Camino de Santiago Reflection (pt 1)

The Camino de Santiago (Frances) was an experience unlike any other, and trying to encapsulate it all feels almost impossible. It’s been a journey of discovery, both in the literal sense of walking hundreds of miles/kilometers across Spain, and in the deeper, more personal sense of learning about myself, my desires, and my direction in life.

Overall Reflection

It’s hard to summarize the Camino Frances in one concise thought because it’s such a layered experience. I journaled throughout the journey and captured moments through reels and TikToks, yet even then, it’s difficult to convey the fullness of the experience as a whole. Maybe that’s because the Camino is truly one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s the longest and most unique undertaking of my life, and the simplest I’ve ever lived for an extended amount of time. It challenged me mentally, physically, and emotionally in ways I didn’t anticipate.

What makes it so unique is the simplicity of the experience. Life was reduced to its basics—walking, eating, sleeping—which allowed me the mental space to think and reflect without distraction. This simplicity created room for deeper self-awareness and vulnerability. The openness of others on their own journeys made it easy to connect and feel supported, fostering a strong sense of community that’s rare in everyday life.

I wouldn’t have experienced the Camino the same way had I done it earlier in life. The timing was right—having changed and grown over the past few years, I was ready to be more introspective and honest with myself. This period of reflection came at a pivotal moment, and while I didn’t get the "aha" moment I was hoping for in terms of career clarity, I walked away with something even more valuable: a better understanding of myself.

I’ll likely return to the Camino at another stage in life, knowing it will offer new insights depending on where I am at that time. For now, it’s an experience that’s left a lasting mark, and I’m still processing all the lessons it brought into my life.

My Favorite Things About the Camino

• The Community: The people I met along the Camino were incredible. I hadn’t anticipated the sense of camaraderie that forms between pilgrims. It’s a deeply shared experience, and there’s this special openness, generosity, and acceptance that’s hard to find elsewhere, especially at donativos.

• Everyone is on their own Camino: I loved how everyone could do the Camino in their own way. No one judged you for how fast or slow you walked, where you stayed, or who you walked with. The freedom to decide, without offending or being offended, was refreshing.

• The Simple Life: There was something beautiful about the simplicity of each day: walk, eat, sleep. I only carried with me the bare essentials (I even left behind most of my skin care, which was very hard to part with) because I really didn’t need much. I realized how excessive most things are in life. It gave me space to think deeply without distractions, allowing me to reflect on things that get buried in daily life.

• Walking was my only Purpose: Every day had a clear purpose — to walk. Having this simple goal of reaching a certain destination each day, getting closer to reaching Santiago, was the only motivation I needed to get up everyday. I’d love to recreate this sense of purpose in my daily life and to incorporate more walking because I’ve become a huge fan of walking (I used to not want to walk more than 30 minutes).

• Daily Accomplishments: Whether I walked 10 kilometers or 40, every day felt like an achievement. Even on the hardest days, I pushed through, and there’s something empowering about proving to yourself that you can keep going. Especially when my shin splints had flared, just being able to put one foot in front of the other was an accomplishment in itself.

• Time to Let the Mind Wander: The long hours of walking were a gift. My mind would wander into places I hadn’t expected, processing thoughts and emotions that I hadn’t had time for in everyday life. I purposely limited listening to music/podcasts to allow my mind limited distractions and it was one of the best decisions. It was both healing and revealing.

• Resilience: The Camino tested my physical and mental endurance, but it showed me how tough I am. Walking through pain (shin splints), bad weather (hurricane), and fatigue (days I didn’t want to walk) builds resilience that sticks with you. At home, I would probably not walk if I was remotely injured or the weather was bad, but I didn’t have that luxury on the Camino, so I got up each day and pushed through.

What I Will try to Incorporate to My Life

• Patience and Calm: Walking long distances taught me patience. It’s an art of moving forward without rushing and to fully embrace the journey. I want to bring that calm approach back into my everyday life.

• Long Walks for Thinking: Walking became my meditation, my time for clarity. I plan to incorporate more long walks into my normal life, giving me space to think and process my thoughts.

• Self-Understanding: The Camino was an ongoing conversation with myself, and that’s something I want to continue. By journaling and walking more to think, I will continue to learn and uncover new parts of who I am.

• Further Exploring my Future: While on Camino I was able to decide on the type of place I want to live after my sabbatical/travels and some potential business ideas because I want to start my own business as my next venture. What exactly that will be is TBD (more on this later).

Did I Achieve My Ultimate Goal?

The short answer is No. But in many ways, Yes, because my main intention was to gain “clarity for the future — to figure out where I want to live next, what business or career path to pursue, and how to achieve these goals (pre-camino thoughts).” While I didn’t have the “aha” moment I’d hoped for, I did get closer. I gained more self-awareness, made some decisions about my future, and thought through potential ideas. I realized, however, that expecting a grand epiphany was putting too much pressure on my experience and setting myself up for disappointment.

Ultimately, I gained so much more than I anticipated from the experience, and I feel closer to clarity, even if it’s still unfolding.

More on this later!

What’s Next

I will dive deeper into the specific reflections and ideas that came up during the Camino in my next post. I plan to share helpful blogs on finding-chi.com for anyone looking to embark on this journey. Also if you want to see more of the journey, there are videos on my Instagram/Tiktoks for enjoyment.

As for now, my sabbatical and slow travel will continue — next is spending two months in Sri Lanka (surfing and completing my 200hr YTT) before returning home for the holidays. The journey is far from over, and I’m excited for what’s to come!

---

Some fun Photos!

---

Some fun Stats!

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela

• Length: September 11 to October 12

  • 32 days total (31 days of walking, 1 rest day)

  • 35 days all-in (1 day before starting in SJPDP and 2 days after in Santiago)

• Distance: 497 miles / 800 kilometers

  • Longest day: 27.7 miles

  • Shortest day: 5.1 miles

• Injuries:

  • 0 blisters

  • 1 shin splints for 6 days

• Accommodations:

  • 4 apartments/Airbnbs

  • 7 donativos

  • 19 albergues

  • 1 public gym

• Incidents:

  • 1 cat peed on my bag

  • 7 rainy days

  • 1 hurricane/storm warning

  • 3 bed bug scares (0 actual bed bugs)

• Cost

  • Total: $1,669.33

  • Average: $47.70 (35 days)

  • Cheapest day: $15.51

  • Most expensive day: $175.20

• MANY Spanish tortillas, pasta nights, bread, pate, and sardines