Day 40-42: And I would walk 500 miles... Oh wait, I just did!

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Day 40: Melide to Santa Irene

Journal Entry--------------------

Thursday May 10th, 2012

Today was one of the best days I've had on the Camino. Just as I had stopped with a lady named Barbara from New Mexico, USA at a stand along the way, I was thinking about when I would see my four new Spanish friends again. Just then I heard my name and turned to see no other but Demi, Antonio, JuanJo and Angel. I was instantly estatic!

For the rest of the long day I walked with them; only speaking Spanish, the best that I could, teaching them silly English words and of course laughing a lot. There were so many more people on the road today, and because of this we had to keep walking because there was no free space at the albergues. We ended up walking over 30km!!

I am so lucky to have met such wonderful people. I don't want my trip to end. It's like I have lived a whole lifetime on the Camino; There truely are no words to describe it.

All day the guys shared their stories, food and laughter. They insisted on paying for all of my drinks and food. We ended up staying in a beautiful private albergue. We met a very nice and beautiful Spanish woman named Pilar and she joined us for dinner and afterwards we all six sat outside talking under the stars.

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As you get closer to the end of the Camino, Santiago that is, you will notice that there are more and more people walking. My Spanish friends informed me that this is because many people do not have the time to walk the entire Camino and so they start maybe three days out or a week out from Santiago.

While it is neat to see more and more people participating in the same journey as yourself, I felt that it took away from the Camino because it became busier and louder with the increase in numbers. Of course, you cannot have the Camino all to yourself because this would take away from the entire experience. However, I am glad that I walked when I did because I cannot imagine if my entire Camino was as crowded as it was from this day forward.



Day 41: Santa Irene to Monte del Gozo

Journal Entry--------------------

Friday May 11th, 2012

Once again today I walked with my four new Spanish friends. It's truly amazing how you can connect with people even when they don't speak the same language. I never would have met or spoken with these guys in any other environment other than the Camino. They are so genuine and watch over me... It's great. I don't worry about anything when I am with them. They are like older brothers.

Today we only walked about 18km so that tomorrow we only have 5km left to go! It's funny because I thought that I would be happy to finally be finishing... but I'm not. I am really devastated. It's not that I don't miss home, because of course I miss everyone. But, now I feel like I will miss the people that I have met in this life.

We slept in a room with just the five of us. Antonio, Angel and JuanJ are such little boys at heart. We giggled because Antonio started snoring and Angel clucked really loud to get him to stop. JuanJo cracked up and of course that got me going. What fun, good hearted friends.

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Looking back, I cannot imagine if I were "alone" at this point of my journey. I know the whole point of me walking the Camino solo was to be independent, but I came to realize that I need people in my life. I need good people in my life. Life seems so much better when you have others to share it with. This is a night that I will remember for the rest of my life. Here I was, a 25 year old young woman sharing a room with four Spanish men ages 38-52! What would my husband think?! But that is what is amazing about the Camino... it's different. It's innocent. It's real. It's without judgement.




Day 42: Monte del Gozo to SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA!!!!

Journal Entry--------------------

Saturday May 12th, 2012

TODAY was absolutely amazing. The five of us took our time and walked 5km into Santiago. What a surreal feeling. We arrived in front of the Cathedral and I felt like I was going to cry. I wasn't ready for it to be over.

I saw many people I had met along the way and the four guys kept laughing and calling me famous. Then when we went to the office where we get our certificates, Angel saw a note out front while we were waiting in line with my name on it. Sara had left me a note!!! I bit my lip to stop myself from crying. The guys all looked at me and knew I was about to cry. When I left I did the same for Molly; I left her a note.

The guys and I checked into a Pension and slept two in one room, two in another and I got a room all to myself. We went back out into the streets, had a beer and walked around. Then had another beer and walked around some more. Next we went to a really nice restaruant for paella, my favorite!! It was amazing! We drank the best white wine, and then I was quite toasty.

We went back to our rooms and I showered and then proceeded to pass out. Sometime after 1700 Angel came and woke me up. Then we went back out into the streets and walked around a fair that was going on outside. JuanJo has been practicing English with me and is learning very quickly. He was smiling from ear to ear telling me how happy he is to be speaking English with me.

We all layed in the grass in the park for a bit and it was beautiful. Then as it was getting late, sometime after 2000, we went to find a place for seafood!! We ended up back at the same restaurant as before. We had another amazing meal together. At dinner I was thinking very much about how I do not want to have to leave Spain again. I left my heart here 5 years ago and it took me that long to come back. I don't want to wait another five years to come back.

The five of us walked slowly back through the streets to our pension and said goodnight to one another. Alone in a room by myself I felt so so so so lonely. I cried and cried and cried.

In the morning I will have to say goodbye....

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This night it really sank in. I was all alone in a room by myself; I remember the overwhelming feeling of solace, and I despised it. I don't want to give anyone the wrong impression through my journal entries. Of course I was so happy to have completed the Camino and the sense of accomplishment was tremendous! But there is another side to the Camino for me, a lesson I had to learn and it was a sad one.

I had to learn to accept that some people come into your life for a reason, but can only stay for so long. I had to learn to let them go. I had to learn that it is okay to let them go. Many of my last journal entries I express that I cried and that I was sad and lonely. These are all natural feelings to have and they are all apart of my journey. I hope that they do not deter anyone or scare anyone away from a journey such as this. Those feelings are what made my accomplishments even greater. They made my journey real to me.

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