Saturday, January 25, 2014

Our next Camino in 2014

Much time has passed since the last time this blog was updated and I thought it good to share a bit about how our family has grown and our plans for 2014.
Caroline is soon graduating from Furman University and will be starting her teaching career. We are so proud of her and all that she has accomplished. It is ironic to me now to think that the blog she wrote here about her lessons learned on the Camino became a paper in high school for her that developed into her college entrance essay she used to get accepted into Furman. Funny how the Camino can have such a lasting impact to your life.
Here in Atlanta, a very active Friends of the Camino chapter has begun and is looking to grow and spread the word about St James Way through lectures, hikes, and social events. Our parish priest, Fr. Dye, that had been so supportive of our pilgrimage in 2008, just finished his own Camino last year and came back to be so enthusiastic about the trip and its impact on his life. He has been a big proponent of the Atlanta chapter.
As most people here also know, Emilio Estevez's movie The Way has brought great focus in the US to the Camino and drawn interest from lots of Americans in making the trip.
For me, I am looking forward to again picking up the pack and going back to Spain with my 16 year old son this summer. For him, it has been a promised adventure that he has anticipated and learned about through his sister and the increased popularity of The Way. He knows much more about it than any of us did back in 2008. But the goal for us is the same that I had with Caroline, to spend time together as he is reaching maturity and to build a bond that will continue to grow.
I just finished re-reading our blog posts from 6 years ago and remembering the excitement and misery Caroline and I shared. It brought tears to my eyes to think how that little girl has grown into such a fine woman and how our son is about to embark on the same coming of age pilgrimage.
Not a day has not gone by that I have not thought about the Camino. And as we prepare again for this version in 2014, may David and I be blessed to have the same great experience as Caroline and I shared those many years ago.

Stay tuned for the newest chapters in the Savini's Pilgrimage to Santiago...