What's a nice Jewish boy like you doing on a Catholic pilgrimage?

I am sure that this question may have crossed your mind, if you have been reading any of my writing about the Camino de Santiago. In fact, I once asked that question myself way back when, before I knew very much that I would eventually be doing this...

Let's begin by saying that the Camino de Santiago has been- and still is- a very important Catholic pilgrimage route for over 1000 years, along with Rome and Jerusalem, since the 11th century. Of the half a million or so people who come to do this yearly (in one form or another) still about one third come for religous or "spiritual" reasons. What "spiritual" is exactly can vary in this day in age. I have a great respect for those who are driven by religious/spiritual reasons to make such a pilgrimage!

 About another third come for the walk itself- the physical challenge, the cultural experience, the social experience of a different kind of travel or- can we still call it "vacation"?

And yet around another third- and some say mulch more- are driven to embark on the journey for purposes that may be called "personal growth", search for meaning/clarity, dealing with life challenges of loss, grief, transition, and the bumpy road and pains that life sends all of us at one time or another.

It is this group that I seek to meet, who they are and where we will meet, will remain to be seen. This is part of this project that has called me forth. More on the "Walk for Meaning and Hope" and "living handbook ".

My Spanish teacher from Argentina taught me a beautiful expression in Spanish which resonates for me in the different languages that are part of my life now:

“En el Camino, mi cuerpo caminaba hacia Santiago, pero mi mente caminaba hacia mí mismo”

English:

“On the Camino, my body was walking toward Santiago, but my mind was walking toward myself.”

Hebrew:

"בקמינו, הגוף שלי הלך לעבר סנטיאגו, אבל התודעה שלי הלכה לעבר עצמי."

For me, "Santiago" is really a metaphor, not the place itself. I am not walking the Camino for religious reasons, but I respect those who are. For me, walking the camino is really a "walk into myself"- in quite a few different ways.

We all have our "Santiago" somewhere and someplace.