Hiking the Camino, 500 miles across Spain

“Just make the decision, then everything else can fall into place.”

My mom’s mantra is simple. Because of it, she and I will head to Spain at the end of August to hike 500 miles.

The French route of the Camino de Santiago crosses over the Pyrenees and runs along the northern part of Spain to reach Santiago de Compostela. For many, it is a religious pilgrimage; for us, it is a journey of soul searching, adventure, and a call to live in the present.

Over about a month, we aim to hike about 16 miles a day, walking through fields, up and over mountains, and into small towns where we’ll spend nights with other backpackers in hostel-like accommodations called albuerges. We aren’t planning it all out; we plan to listen to our bodies and walk, eat, and sleep accordingly.

This will not be my first long hike. In 2021 I hiked across a large swath of California on the Pacific Crest Trail. I fell in love with waking and sleeping based on the sun's natural cycle and feeding my body and soul with fresh air, playfulness, and challenge. Being in nature for those ten weeks connected me deeply with my wildness, my humanness.

The Camino will, however, be my first backpacking trip that winds through lots of cities and towns, one that doesn't require camping at night but situates hikers to end each day surrounded by others (often in rooms with dozens of bunk beds).

While cultural immersion, rewilding in nature, and challenging myself are all aspects of this journey, I look forward to; I am most excited about getting to hike with my mom. There is something special in thinking about scaling mountains, sharing paella, and exploring a new country with the woman who birthed and raised me. It is a testament to our closeness, and our desire to support each other no matter what challenges arise.

I’m thankful to be in a place in my life of such openness that I could say yes to such a grand adventure and I look forward to sharing more details as to how we are training, what we are packing, and how this adventure unfolds.