“…as if we were meant to know what we wanted to know only tomorrow, as if we were, after all, from the very beginning born far beyond ourselves, our whole being a traveling onward ghost, that sees itself only in looking back…” – David Whyte, Traveller

Written on May 12, 2026 – 5 days before I left for Spain

The full-body yes came immediately, almost before the words were fully released into the space between my friend, Monica, and I. My soul beckoned this trip into existence, assisted by her wanderlust friend and desire to delve into the spiritual. She gathered a coven of women of like mind and heart, ready to explore a new land, and ultimately, a new us.

On this Camino, I take all the versions of me. The ones I have forgotten, the ones I have forgiven, the ones who felt unworthy or scared. I take my heartache and my hope, my joy and freedom, my peace and my belonging.

On the dusty path, I leave behind self-doubt, envy, impatience, and my protective hardness. In their place, I welcome my soft center, abundance, my river and my rhythm.

I welcome in all the new versions of me – the ones I haven’t met yet, patiently waiting for my readiness.

The Camino – like the rest of life – is all for me, an not about me. It is my salve and my salvation, though I am already free. It it kerosene for my lamp, fuel for my engine. It will change me entirely, and not at all. It is my hope, my future, my present, and past, all laid out on a rocky road, beckoning me forward, one step at a time.

Buen Camino to my soul. Buen Camino to us all.

[Photo: This house was on the road between Sarria and Portomarín, our first day of walking.]