Purky
Intermittent Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Reality is frequently inaccurate
After I convinced my wife to three weeks hiking the Dutch Pieterpad this coming summer, I still felt I hadn't planned enough. I knew there was room for another week somewhere, so a solo hike in Spain on one of the shorter caminos was very possible and also very tempting.
But I was also feeling worried about my 16 year old son, who has developed a case of teenage depression. He does well in school and engages in sports at least three times a week, so it's not a full blown clinical depression, but it still feels like more than teenage growing pains, so that had to be adressed.
And suddenly it clicked. He had earlier expressed some (remember: teenager) interest in my camino last year, so why not bring him along for a week? Get him out of his room and away from his computer and introduce him into the world of the pilgrim. Broaden his horizon. I presented this idea to him and he actually liked it!
I gave him a choice between walking the Camino del Salvador, Santiago to Finisterre/Muxia or the Camino Ingles, all doable in a week. He chose the Ingles, because he wanted to walk toward and into Santiago. A perfectly acceptable rationale, so the dice was cast.
I'm now into full planning mode so I will be looking at whatever I can dig up from this forum regarding our upcoming camino. I already found the Johnnie Walker Guide, so that is most of it covered, and I can feel the anticipation getting a firm grip. He laughs at my enthusiasm, so that is already a step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. Onwards and upwards!
But I was also feeling worried about my 16 year old son, who has developed a case of teenage depression. He does well in school and engages in sports at least three times a week, so it's not a full blown clinical depression, but it still feels like more than teenage growing pains, so that had to be adressed.
And suddenly it clicked. He had earlier expressed some (remember: teenager) interest in my camino last year, so why not bring him along for a week? Get him out of his room and away from his computer and introduce him into the world of the pilgrim. Broaden his horizon. I presented this idea to him and he actually liked it!
I gave him a choice between walking the Camino del Salvador, Santiago to Finisterre/Muxia or the Camino Ingles, all doable in a week. He chose the Ingles, because he wanted to walk toward and into Santiago. A perfectly acceptable rationale, so the dice was cast.
I'm now into full planning mode so I will be looking at whatever I can dig up from this forum regarding our upcoming camino. I already found the Johnnie Walker Guide, so that is most of it covered, and I can feel the anticipation getting a firm grip. He laughs at my enthusiasm, so that is already a step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. Onwards and upwards!