276 Miles of Unexpected Learning on The Way

2nd period American Lit.

August 26, 2008


276 Miles of Unexpected Learning on The Way

As I was walking down a small narrow road with cow poop strewn across it I had an epiphany. After three weeks, I had finally realized why I was here and what I was supposed to learn from this “vacation gone insane”. Yes, I had learned how to fix a blister with only a needle and thread. Yes, I learned that one “magical” bar of soap can serve for more than four purposes: washing your body, washing your hair, washing your clothes, brushing your teeth, etc. But what I mostly learned about was: how to work hard, journaling, disappointments, relationships, and appreciation of the journey. By the end of my trip I had developed a motto for myself: “It does not matter where you are going or how quickly you get there. All that matters are the memories you made and the experiences you had on The Way.” As my father and I walked for three weeks on the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain this summer, I learned a great deal not just about hiking, but also about life.

The first thing I learned was hard work and the support of others. How can you not learn about hard work after hiking almost twenty miles a day? In the beginning, I am ashamed to say that I wanted to give up. By the third day I wanted to throw away my hiking boots and never set foot on a trail again. Because of jet lag and snoring in the albergues (hostels with giant rooms containing bunk beds and fifty of your closest, smelly friends), I had not been getting any sleep. Trying to hike many miles off of three hours of sleep at night is just not reasonable. Luckily I had my family, friends, and my whole parish church supporting and praying for me. Because the Camino de Santiago is a spiritual pilgrimage, all of the people at my church were reading my online journal and leaving me comments that inspired me to keep moving forward. I learned that you can do anything if you put your mind to it and put your trust in God to help you through.

The second thing I learned related to academics. I kept two journals, one handwritten and another online. From keeping these journals, I discovered that I should always use as much detail as possible because the reader wants to find out what is going on in your head at that very moment. After the trip I also learned that memories fade quickly. I now wish I had explained my thoughts more deeply and took note of everything, even if it seemed insignificant on that day. You are never too tired to write one journal entry, no matter how many Euros the pay-per-use internet computer costs or how late you think it is, because you will regret it later if you do not.

The third and most unfortunate thing I had to learn on this trip was how to accept disappointment. Throughout the trip our final destination had been the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. From the beginning, I had envisioned Santiago as a beautiful town and a refuge welcoming pilgrims at the end of their great journey. Unfortunately, when we got there it was not at all what I had expected or even wanted. Santiago was our goal and we were driving and fully focused on getting there. It became our aim and our obsession. But once we walked into the Plaza and up the steps and got past the excitement of our accomplishment, we were not prepared for such a let down. Santiago was primarily a tourist town. The cathedral, the pilgrimage, the statue of St. James, are all there for tourists. Even we pilgrims were part of the spectacle. I was very upset when I discovered this; I even cried when I got into the hotel room. As we discussed our frustrations my Dad taught me that there will be many disappointments in life, no matter what I expect or how hard I work.

The fourth thing I learned about was relationships. I took this camino with my father. It was the first time that we had ever spent more than just a couple pf days together by ourselves. Because of this trip the two of us now have a special bond that nothing will ever change. We learned each other’s habits and pet peeves, likes and dislikes. We left home close and left the Camino inseparable. My father and I also learned from each other, even if it was silly things. I learned from him how to loose a bet with a Welsh man, to buy him and the Welsh man a drink in Spanish, that it is possible to eat a whole ice cream cake in one sitting, and to never pass up the chance to take a picture of a stork’s nest in a church tower. From me he learned to say traffic light in Spanish, to always check to see if a fence is electrified before you try to go under it, to appreciate a windmill, and to make friends with all people in the clergy because you never know when a priest might give you a picture of himself when he was twenty years younger.

I developed relationships not just with my father, but with the other pilgrims around me. I learned that I had to be outgoing and introduce myself no matter if they spoke my language or not. People on the Camino were from all around the world; from South Africa to Japan to Slovenia. Pantomime became a great form of communication. We mostly formed deep relationships with the English speaking people though. After our hiking we would all go out to eat together and watch the Euro Cup soccer tournament. These people became my family on the Camino, calling ourselves “The Traveling Circus”.

The final and most important thing I learned on the Camino de Santiago is the appreciation of the journey. At the end of the trip, after 276 miles of joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, and laughter, I realized that I was on this journey for a reason. Not just so I could have a good time and eat new Spanish foods but to realize that it is the journey that matters. Before, I had been so focused on getting to Santiago that I forgot to “stop and smell the roses”. I realized that what makes a trip are the people you meet and the experiences you have, no matter what the destination.

Caroline