The hard reset

What is the camino de santiago?

The Camino is a walk.

It's a pilgrimage,

an adventure,

and a personal challenge.

The Camino starts in France,

Spain,

Portugal ,

or even at your doorstep.

It's 800 km,

300km,

or 100km....

It is way too long but ends too soon,

and it always ends in Santiago de Compostela except for when it ends in Finisterre.

The Camino is a mountain trail,

a dusty path,

a busy highway,

and a misty forest.

The Camino is waves crashing on a beach and crops on a rural farm,

it's a tiny village and a bustling city.

It's fresh air,

scorching heat,

and biting wind.

The Camino is hearing laughter,

guys playing guitar,

and deafening silence.

It's carrying only what will fit in your pack and realizing that you've packed too much.

It's having your most prized possessions be dry socks and good shoes.

The Camino is wearing the same two outfits day after day and not caring if they're a little worn.

It's sweaty shirts that you wash in the sink.

It's realizing that you don't need most of what you own back home.

The Camino is blistered feet and tired legs.

It's wishing you had earplugs to block out the snoring from the other bunks in your room.

It's the joy of finding a private room the following night.

The Camino is peace.

Utterly exhausting peace.

In today's hectic world,

a world that is constantly bombarding us with chaos,

one thing is clear.

That for a week,

or five,

the Camino is a chance to hit pause.

Hit pause on social media,

Hit pause on politics,

and hit pause on life's little demands.

The Camino strips your life away and rebuilds it.

For the short time you're walking your only concerns are finding coffee,

finding food,

finding water,

and finding coffee again.

You just follow the yellow arrows and keep moving forward.

Your days are boiled down to eat,

drink,

clean,

sleep,

repeat.

You make new friends that after five minutes and a shared meal,

you'll feel you've known forever.

You learn that the only thing you need Is time.

Time to pace yourself.

Time to smell the eucalyptus trees.

Time to enjoy food you've never tried before.

Time to pet a dog or feed a donkey an apple.

Time to hug a helpful shopkeeper or be welcomed into a local's birthday party.

You'll have time to take in the view.

Or to reflect on your day.

Time to explore ancient churches and castles.

Time,

for just a few uninterrupted weeks,

to evaluate your life,

both the good and the bad.

Time to decide how to be the best version of you.

Or at the very least to be content with the you that you are.

The Camino is many things to many people,

but if you look deep enough you'll see, that the Camino is simply time to recharge,

space to forget,

room to relearn,

and a chance to recover.

In short,

The Camino is a hard reset.