A Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela – Why?

My last post summarized the beginnings of my journey – my pilgrimage – through northwest Spain. While I did say that I had many different inspirations motivating me to hike alone for three weeks in a strange country, I didn’t say what they were. I should have, because when I tell people about this particular trip they wonder what could possibly compel me to spend three weeks in the mountains of a country whose language I didn’t know, and with nothing but my backpack.

I’ll try to explain here.

Purpose

When I was a kid my family would go on trips for summer vacation, about one per year. This was how I got to see Atlantic City Boardwalk, or the Green Mountains in Vermont, or the Montreal Biosphere, or the Grand Canyon. While I did enjoyed the trips, I never had the choice to go or stay home.

Now as an adult, I could go wherever I wanted; however, I felt no great urges to go on vacation. Many people I knew travelled to relax on Caribbean beaches, or to feel sophisticated within European cities, or to snap photos of Asian temples. Don’t get me wrong; I would have loved to see these things also, but I feel like going just for the sake of going. I needed a reason, a purpose.

Luckily for me, I was a part of many groups and events that gave me reasons to go. I went to Peru for a karate tournament…and saw Machu Picchu on the way. Mount Fuji was a quick aside on my trip to be a part of the first foreign university team to take part in a Tokyo area kendo competition. Since my family wanted to see the Pacific Northwest, we might as well visit my cousin on the way. If I had to fly to Calgary for work, then I would stop in Banff for a little sightseeing. And so on and so forth.

In short, I like travelling when I have a purpose besides seeing the sights. Even if the purpose is just a flimsy excuse to go on vacation. And for my first solo trip I wanted to have an important purpose. Three of them, actually.

A Call to Adventure

I love to walk. But strangely, I probably don’t walk as often as most people. I remember one time I showed a friend of mine the picture below. After being suitably impressed, he inquired about my daily average steps. Despite the fact that I had walked nearly one million steps in three weeks, my daily average over the past 12 months was lower than his. Of course, he was the type of person to spend at least half an hour every day walking.

I love walking, but when I do I want it to be an adventure. There has to be something for me to see and discover, to learn about and to appreciate. This is why I don’t take daily walks. Sure, I could see and discover what new lawn ornament my neighbour put up, or appreciate how much higher the grass has grown. But that’s not really an adventure.

I can easily recall my many walking adventures. I once walked through a pitch-black forest with a CEO. There was a time I hiked through a jungle in my bare feet. To skip school and avoid a horrible assignment, I took a detour and followed a stream into a strange forest. On a bright summer day I walked along a country road, and with every step I took frogs would jump out of the grass. I could go on and on about my little adventure walks.

Whether long or short, local or foreign, easy or difficult, an adventure for me is a journey somewhere out of the ordinary. And that was the most compelling force pulling me towards a pilgrimage.

Escape From Reality

For many people, vacations are an escape from the constant grind of work, school, and responsibilities. Some people can’t truly escape their duties; however, I had nearly cut myself off from not only contact with family and friends, but from thoughts of home as well. I did the minimum required of me, which was to let my mom know I was alive every couple of days or so.

But for the most part, I let myself be absorbed into the present, thinking nothing of where I came from or what would be waiting for me when I returned home. I only had one all-encompassing goal: to reach Santiago de Compostela. The simplicity of having this, and nothing else, motivate me was a freedom I had rarely experienced. I was not beholden to many different bosses with many competing tasks. It was just me and the road ahead.

Trust in God

I also wanted to reconnect with my spirituality. The Camino de Santiago has its basis in religious pilgrimage, after all. A pilgrimage, as defined by Wikipedia, is “…a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life.”

As a practicing Roman Catholic, I thought I was being faithful by going through the motions of attending Mass and praying. That was not enough. For me, while the real meat of this pilgrimage was the adventure, the heart of it was the spiritual aspect. This journey would really show me what it meant to put one’s trust in God. Though I was all alone for most of my journey, I did not feel alone. And as I stumbled across northwest Spain I saw and experienced things I found hard to explain, though I certainly hope to try later on with this blog.

Though the spiritual lessons I learned didn’t stick with me long after the walk had ended, it did lay a seed of belief within me that would blossom and bear fruit…much later. It would take years of time, another pilgrimage, and many tests of character before I realized how important my faith and my spirit was to me. I mean, I am kind of stubborn that way.

Blended Feelings

In my previous post I alluded to the fact that there was wasn’t a single reason compelling me to go. Which is true; I have listed three. But when I had decided to go on a pilgrimage in 2013 I didn’t have any of my reasons clearly laid out. I just felt like I had to go. When explaining to people why I was going, I threw out the words “pilgrimage”, “sightseeing”, and “adventure”. But I used those topics because they were easier to explain.

I simply felt a calling, a deeply felt need to go. I am unable to explain it in any other way. Yes, the reasons I listed above were involved, but they manifested themselves as this single beacon of light beckoning me to come closer. Interestingly enough, you may find other pilgrims that continue to be called back to the Camino despite having completed it already. This pilgrimage was, and I’m sure remains, special for all people who have experienced it, no matter their nationality, creed, or purpose.

Now that I’ve gotten the why out of the way, I hope to show the what and the how of my journey. With any luck I will write again sooner rather than later, and more consistently as well. If you have anything to add at all, you are welcome to comment.

Take care and my God bless you on your journey through life.