. Even for two days.
I want to walk a camino every year. Here’s why:
1. A camino is different from a hike
A camino was originally solely done for religious reasons – redemption, salvation or prayer. While religion no longer is the primary motivation for many pilgrims, there is an element of spirituality involved. That is, a meaningful connection to something “bigger” than us. If I was wobbly on this topic before, it took a few caminos for me to viscerally understand that opening myself up to the experience of it shifted me in ways I have no logical explanation for.
2. A camino is great for transitions
It’s very common to meet people on the camino who are starting college, retiring from work, changing careers, recently widowed or divorced, or have lost a loved one. Matters of the heart, mind and soul are somehow processed and digested (or close enough) by the end of a camino. People I met on the camino years earlier tell me that the camino was critical to their finally moving onto the next stage of their life with a lighter step.
3. Be careful of what you wish for
When I have a dilemma, I ask myself the question out loud before I go to sleep and then wake up in the morning to an answer. It’s a neat trick that almost always works. Imagine that on a grand scale with a camino. And don’t be shocked if the answer isn’t something you expected. Each time I walked a camino, I did so with a sort of vague seeking of that elusive “inner peace”. And each time, I felt I learnt something about myself that would indeed help me get closer to it.
On my first camino, I finally understood the difference of toxic vs tough (I explain it in my book), and I finally learnt it was okay to ask for support. On my second camino, I understood that the place(s) I once thought of as home were never going to become that again, and I had to keep looking.
On the two days of my most recent camino I understood, with some surprising force, that things are not always mere Things. Things can indeed help me feel rooted, give me a sense of place, time and history, and that to give myself that gift was not something I needed to shy away from (I am warped like that; something perhaps about fear of vulnerability, not wanting to be attached to anything, fear of being “boring”, and so many issues rolled together).
You may not get the answer you want, but chances are, you will find the answer that you most need to hear.
4. You, your body and your mind
I am a city bum who sits at a table all day and draws. So even two days of walking all day with a backpack – carrying weight is the key – dramatically strengthened my back, arms and legs. I have a rubbish diet so on my two earlier caminos, I gained weight (it was all the chocolate…) but nevertheless, I still became stronger. Getting strong in a gym is very different from getting strong functionally, and combined with the need to constantly balance myself walking over uneven roads, as well as the mental sharpening of understanding the requirements of the path ahead (up or down or rocky or dodgy) made my whole body hum in synchronicity. I have never felt more aligned – or more alive.
5. You create space inside
Being away from the routine of daily life helps see everything in a new light. Even with my life constantly moving, it’s still easy to become numb, mindless and a bit blind to the realities. When your day is composed of only walking, eating and sleeping (and carrying everything you need on your back), your perspective can’t help but shift. With the soothing rhythm of walking and without the often ceaseless chatter of our busy lives, things can at last settle, allowing for clarity and contemplation. It is a form of gentle therapy.
6. Finding out who you are
Walking in nature combined with an openness to whatever comes up (and, I believe, some alone time away from people where possible) can result in something magical: understanding what I’m truly made of. Even when I think I know who I am, I really meet myself when on a camino.
Because who I am is always changing, always evolving, I think you’ll agree that the only real solution is to walk a camino every year. Right? Yes!
Now, I think it’s only fair to list a few reasons why you should not walk a camino:
You can’t tolerate being away from your routine. Rituals are grounding and important, so there’s zero judgement from me (I only envy you), and if the thought of leaving your home/pet/life for a week or a month creates panic, it’s not a good idea.
Walking a camino is a time to unplug. If you’re preoccupied with a project or a dependent, it would likely not give you peace but turmoil to be away. I know people who had to work while walking the camino, and while it’s doable, it’s best when the hours are limited and defined. If you have to spend the whole time on the phone or online to deal with something back home, then you’re neither here nor there.
You’re not seeking (what?!), you’re not in the market for some good old-fashioned soul-searching, and you’re not pondering or processing any of life’s niggling dilemmas. You’re happy and grateful exactly where you are. Woo hoo! P.S. Did you know you could walk a camino as a celebration?
*You can read about my experience walking the camino Magna Via Francigena on these Instagram posts (they’re also shared on Facebook):
Day 1 here and here; videos here and here
Day 2 here and here; videos here and here
“As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.”
— Rumi
Recommendations
CAMINO (or CAMMINO, as it is in Italian)
If you’re interested in walking the Magna Via Francigena, here’s an outline. This website (use your browser to translate to English or another language) gives you the information you need to get the GPS coordinates, find a place to buy the pilgrim passport, and read more information. The only guidebook in English is this one (also available to buy from other booksellers online), though it reads as if it was translated by Google, so you’ve been warned.
FILM
I watched The Way again recently (post camino) with my family. There are some things that aren’t accurate but I think it nicely captures the spirit of it all quite well. Martin Sheen plays a man whose stable, predictable life takes a very unexpected turn. It’s co–written, co–starred and directed by his son, Emilio Estevez.
GUIDEBOOK
For any camino in Spain, I can’t recommend guidebooks by John Brierley enough. He sadly passed away last year, but I understand his family will continue to update them annually. His books give all the necessary practical information (even if I didn’t stop at his recommended stages), but what I especially love is his compassionate and gentle voice which comes through as he reminds us on each page the bigger/deeper reasons to take this journey.