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ON APRIL 3, MY HUSBAND Jim and I were among 262 pilgrims who made our way into Santiago de Compostela to receive an official pilgrim’s certificate for completing the required distance along one of the famous El Camino’s several routes—the most popular of which is some 500 miles. We were now certified peregrinos, or pilgrims.
Because it was early in the season, ours was one of the slow days for Camino completion. Last August, 2,000 certificates per day were issued. Walking El Camino is gaining in popularity not just with Spaniards, but also with folks from around the world. In 2018, there were 327,328 certificates issued, compared to just 2,491 in 1986.
This begs the question: Why do people commit themselves to such an arduous walk, which can take weeks to complete? In an age that provides convenience, comfort, speed and efficiency, thousands from around the globe walk hundreds of miles, enduring considerable physical demands, long periods of solitude, and deprivation from most modern comforts and conveniences.
I can’t answer that question for all pilgrims. But I can honestly say that it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The certificate at the end was, of course, nice to receive, but that was the least of it. In The Pilgrimage, Paulo Coelho wrote, “It is the road that teaches us the best way to get there, and the road enriches us as we walk its length.” El Camino enriched me in three ways:
“You will never walk alone” was one of the many bits of graffiti I read along the way. It provided me with much needed reassurance. Coming from the business world, especially the competitive and fast-paced environment of finance, it was striking that no one gained here at the expense of someone else’s loss. In business, achieving success at all costs can bring out the worst in people. Getting ahead often means crushing others. But you won’t find that on El Camino. Everyone is walking at their own pace for their own personal reasons, while supporting each other on their journey.
Jiab Wasserman recently left her job as a financial analyst at a large bank at age 53. She’s now semi-retired. Her previous articles include Takes Skill, Living Small and This Old House. Jiab and her husband, who also writes for HumbleDollar, currently live in Granada, Spain. They blog about downshifting, personal finance and other aspects of retirement—as well as about their experience relocating to another country—at YourThirdLife.com.
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Jiab – You and your husband are good people. I like what you both have to say. Keep walking, keep experimenting…and keep writing about it.
Dave
Many people miss the historical significance as to why this Christian pilgrimage was started….it’s about the freeing of sins.
I found it interesting, from my marketing interest, to find out how much El Camino was used as a marketing and recruitment device by the Church that propagated it. It is no coincidence that the remains of St. James (Santiago) were “found” in Spain just when the Reconquista, or Catholic retaking of Spain from the Moors, was begun, or that the Church asked pilgrims at the end of their journey to remain and help retake Iberia (removing further sin by killing, ironically). Long into the wars, Church iconography depicted St. James as killing Moors (who did not exist at the time he was alive, nor was he a warrior). In the end the beauty of El Camino, as we found, is that everyone has their own reason for walking it today. Some religious, some spiritual, some just looking to get away from the noise of the outside world. Whatever the reason, the universal hailing of “Buen Camino” signaled that every reason was personal, and valid.
Assuming your statements are accurate…are you as critically bias against religions other than Christianity and/or as defensive for other columnists ??
Great question, Mik. True, this one response isn’t enough data for you to make a fair judgement, so I am glad you asked.
As to religion, I am not being critical of Christianity. I am stating the history. Nowhere do I condemn Christianity for this practice, nor say it is worse than others. I actually have a degree in Religion, and one learns in studying religions that all propagate a narrative that sometimes omits certain features (as do countries with their histories). I have seen a “tooth of the Buddha” of which I was suspect if that makes you feel better. We also tend to think of people in the past as pure in motive, when in fact they were pretty much like you and me…having both noble and self-serving motives.
As for defending the writer, I didn’t. I only addressed your point about the motive of El Camino walkers, then (which I have studied) and now (many whom I spoke with). If you were attacking the writer, I did not catch that, probably because I assume you to be a person of character who would address only issues, not people. If it reassures you, I have defended many a writer when they are subject to asinine ad hominem attacks. I am sorry if you meant one I did not catch. My bad.
Beautiful and inspiring Jiab, thank you. I’m going to look into this with my wife. I can’t imagine a better use of one’s time and energy when blessed with the physical ability to do it. Anda in el gozo del Señor. BTW; infamous! 🙂
Langston,
Thank you. It was one of the most memorable experiences we’ve had. We actually felt depressed for a few weeks after El Camino and wanted to go back to walk in the forest again. I heard it is very common among El Camino walkers to feel that way. We are going to do it again and walk the Portugal route next time.
I am jealous; I’ve long wanted to do this trip. This is the first thing I want to do when I retire. Maybe 6 years from now, in the best of all possible worlds. Thanks for the write-up!
You’re welcome. It was a wonderful experience. You won’t regret it.