A gentle rain came down, further dampening the Galician countryside, but my mood was euphoric. I was full of energy after our Spanish lunch of pulpos and bread, a beer to wash it down, my husband by my side, and no one else in sight. A canopy of trees sheltered the trail, and the birds, raindrops, and my hiking poles tapping in the dirt were the only sounds.
It was our 28th day walking the Camino de Santiago. We were two days from the finish in Santiago de Compostela, and it hit me… what this journey had taught me. The things we discover on the Camino that are important to us—whether that be solitude, community, a fast pace or a slow one, taking time for self or time to nurture a relationship—they are always accessible to us, wherever we are in life. We don’t have to be on one particular trail to find them, we only have to be aware of what is important to us, what our needs are, and then give ourself permission to make them happen.
So, I say to you, walk 500-miles if you like, but know whatever journey you experience, even the daily one of life, know yourself and fulfill your needs. You’ll feel euphoric.