Today I was to start on my third camino (4th route). It was to be a short one, just 5 days starting from Ferrol, Spain and ending in Santiago. The plan was to meet Joe at the cathedral after he completed his first camino. But alas 2020 had other plans.
The past 2 caminos (2016 and 2019) were used as a way to reflect and take a break from the every day. The first camino in 2016, along the French route, taught me more about who I am more than anything else in my life up until then. It was a mix of duality - one minute you are tired with sore feet and feeling lonely and the next you feel the extreme joy of seeing your camino friends and family. On this camino, I was typically the outsider - the American who didn't speak much Spanish other than "hola" or "si" or "cafe con leche, por favor." I spoke mainly through hand signals and arm motions. A whole conversation can be had through hand signals, by the way. I wonder if this is considered broken sign language. The second camino in 2019, along the Norte and Primitivo, tested my endurance. The terrain was more challenging, but the scenery was incredible (better than the Camino Frances). I met many people along the way, but I had more time alone, making the human contact I did have, even more special. My Spanish, albeit much improved (added "lo siento" and "no entiendo" to my growing vocabulary list), was still not good enough for conversations. Broken sign language (hand signals) was still necessary. My third camino will take a departure from Spain. I am fortunate enough to live in the Rocky Mountains with trails and day hikes up and down mountains and over streams. Each hike offers its own set of tranquility and chance for reflection. However, instead of doing this alone, I have two teenage kids walking with me. My camino this summer may not be through ancient pathways forged by millions of pilgrims over thousands of years but rather it will be on hikes around my home with my two kids, connecting with them on a deeper level. Each kid is vastly different from the other. Where one is is quiet and stoic, the other is talkative and goofy, offering a great mix of personalities. Recently on a 4 mile hike into a canyon, I watched them walking ahead of me, finding their own footing and way to navigate the path ahead of them. It was then I realized that my camino happens every day, on the streets of my hometown, on the trail through the forest, or on the path in northern Spain. The camino is a spirit that lives in all of us. While it is disappointing to not walk the Camino Ingles this May, I look forward to exploring the trails and mountains around me and getting to know my kids. The Camino de Santiago will always be there.
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About Marcy I wear many hats. First, I'm a wife to an amazing husband, Joe. Second, I'm a mom to 2 incredible kids, Caitlynn and Miles. Professionally speaking, I am a chef, dietitian, and writer working as an instructor in Hospitality Management at Montana State University in Bozeman. Photos: See InstagramMarcy's other Site |