Going Out The Door

Well, we finally arrived in Santiago de Compostella on Sunday afternoon. We are going to take turns on this part of the blog, because we had slightly different experiences.

Robin:

When we walked through the narrow street that leads to the Cathedral, I was a little numb. And then as soon as I saw the spires and arches everything changed for me and the tears came (I’m actually getting teary writing this, which is a little embarrasing as we are in a cafe).

It was a tough journey for me.

When people have asked why we are doing this, Tom and I have slightly different reasons, some of which we will keep to ourselves. But, one for me was just proving to myself I could still do something as challenging as this has proven to be.

While I trained as much as I could, let’s face it, we are vertically challenged in Bowling Green, Ohio. Some of these hill are steep, long and rocky all at the same time, and none of the training I did prepared me for that. It was hard, and there are a few days in particular that made me want to throw in the towel.

Then there was the allergic reaction I wrote about, but it was maybe worse than I let on. And I don’t even want to start on the blisters–I’ll just say I have blisters that caused other blisters.

Then about 3 days out, I came down with a really nasty cold, which meant not much sleep for either of us for a couple of days. That 11 miles the next day, and 13 the following were not a lot of fun. Sorry for throwing another pity party.

But, I did what I set out to do. Finished.

One more thing. Tom has been amazingly patient. I’m a slow walker on my best day, and I know he could have finished in half the time without me–but he was encouraging and always knew when I needed a hand to get up that last step or boulder.

So, walking into that plaza with hundreds of other pilgrims was overwhelming. Seeing people greet new Camino friends they met along the way, the hugs, the tears and the cheers really got to me. And for that, I’m not sorry.

Tom: So, yeah, Robin did have some issues to deal with on our Camino. But as those of of you who know Robin know, she is tough and was determined not to let anything stop her. And nothing did. Despite the challenges, I was confident we would finish the Camino. (OK, the first couple days of Robin’s cold gave me pause…)

I had a slightly different feeling when we got to Santiago. I was elated to get there and complete our Camino. But I was also a little disappointed that it was over.

The days of walking could be tiring, and we would often show up at our day’s destination hungry and thirsty, with just enough energy to satisfy those urges before turning in for the evening. But it turns out that’s what I liked most about the Camino – the journey, not the destination.

Making it to the Cathedral de Santiago was amazing. It’s beautiful and photos don’t do it justice. I’m glad I got to celebrate with other pilgrims in the plaza before the cathedral, and then eventually to go inside to see its wonders.

But when I think of the Camino, I’ll remember the beautiful rocky coastlines, the cool eucalyptus forests, the rocky hill paths, the tiny narrow town streets, and the quiet pints at the end of the day.