If there’s one thing we don’t talk about enough when we talk about walking the Camino de Santiago, it’s the courage it takes to take on something like this pilgrimage.

For many people, walking the Camino is unlike anything else they’ve ever done before. It’s the first time they’ve traveled alone. The first time they’ve traveled internationally. The first time they’ve been away from home for so long. The first time they’ve carried everything they needed for the trip in one small backpack on their back.

It was no different for my guest today, Carie, who is walking the Camino Portuguese this spring. The fear and the anxiety are, I think, why we need to hear these stories from other first time pilgrims, from people who are in the exact same head and heart space – feeling all that uncertainty, feeling fear and anxiety, yet bravely doing it anyway.

My conversation with Carie takes us through all that plus some practical considerations. We also touch on the modern-day pilgrimage planning phenomenon called AI. Be careful with that, by the way, as AI doesn’t always understand the needs of walkers on the Camino de Santiago, and you may get some wacky stage and accommodation suggestions.

Here is the book Carie recommended: Pilgrimage: Lessons Learned from Solo Walking 3 Ancient Ways, by J.F. Penn

Some of my pilgrims would never walk the Camino without this support.

Others just want the camaraderie that comes with starting with people they already know and who are equally passionate and excited about the journey.

Still others love that starting this way takes the edge off of the fear and anxiety that comes with taking on something like a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago.

Others love planning and preparing and appreciate doing that in an organized, linear, and thorough way.

How can I support you in making your Camino dream a reality? Walk with me in 2027! Go here to let me know you're interested.

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