Greetings from Charlotte!

It is now the tenth day on the trail and we as a group have gotten over the initial excitement of global travel and are starting to feel the effects of the pilgrimage. There are more naps, less going out, and quite a few more snores on the bus. This journey is a hard one and we are just over half the distance, but the trail is starting to get harder and each of us are starting to think hard about why we are here.

Some of us came because of difficulties in our personal lives that only the atmosphere of the Camino could help. Some of us are pushing ourselves physically beyond what we previously thought were our limits and are viewing this trip as the starting point of a grand adventure into the world. Whatever our reasons, the sense of community we feel as a group is strong and I personally have developed relationships that will last beyond the Camino.

It’s difficult to sometimes step back from our excitement and personal obligations and simply appreciate the Camino for all its subtlety. Last night we stayed in Carrion de los Condes, a small town outside of Burgos, in a working convent. The juxtaposition of the old, medieval Camino of monks and nuns and old, crumbling stone buildings and the wild, present Camino of bars and festivities. Last night a group of us met up with a few English speaking pilgrims from the British Isles, Canada, and Germany. It was interesting to hear the stories of those who have been working through the Camino only on their feet. One man from Scotland, Ian, had planned on walking the Camino with his father, but, sadly, his father passed away in January, and he is now walking the Camino for his father. A couple of Canadians described their European excursions from Croatia to France. While this program is a wonderful one to immerse ourselves in the Camino culture and to learn the history, but it is easy to forget about the fact that we have a bus and a van to carry our luggage. Meeting other pilgrims, hearing their stories, is a vital and wonderful part of the Camino, and one that none of us are taking for granted.