Realizing
my Dream.

In
2013 I booked a trip to Spain. I felt a call to go on a pilgrimage, or a
spiritual journey. My goal was to walk the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage in Spain.
I bought all my gear; shoes, backpack, walking stick, jacket, and made a
training plan. Two weeks into my training, I injured my foot. My training
ceased. I had surgery on my foot and went through a very long recovery, only to
be told that I should not walk the Camino. I was very upset about not being
able to complete my dream.

As
I nursed my wounds, I came up with an alternate plan—a virtual Camino. I
purchased a stationary bike that came equipped with a program using GPS. When I
completed the entire journey, I celebrated and shared my accomplishment on
social media. However, my obsession with the Camino and pilgrimage did not go
away after I rode more than 500 miles. I read every book I could find on the
Camino. I attended Camino groups, online and in person. And in October 2018, I was
fortunate to travel to Spain with my mother. We visited the town of Santiago de
Compostela, the end of the Camino. It was a moving experience for both of us.

My
yearning for pilgrimage, and especially the Camino, did not abate. One can
walk, go on horseback, or cycle the Camino and there are numerous routes to
Santiago. One day I was limping around our neighborhood and feeling down about
not being able to realize my dream of going on this pilgrimage. I talked to my
husband about it and he suggested I cycle it. After researching routes and options,
I have decided to cycle the Camino Portuguese.

I
am delighted to announce that in June of 2020, I will begin my journey in
Porto, Portugal and cycle over 200 km. on the coastal path to Santiago!

Bom Caminho!

Please watch for new blog
posts as I share my Camino journey.

If you would like to know
more about the Camino, here are two films you might be interested in watching—The
Way with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez and Six Ways to Santiago.