I’m writing this now on March 15, 2020, as the world is starting to shut down in reaction to the spread of the coronavirus. It’s a scary time, in part because of the never-before-in-our-lifetimes restrictions on international travel. I’m one of many people who will be spending 99% of my time for the next several weeks in relative isolation at home, and it’s a somewhat claustrophobia-inducing prospect. So, as a means of mental escape, I’m going to be reliving my pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago for the next 37 days (one for each day I walked), and I hope that sharing my experience will provide both relief from your own boredom/anxiety and inspiration to do your own pilgrimage at some point in the future.

Santiago de Compostela in Spain joins Rome and Jerusalem as the final destination of the three big Christian pilgrimages. While the significance of Rome and Jerusalem is obvious, you may never have heard of Santiago de Compostela. It is believed that the bones of Saint James (or Santiago, in Spanish) – one of the 12 apostles – are buried in the crypt of the cathedral there and that journeying – on foot, horseback, or, more recently, bicycle – to see them will result in the forgiveness of your sins. Today, pilgrims on the Camino hail from many countries and religious traditions, and many would no longer identify religion as the primary motivation for their journey, but religion and particularly Catholicism still figure prominently in the experience.

I earned a degree in Hispanic Studies from the College of William & Mary, and the Camino first came onto my radar sometime during that period thanks to a member of the faculty who is one of the foremost experts on the Camino – George Greenia. I didn’t know much about it at the time, but as someone who’d already identified as an aspiring European and traveler, I knew it was something I’d want to do one day. I was also raised Catholic and liked the idea of undertaking a more novel expression and exploration of my faith.

Fast-forwarding more than a decade, in August of 2018 I found myself confronting irrepressible evidence that I needed to quit my job as an attorney working legitimately unhealthy hours in a big law firm. As I started mentally preparing myself to be comfortable with the idea of quitting before I’d found something else to do, the Camino popped back into my mind. I knew I might never have a better opportunity, at least while still young and fit, to make the five-week journey. Little by little, I released my fear of quitting and instead embraced the lack of a professional next step as a unique chance to undertake something that would, at the very least, help me to process my experiences of the past several years and prepare myself for whatever would come next. I finally left my job at the end of June of 2019, and I left Paris (my home for the past two and a half years) for Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on Saturday, September 21, 2019.

The traditional Camino experience involves carrying all of your necessary possessions in a backpack, making your way on foot from town to town, and spending the night in a pilgrim hostel (albergue). There are many routes to Santiago; the most famous, and the one I took, is the Camino Francés, which begins in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France and continues across northern Spain, inland from the coast. (Other routes include the Camino del Norte, which goes along the northern coast of Spain, and the Camino Portugués, which leads north to Santiago from Lisbon. You can even start much further afield; France has its own routes from the east and the north, and I met people who walked from as far as the Netherlands.)

I followed this tradition, for the most part; I walked with a 36-liter backpack, wore the same three outfits for six weeks, and gradually learned how to block out the symphony of snoring that accompanies nights spent in dorm rooms. Officially, I walked alone, though as you will see, my experience was rarely solitary. I averaged 15 miles (24 kilometers) per day and covered 560 miles (894 kilometers) total over 37 days of walking.

It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

I hope to show you why in the days to come!