In last week's episode we spent time reviewing our wins and successes for the year.

This week we are moving on to the second step of the year-end process by listing our regrets and disappointments.

Wait! This is not about beating yourself up or dragging yourself through the mud, or finding fault with who you are as a human being. If you are prone to self-criticism, I invite you imagine yourself setting down whatever you usually use to beat yourself up with – the frying pan, the baseball bat, the mean words. Agreed? Okay, let’s dive into this.

https://thecaminoexperience.com/

Here's how I can help:

 >> Guided start on the Camino Francés 

 >> Camino Francés Getting Started Audio Guide - 20% off through December 26th!!!

 >> One-on-one Camino coaching

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As this episode releases on Tuesday, December 10, we have four Tuesdays left in 2024 and four episodes left in this season of the podcast. That timing feels perfect for me to share with you something I do every December to wrap up the year.

In this episode and the next three, I am going to share with you my four-step end-of-year practice, in the hopes that you will find value in ending the year strong and setting a solid foundation for the New Year (which I am not-so-secretly hoping will be the year of your first Camino pilgrimage.)

Nancy's 12 days of Christmas (plus two more, but who's counting?!?) begins on Friday, December 13th, when I will be taking 20% off my Camino Francés Getting Started Audio Guide. Through Boxing Day. Get the guide here: https://thecaminoexperience.com/getting-started-audio-guide/

How? Easy, join my email list. In addition to my weekly Friday email which is filled with Camino tips and stories, you will also receive my Top 10 Camino tips (that don't usually show up in the top 10 lists) and my Camino Planning Roadmap. Sign up here: https://pages.thecaminoexperience.com/

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John covers all the bases as he shares his story of walking the Camino Francés in May and June 2024.

Overnight in the Pyrenees? Check.

Stay at a monastery? Check.

Sing with the nuns? Check.

Meet an undertaker who wants your business? Wait . . . check?

Here are the places and helpful tools John referenced in this episode:

 >> Book your bed at Refuge Orisson: https://www.refuge-orisson.com/en or

 >> Stay with the nuns in Santo Domingo de la Calzada: https://www.cister-lacalzada.com/albergue/

 >> Enjoy the vocal talents of the nuns in Carrion de los Condes: Albergue parroquial Santa María

 >> Retreat for a couple days at the San Salvador de Monte Irago Monastery in Rabanal del Camino: https://monteirago.org/en/

 >> Document your pilgrimage using the Find Penguins app: https://findpenguins.com/

 >> Grab one of the coveted 10 spots for lunch at the Parador Hotel in Santiago de Compostela: https://paradores.es/en/blog/pilgrims-treat-parador-santiago-de-compostela

 >> Get your Spanish language skills just right for the Camino with Maria Seco of Spanish for the Camino: https://spanishforcamino.com/

Make sure your pilgrimage plans are on the right track for the kind of experience you are hoping for.

Nail your pre-Camino confidence.

Give your family or spouse the peace of mind to know that an expert has looked over all your plans, with Camino coaching with Nancy.

Now scheduling for January 2025:

Start building your Camino family now!

If you want the freedom to walk the Camino your way, to walk at your own pace, take breaks when you need them, choose the accommodations – dorm rooms or private rooms – that suit your needs and budget, AND you want the confidence that comes from not starting out on this – I’ll say it – epic journey alone, start your pilgrimage with one of Nancy's Camino Experience groups: https://thecaminoexperience.com/walk-with-me/

I will be talking briefly about WHY I walked the Camino de Santiago, and why it might be calling you, too.

Where: Sports Basement store, 610 Old Mason St, San Francisco, CA

When: Sunday, December 15, 2025, 9:30 am to 11:15 am (I have the first 10-minute time slot)

Who: YOU! Whether you are Camino-curious or your flights or booked . . . or if you have already walked one of the Camino routes, all are welcome.

Hope to meet you there!

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That is the question pilgrim Danielle had to ask herself over and over again as she walked the Camino Francés in April and May 2024.

And as she answered that question, she gradually learned to trust herself and to know that she did, in fact, know what is most important and what is also best for her.

Danielle had the honor of carrying Tracy's backpack, and you can hear that whole story in Danielle's first interview, in season four, episode five.

She is going to share with us the bumps she hit on the Road to Santiago, along with how she addressed those bumps. What kind of bumps? Illness, injury, anxiety, bad weather, and the unexpected physical toll of walking the Camino Francés.

JOIN ME ON THE TRAIL IN 2025!

Want to get your pilgrimage started in the best possible way, with all the support you need in the planning and preparation phases?

I still have a few spots left in my May and September 2025 Camino Experience groups, and I would love for you to join us!

Take the next step here: https://thecaminoexperience.com/walk-with-me/

Have you claimed your free Camino Planning Roadmap? How about my Top 10 Camino tips (that don't usually show up on the top 10 lists)?

Get both delivered to your inbox when you join my email list. Here's how to do that: https://pages.thecaminoexperience.com/roadmap

Let's get you off to a successful start!

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That seems to be the theme of Roger's pilgrimage on the Camino Francés!

What happens if . . .

. . . you become injured?

. . . you need a dentist at 6:30 am on a Saturday in a small village in northern Spain?

. . . you don't want to book accommodations in advance in July?

Find out in this episode. And Roger has some well-earned, fabulous advice for first-time pilgrims.

JOIN ME ON THE TRAIL IN 2025!

Want to get your pilgrimage started in the best possible way, with all the support you need in the planning and preparation phases?

I still have a few spots left in my May and September 2025 Camino Experience groups, and I would love for you to join us!

Take the next step here: https://thecaminoexperience.com/walk-with-me/

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Back today with a story of peace from one of the pilgrims who you met in season four (episode six) – Joshua from Corpus Christi, Texas. It is also a story of plot twists and disappointments. But in true Camino fashion, the trail brought it all full circle, and Josh found out what blessings really feel like.

Like many of my guests in this season of the podcast, Josh’s biggest lesson came from the adversity he experienced on the trail, and it’s a lesson I am taking to heart right now. Spoiler alert: it’s something about moving forward no matter what.

In last week’s episode I talked about how to deal with uncertainty – on the Camino and at home. Josh’s experience on the Camino perfectly echoes a few of the strategies I shared – especially the idea to connect with community (code name: Camino family).

Ready to find the peace and life-shifts that come from walking the Camino Francés?

If you are dreaming of walking the Camino in 2025 but are hesitant to venture out on your own, I would love for you to grab one of the last two spots* in my May Camino Experience group or one of the five spots left* in the September group.

Here's where to get all the details and to take your first step:

*Available as of November 11, 2024

I love hearing from my listeners - what you like, what you find most useful, what you want more of. I would especially love to hear how you are using the 6 strategies for dealing with uncertainty from last week's episode.

You can reach me at [email protected] or [email protected]

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Our topic today is dealing with uncertainty, and I have been thinking about this a lot lately. About two weeks ago I noticed that I was feeling really anxious, super worried, and nervous about the outcome of the upcoming election.

But I won’t be talking about politics because that’s not what we are here for. We are here to get you ready for your pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, to inspire you to make that dream a reality. But what about the rest of reality? What about the things going on in the world and in our communities that aren’t so inspiring and are definitely not dream-like?

In this episode I am going to draw some parallels between how we deal with uncertainty in our daily lives and how we deal with uncertainty on the Camino.

If you would like make a donation to support the relief efforts for the recent devastating floods in the Valencia region of Spain, please check out the resources shared by Americans-living-on-the Camino Kelli and Jeff Fields. Here is the specific page on the website: https://vivaespanamovingtospain.com/2024/11/02/valencia-flood-relief/

One of the things I will be doing on election day to find some quiet amidst the noise is a meditative walk on a labyrinth in my neighborhood. led by my friend Mary.

If you are in the Santa Rosa/Rohnert Park, California, area and you would like to join us on Tuesday, November 5, we will be at Doratea Park in Rohnert Park at 5 PM. To get directions on Google maps or similar, use "Donna Ct Rohnert Park."

You can find a labyrinth near you using this tool: https://labyrinthlocator.org/

And to find out more about labyrinths in general, check out this website: https://veriditas.org/

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My guest today, Kurt, from Palm Springs, California, follows a vegan diet, which is sometimes difficult to do in Spain. But it doesn’t have to define your pilgrimage. He has some great tips for finding vegan and vegetarian food amidst the landscape of pork-based meal options.

Kurt is a fairly speedy walker, and his pace did help define his experiences. And he did something I recommend every first-time pilgrim does and does thoroughly – he trained for the physical challenge of the walk. He is going to share with you how that helped define his experience. Spoiler alert: Training makes a difference!

And he is going to share his perspective on Day One walking on the Francés route, from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles in one day – what that experience is like for a first-time pilgrim filled with anticipation and excitement for what lies ahead. What does lie ahead? In a word, the unknown.

How to get the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime experience? That’s in this episode, too!

Have you claimed your free Camino Planning Roadmap? How about my Top 10 Camino tips (that don't usually show up on the top 10 lists)?

Get both delivered to your inbox when you join my email list. Here's how to do that: https://pages.thecaminoexperience.com/roadmap

Let's get you off to a successful start!

#youonthecamino

Coming to you today with another healthy dose of reality on the Camino Francés. This week you will hear from Melissa, who you met in season 4, episode 10. Melissa had a plan to walk the Camino as a way to reclaim what she remembered as her "bad-ass self from her 20s". Who wouldn’t want that, right?

Melissa had a few surprises along the Way, including a vastly different experience of the meseta than she had expected.

She discovered why you don’t want to rush the start of your pilgrimage and why the end – from Sarria to Santiago – isn’t as bad as people say it is.

Melissa lost a few things and ended up finding even more than she lost.

She almost went home due to illness but by sticking with it she discovered something very significant, which you are going to hear about.

And Melissa is going to share her pro tip for getting a bed at Refuge Orisson, which is one of the places you can stay to break the first giant stage out of Saint Jean Pied de Port into two smaller stages.

Would you like to add a different and unique experience to your pilgrimage and take an easier path up the mountain to O'Cebreiro? You can make that climb on horseback! Reservations are essential.

Contact:

Victor Echeverria

My Camino Experience groups start in Saint Jean Pied de Port on May 10 and September 14. Join me? All the details are here: https://thecaminoexperience.com/walk-with-me/

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Day two: plot twist. And that's the day that set the tone for the entire pilgrimage for John and his son.

In this episode, you will hear how John describes the impact of that day as well as lyrics from his Lizard Song, how their rain gear worked out, and what's next for this now-Camino family.

What is it really like to walk the Camino Francés? I will show you - through photos and stories from the trail from this year - in a free mini-webinar coming up soon. And I will share my list of top four ingredients for a successful start on the Camino.

But only if you are on my email list! Join the list and get your free copy of Nancy's Camino Planning Roadmap by following this link: https://pages.thecaminoexperience.com/roadmap

Full disclosure: This is also a promotional event for my two 2025 Camino Experience groups. Learn more about starting your Camino with Nancy: https://thecaminoexperience.com/walk-with-me/

Hope to see you on the 24th!

Listening to this episode after that date? For current information on what Nancy has going on, join the email list and go to https://thecaminoexperience.com/

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