Camino de Santiago - Full Circle

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Before I finish part one of To Land's End I realize I must close the first chapter first. As I reflected today and yesterday while I walked I realized that the Camino came full circle for me and a sense of closure did occur in Santiago. Yes it was the completion of a goal, but there was more to it then that. Santiago was the place where so many of us once again reunited and hellos and proper goodbyes were said. I was fortunate that those people who touched my heart the greatest actually did converge on Santiago at the same time - well all but one, but .... I will tell you momentarily.

I walked with so many wonderful people on the Camino. I have told you about many of them here previously. I have pages of people and the countries they came from in my journal. Some you walked with for minutes, hours or a day. Some you walked with now and again as your paths crossed. Some you walked with consistently for days. Many people connected on the Camino and stayed together until the end. I was not one of those people. Due to my desire to walk alone frequently I floated from group to group or individual to individual. There was my core group however that were always somewhere close at hand. Those are the ones I consider my dearest friends and longed to connect with before I ended my Camino. Another great blessing was that this actually happened for me. I know it doesn't for many!

My Camino angels, Chanelle and Emily, were of course in Santiago at the same time. Some days they walked faster - some days I walked faster, some days we walked together, so we often found ourselves in the same towns at the same time! I was lucky enough to have lunch with Chanelle and Emily and Mark and Alex (the odd couple from Wales - Mark is like 6'9" and fair and Alex is my height and dark - and say my goodbyes. We are all walking the Camino to Finesterre now and I thought we might cross paths, but because I have lots of time to kill they are way ahead of me. The day before I left we also all got to connect with our dear friend Jeroen! Even Eva and HeeHoon and Lim met in the squire by the Catherdral and got to see him. I didn't really realize that was my last time to see them, but I got to see my dear Korean and Tawianese friends! And John their French walking buddy too! I walked a LOT of the Camino with them. They had just returned to Finisterre so I felt so lucky to see them. Jeroen joined us for lunchand then I had beers with him and his brother and his parents later so I got to spend a bit of time with him. The day before I got to reunite with the young adults I walked with for a couple days - Jessica and Tim and Brett and Nick! We connected att the Pilgrim's Mass. They were the ones I made smoothies and eggs and bacon for in Hospital. What a great group they were!

Of course my last day I ate supper with Jess and we said our goodbyes. It was hard to say goodbye to Jess - in the short time we walked together I had become quite fond of her company. She was a blessing of friendship at a time in tthe Camino that I needed it most and she is a good friend indeed. While walking thru town looking for a place to eat we came upon Daniel from Columbia. Daniel was a dear friend that we met the Sunday we had the pool party and he walked with us the next day. He walked with a stuffed animal for his little sister hooked to his bag. What a great guy. Outside of Burgos I got to meet his mother Claudia and that day as I said goodbye I got to meet his father. What a blessing! The final piece in all this yest missing was Hugo! I had lost track of him well over a week ago and was sorely feeling his loss. Everyone I spoke to hadn't seen him either and was pretty sure he had walked to Finisterre with hisfather. My Camino would not be complete witout a goodbye with Hugo. Well I didn't get to say goodbye to Hugo in person, but the same day Jeroen was reconnected with us Hugo friended me on facebook. I was so afraid this wonderful young man would just disappear from my life and there he was. So it wasn't a goodbye in person, but Hugo is still there, and I feel confident I will see him again!

There are others who mean so much to me that I haven't named here - they are here walking somewhere. Erin and Kirsten are withmy now in Casa Pepas in San ta Marina. Dano and Vicky are up ahead of me a ways, and I hope I will get to see them and say goodbye in Finisterre. There are so many others that wove in and out of my Camino. Each brought a gift and each is forever remembered!

The others who are still walking - I hope I will see you and get to say goodbye. And of course since leaving Santiago, I have made new friends! And I know there are more to come!

So I completed my pilgrimage and have been sent on another. I am not sure about this walk. Once my plans changed and I realized I was going to walk on the thought was that this would be my vacation, but no this is a pilgrimage of reflection. How can I use what I have learned to grow. What do I do with the connections and the pieces. How do I live my life after this? I have met so many great people, I have connected with some I know I am meant to connect with again. Those connections were meant to happen - there is a reason in the grand plan. I just have to be patient and see where God is leading me. And the rest of this story belongs to the Walk to Land's End Story.



Buen Camino!

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