Lessons from the Camino

The following is a list of the lessons I learned, beliefs that were strengthen, and/or topics which frequently came up in discussions with other while walking the Camino. Walking the Camino provided a wonderful opportunity to consider what makes a meaningful life. The book Walk in a Relaxed Manner by Joyce Rupp is far more in-depth and insightful than this post.

Table of Contents

TL;DR

The best part of this journey is experiencing the “Camino spirit” which is exhibited by most of the pilgrims and many of the residence along the way: the default response to others is kindness, curiosity, openness/vulnerability.
Simple acts of love and kindness can be life changing for both the “giver” and the “receiver”. If everyone’s response to others was kindness and compassion the world would be a completely different, better, place.
The Camino can be a transformative experience. People who benefit the most take time to reflect on their Camino journey, identify what they have learned, and then make changes in their life informed by what they have learned and regularly remind themselves what’s important.
The best physical preparation for the Camino is increasing the milage you walk each week in the six months before leaving. Doing once a week training hikes won’t adequately prep you for 30+ days of walking. The people who have the least physical struggles were walkers.

Life Lessons

Love is the ultimate measure of a life. Love spreads through connections and multiplies: the giver and receiver both grow love. This can result in exponential rather than merely linear impact.
The Camino Spirit is:
- default is to be kind (loving) to everyone encountered
- no judgement of others, instead curiosity when differences are encountered. Miroslav Volf would say everyone was an “us” not a “them”.
- choosing to be vulnerable, sharing deeply and honesty which builds connection
Walking the Camino forces us to slow down and have space in our lives to notice what is going on in our and others lives. This is something that everyone wanted to bring back with them from the Camino. People who have done multiple Caminos reported that over time they returned to a more hurried pace. One of the reasons they returned to the Camino was to get a reset. Busyness and chasing after “success” will choke the Camino spirit out when you return home.
Life changing community can develop almost instantly when a super-majority has chosen to be in the Camino spirit. This is partially fueled by a self selection bias of who walks a Camino. Being on a shared journey helps brings people together.
Community is the key to a flourishing life and community is what many people discover on the Camino. Community requires:
- Time / Availability / Slack. If you are always busy then you won’t have time for community. True community can only form when people are able to share their lives together. Life isn’t predicable. If your community activities are restricted to a tightly defined time-box you will miss out.
- Care / Love / Acceptance. As mentioned above, love is so important. Healthy communities require the members to choose to love each other and the world around them.
- Vulnerability. People need to drop their guards and lower their masks so people can truly seem them. Without vulnerability the bonds in the community will be weak.
- Something bigger than the individuals of the group. What psychologists can transendence. Community that is only focused in itself will stagnate. It needs something bigger than itself.
What seems insignificant to you can be life changing for others. Don’t underestimate power of simple acts of loving your neighbor. Thank people when they have made a difference in your life. Often they have no idea they had any impact on you. Your thanks will be an encouragement.
The skill of listening well is hard to be developed, but is worth the effort. I often fail to listen because I am so busy formulating answers and fixes rather than listening to truly understand and be empathic.
Presence is maybe the greatest gift we can give to someone. Really seeing people and being with them. Giving them our full attention, and not looking for something better in the moment.
Everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made. Cherish, honor, and respect others even if they are being an idiot in the moment.
Being a great companion requires dropping expectations and being delighted by another which results in an ease of interactions and great satisfaction.
Living out the Camino spirit has many similarity of what Christians would call kingdom living.
You can maintain a Camino spirit by cultivating gratitude, remember to put other people first, and leaving slack in your schedule so you can respond to unexpected needs.
Sometimes suffering isn’t about us, it’s to prepare us to help others. God loves all his children and will sometimes let one child suffer so all his children can thrive.
Don’t blame others. We are responsible for how we respond to all situations. If you give that away, you will always be dependent on other for a sense of happiness.
Contentment = CurrentReality – Expectations. We can be happy in very difficult circumstances if we don’t have any expectations, and miserable in situations that nearly everyone would be delighted by because our expectations are extremely high.
There is great joy and freedom when simplicity is embraced. Pack and live lightly.
Intentional minimalist / essentialism / simplicity focused on making time for what’s most important and getting rid of obligations and possessions that keep us busy and/or distracted.
Minimalist can lead to people being hyper focused on stuff, constantly trying to prune things down to a “perfect” set. Minimalism at it’s best understands that stuff is only useful when it enables spending time on meaningful activities and is best when stuff fades into the background.
Prayer is good, and has been at the heart of most of my most profound experiences. Yet I am not consistently praying. This is stupid and needs to change.
We all hunger for transcendence because we know in our hearts that there is more than our eyes can see. Some people try to find this in nature and art but this isn’t sufficient.
If you don’t push a particular ideology and are genuinely curious, most people are happy to share their spiritual (or none spiritual) journey and you can hear some amazing stories. Ask questions, don’t give answers. Often these people will be interested in learning about your journey. Don’t preach at them, share what you have experience and let them decide what they think. Don’t expect or insist they agree with you. If you are interested… this is a description of my journey.
When people share something significant in common, like walking the Camino, other differences aren’t very important. We heard no one spewing nationalistic rhetoric. Rather than “my country is better than yours” I heard a lot more “oh, we do the same” or “We don’t do that, tell me more about…”. The only time I didn’t always see empathy / compassion is the pilgrim vs “tourist” divide in the last 100km.
If you want to go fast, travel by yourself. If you want to go far, travel with others. You don’t notice the miles if you are in a good conversation, and you are able to help and encourage each other when difficulties are encountered.
The symbolism of the Iron Cross is powerful… identify the weights you are carrying, and drop them at the cross.
For many people, the “Camino Spirit” persists for several months and then tends to fade. Key to keeping “in the Spirit” is to leave slack in your schedule to you can be attentive to others, and to remind yourself regularly to prioritizing contributing to your community.

Practical Hints

I found two questions open up many great conversations. The first is “Why are you walking the Camino?” The second was “You don’t have to believe in it… but if someone was going to pray for you during this journey, what would you want them to pray for / about?”
Many people we met were carrying too much stuff and found their bag to be a burden. The people who seemed unburdened by their packs were carrying less than 15lbs. Here is a packing list for my next Camino which is less than 10lbs.
The right footwear makes a big difference when it comes to preventing blisters. Minimalist sandals like the Shammas Elite Maximus (Bedrock, Luna, Earthrunners, etc) are great provided you have trained your feet before embarking on a long walk. I had no blisters and no foot issues, even after 30 mile days. Ironically I have several people each day ask “Are you hiking in those sandals?” to which my answer was “Yup.. from SJPP. They are the only footwear I brought.”
Most people found private or 2 person rooms greatly enhanced sleep quality. Unless money is really tight, they are worth the cost. If not doing semi-private rooms be sure to have eye mask and ear plugs.
When you meet people that you “connect with” take their picture and exchange contacts on WhatsApp so you can stay in contact. There are a number of people I would have liked to stay in contact with from some of the first days, but we never saw each other again because we were walking at different rates. WhatsApp QR codes are the easiest way to exchange contact info. If you are using WiFi and don’t have cell coverage take a screen shot of your WhatsApp QR code for others to scan, and take a picture of their QR code for when you having Internet connectivity to connect.
Orginize items in your pack based on where you use them. Unpack and pack them the same way each day so you don’t forget anything. For example even if they are different, put things that going next to the bed in the same bag: charger for phone, eye mask, lotion you put on as you get out of bed.
The best physical preparation for the Camino is increasing the amount that you walk everyday. Weekly training hikes by themselves are not adequate to get your body ready for a month of continuous walking.
Bicyclists on mixed use trails should use a bell to warn hikers of their approach. It is universally recognized and doesn’t seem to startle people.
People who are walking as part of a tour can miss out on some of the Camino Spirit because they often travel in a bubble which keeps them from a broader interaction with other pilgrims. If you are in a tour group make a point to meet people outside the tour.
At the end of the day it’s hard to recognize people when hats are off, sunglasses put away, and people of freshly showered. If you are meeting someone for dinner and they haven’t arrived, double check to make sure they aren’t already there.
We could have sold 90+ Montbell Umbrello Hats. They are incredibly practical and made a lot of people smile. We often had people ask for selfies with us or to borrow the hat so they could have their picture taken wearing one.
Some more hints on my Camino page.

Snippets of Stories

One of the best parts of the Camino was hearing people vulnerably tell stories from their lives. I don’t feel free to share full stories without people’s permission… but some short fragments of stories I witnesses or heard to give a sense:

Retired minister who yearly does 750 tax returns free of charge for the poor in his community which is greatly appreciated by them and grew his empathy and understanding of what people were facing.
72y old gentleman with a lot of grit who adjust his plans so as not to damage his body because he had nothing to prove.
A man with terminal cancer walking to Camino to prepare to be his very best self in his last year of life. When he walked the Camino in the past he found the power of kindness, the value of being present with others, and the clarity of a simple life make him better and more loving to all those he came in contact.
A couple that came together years ago when one of the parties came to realize the other wouldn’t hold them back but would always strive to lift them up. We could feel their gentleness just by sitting next to them in a restaurant. Though they faced some serious challenges they were joyous and thankful.
A couple who met on the Camino and found they enjoyed discovering the Way together. They were learning each others language and enjoying each others company. The had a joy and ease that was breathtaking because they have no expectations other than to be companions as they walked.
A vision impaired gentleman who noted that he has a super power… that people strived to be their very best when they saw his cane… being kind and generous to him with this could spill into the rest of their lives.
A women who help many of us see the “boring and ugly” Meseta with new eyes… such as how the wind move the grain like waves on the ocean.
A gentleman who lost his wife on the Camino 5 years ago who is finishing the walk they started, leaving little memorials each place that would have been special to his wife and sharing his experience of what makes a meaningful life.
Many stories of people who were burned out and recovered during their walk finding energy and joy during the Camino. One gentleman said “I was a broken man… on the Camino I was restored.”
People who had trouble “letting go” and so were carrying a laptop to keep tabs on things “back home”. It would have been appropriate to leave the laptop at the Iron Cross, but they took the more practical approach of shipping it to Santiago.

Resources I Shared Frequently

Excellent Advice for Living – Kevin Kelly’s 450 tweet size bites of wisdom. This is an expansion of his 68 bits of advise.
The idea of training for the Centenarian decathlon. Ideally start in teens, as soon as possible, but it’s never too late, especially if you didn’t do a lot of exercise in your earlier life.
Design Your Life – Burnett & Evans. Run small experiments and design yourself into a good life rather than trying to figure everything out and then a grand plan to accomplish everything.
Life Worth Living – Volf, Croasmun, & McAnnally-Linz. This book provides a toolkit to explore and determine what is a meaningful life for you.
Harvard Study which reveals how good friendship and personal relationships are the most significant factor to health and happiness.
Interview with Tom Catena the only doctor serving 750,000 people in the Nuba Mountains in Sudan. Humility, simplicity, what’s important, and resiliency. Support the Sudan Relief Fund.
How to Build a Happy Life podcast by the Atlantic. First season was by Arthur Brooks. Other seasons followed with different hosts.
Books by Arthur Brooks, Richard Rohr, and Parker Palmer for their life affirming and gracious content.
The Good and Beautiful God – James Bryant Smith. Identifies many of the false narratives of what God is like that we believe, and encourages us to have a clearer, and more healthy understand of God’s nature and what He wants for us. Not discussed during our Camino but excellent is Practicing the Way – John Mark Comer which explores some practices which align us with Jesus’ way, a life guided and powered by love.
Kindness Diaries follows Leon as he travels around the globe, and then from Alaska to Argentina by relying on the kindness of strangers who freely provide him food, fuel, and a place to sleep.
My Unsung Hero from Hidden Brain. Encouraging stories of lives changing by simple acts of kindness
Lectio 365: A devotional application which provides 5-15 minutes of content each morning and evening.
Six Streams of Spirituality promoted by Renovare for a balanced faith and what living out those streams might look like.
How many people miss what the parable of the prodigal son is about, and the gracious insights of Ken Bailey.
My notes about the Camino
My Packing Light Page
My Healthy and Fit Page
My advise about money

Re-Entry from a Pilgrimage

Many people talk about how jarring it is to return to “real life” after a pilgrimage like the Camino. After a month of a slow paced life characterized by simplicity, quiet, and community they found themselves facing a hustle / hurry culture that is filled with noise and often more oriented toward competition than community. It is easy to get overwhelmed and to return to old patterns and habits, leaving the Camino experience something remembered fondly, longed for, but divorced from daily life. As I have talked with people about their post Camino experiences there are several things which seem to have kept the Camino spirit alive for many. The following is a summary of the advice I have heard about how to live into the Camino experience once the walk is complete.

Set aside some quiet time (ideally a week or more) between the end of your Camino and starting back to “normal” life to have time to think, pray, journal, and reflect on your experiences. Identify what you learned, how your perspective has changed, how your values have shifted or strengthened. Ask yourself what is important in light of your Camino experience?
Consider your life before the Camino and ask the question “How did my pre-Camino life align with my post-Camino understanding?”. It is likely that you will find places the two don’t align. Realize that if you don’t make explicit changes, your post-Camino life will likely look exactly like your pre-Camino life.
Identify changes you would like to make as your return to “regular life”. Many try to change everything, fail, and quickly give up. Rather make a list of things you would like to change and then decide on one item you will start with. Break it up into manageable steps and find ways to turn it into a habit and then a lifestyle. The book Atomic Habits is a great resource for this sort of planning. Once something has gotten established, look at your list and make the next change.
The most common change I heard from people was making sure they left slack in their schedule so they weren’t constantly forced to react to life. There were moments to reflect and choose a response. Many found that adding a time each day to just be was key. For some this was time to sit, reflect, and maybe write a few sentences in a journal. For others it was a quiet walk in their neighborhood or a nearby park.
The second most common change I heard was people striving to build a genuine community. Often, they had been part of some sort of a community before the Camino, but the experience fell far short of their Camino experience. In some cases people have found that by intentionally investing and initiating in their community they were able form a genuine community. In other cases people realized that where they were putting their time wasn’t working and that they should try something different.
Set a date for your next Camino 🙂

All of these items suggest that what’s key is to identify what you loved about the Camino and then to identify little things which will remind you and keep your grounded, anchored to those things.

My Next Steps

Finish nomad experiment and select the location for the next season of life.
Arrange my schedule so I have regular personal (1-to-1) time with people I care about and enough slack to respond when surprises come up.
Be more intentional to build community. Not wait for it to happen or be invited in to something that already exists but to initiate time with individuals and group events which will encourage bonding.
Improved my listening skills and practice the art of being present. Continue to deepen understanding of love.
Set aside time each day to pray.
Plan to do another Camino in 2026.

I am not in control. I am not in a hurry. I walk in faith and hope. I greet everyone with peace. I bring back only what God gives me.
Murray Bodo, The Pilgrim’s Credo