Why I am walking the Camino.

In May of last year, my friend Natalie walked the El Camino de Santiago de Compostela for the 4th time.   Natalie is  a fellow gym member at Fitness Works for Women, a wonderful gym in Toronto which I belong to.  Whilst she was on the Camino she would keep us up to date, via email,with her various adventures, whilst walking this 800 km. pilgrimage. I must admit that until then, I had never heard of the El Camino, but reading her emails made me want to find out more. 

I researched the El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, otherwise known as The Way of St. James and learnt that it was one of the most important Christian Piligrimages during medieval times and is over 1000 years old.  The most common route is  the Camino de Frances.  The route starts at St. Jean de Pied de Port on the border of France and Spain and ends in Santiago where legend says the bones of St. James have been laid to rest. 

The more I read about this Pilgrimage, the more it seemed to have a grip on me.  I wasn't sure I was as brave as Natalie, who had walked it the four times by herself, I really didn't feel I could walk it alone.   She returned home in June with all her wonderful tales of the roads she had walked, the people she had met, the food she had eaten and the wonderful feeling one has, just by walking the Camino.  She then announced that she would take anyone who wished to go with her on the Camino the following year and I jumped at the chance. 

I started walking and planning right away and we now have two other Pilgrims who will be joining us too.  Shelagh, another gym member and her friend Cathy.   We leave on April 24th and start walking on April 29th.

People walk the Camino for different reasons.  Religious, Spiritual or just for the challenge.  10 years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After six months of surgery and some not very nice treatment, my life moved on, but one never really knows when one has had cancer if it will ever return. I often think of other breast cancer patients who were not as "lucky" as me.  I don't ever like to dwell on the fact that I had breast cancer, but it is always there,  far back in the recesses of my  mind and I am very thankful that after 10 years I am  still cancer free.   It is for this reason that I am walking the Camino.  "My Camino" is a Celebration - A Celebration of my Life.