El Camino - My first solo travel...

What a run it has been. I need to say it up front: I am extremely proud of myself. Forty days in total, three countries (France, Spain, Portugal), more than 1,000 km on foot and hundreds of encounters with people from all over the world. I proved to myself that I can accomplish whatever I set my mind to. The whole journey was an emotional and physical rollercoaster. You have to experience it yourself to believe the kind of quiet magic that lives there. Everyone who’s done it talks about an atmosphere that changes you. I was skeptical too, like you might be but it’s true. I still don’t know whether it’s the place, the landscape, or the people that matter most. Probably all of them together. The Camino gives you what you need, but not the same thing for everyone: each person comes with their own reason and purpose. Very quickly it forces you to slow down, look inward, and sync with your body and mind. When your body starts to fail, your mind must take over, sometimes the other way around and sometimes both have to carry you together.

It sounds simple to put on your shoes each morning and walk 25–35 km, but in practice you must be disciplined and sharp every single day. Rain or shine, blistered or rested, after sleepless nights beside snoring pilgrims. For many of us it meant walking 33 consecutive days (for me a bit longer I extended my staying and walked the half Portuguese way but backwards). That constant motion pushes you to the edge, but it also teaches you how to rise above obstacles and focus on what needs to be done. The first day tried me hardest: 33 km with 1,400 m of altitude gain. The view at the top dissolved every doubt. The second day was my 30th birthday, one of the most memorable in my life. Strangers who had become friends organized a small party for me. That unexpected kindness is a memory I’ll keep forever. The Camino split into three sections for me. The beginning tested my physical limits. The middle, when the landscape opened into more desolate stretches, played with my nerves. The final stretch demanded that I somehow refill an empty tank, body and mind and meet people who were only walking the last 100 km to remind me what "normal" life feels like outside this bubble.

I drew countless conclusions and picked up hard-won lessons: slow down but be steady, celebrate small victories, don’t shortcut the work, fight for your dreams and for yourself, be unapologetically yourself, stay persistent, avoid overconfidence, leave your comfort zone and be patient with yourself and others. Believe in yourself. Let go when you need to, be grateful for the people around you, trust your instincts, and listen to your body. I must go to Asia and chase my dream, but first I’ll return for one more season. 

Thank you to my El Camino family: Lucas, Rosa, Jordan, Oli, Celine, Kieran, Anique, Son, Bart, Portia, Sarah, Chris, Tyler — it would not have been the same without you.

 I’m more than ready to start planning my next project. Going to Asia.