Time between planning and doing

[Chenahusky]

Hi,

I am curious as to how long people waited, between their first idea of doing a Camino and actually doing it. I am starting my first Camino (Frances), at the end of May this year. I first thought of doing it when I was last in Santiago in 1964, 52 years ago, I had arrived then by ship and bus. I kept on meaning to do it, but other things seemed get in the way. Still, better late than never! I feel it may be busier now than then?

Regards,

Chenahusky.

 

[wayfarer]

Welcome to the forum Chenahusky. In my case it was about 20 years.
Happy planning and Buen Camino.

 

[mspath]

In graduate school 50+ years ago I attended courses by the great medieval art/architecture historian Meyer Schapiro. Several erudite lectures focused on the architecture along the Camino Frances, not only great monuments but also simple vernacular buildings. He stressed the importance of carved shells as the major iconic motif for identifying all related to Saint James as well as the immense social impact of the camino path across northern Spain; the path became the 'main street' with ‘burgos de francos’ or independent neighborhoods settled by former pilgrims nearby and, thus, the towns developed. ... Bingo I was hooked and decided that someday I would walk that path myself. Forty years later I did; fifty+ years later I still am and hope to continue until my time is finished!

Margaret Meredith

 

[jpflavin1]

Hi,

I am curious as to how long people waited, between their first idea of doing a Camino and actually doing it. I am starting my first Camino (Frances), at the end of May this year. I first thought of doing it when I was last in Santiago in 1964, 52 years ago, I had arrived then by ship and bus. I kept on meaning to do it, but other things seemed get in the way. Still, better late than never! I feel it may be busier now than then?

Regards,

Chenahusky.

Chenahusky:

For me it was four months between the first time I heard of the Camino and walking one.

Now, it is the day I get home until the next time I walk again.

Happy planning,
Joe

 

[peregrina2000]

Chenahusky, you were certainly way ahead of your times. But in 1964 you wouldn't have found any infrastructure at all or any arrows, so it probably would have been more of a challenge than a pleasure.

I first heard about the Camino in 1970 during my junior year abroad at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, and it percolated in my subconscious for many years. In the 1990s our entire family spent a year in Madrid. On a hiking trip in the Pyrenees, we met a Spanish woman who had walked it a few years earlier, and that's when I resolved to do it. My first camino was in 2000 when I turned 50 and I haven't stopped walking since.

(And btw, did you know you have a doppleganger on the forum? Check out @dougfitz)

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Waka]

I decided to walk the CF last easter and started in Sept. Now planning my next one, but I'm not sure when that will be.

 

[mcopeland]

September 2014. Leaving April 25. Had to wait until my husband retired.

 

[domigee]

First became interested whilst at Uni and I only walked it ...forty years
later!

 

[AlwynWellington]

I am curious as to how long people waited, between their first idea of doing a Camino and actually doing it

Early in 2001 I met the woman I was to marry a few years later. She subscribed to an independent Roman Catholic monthly magazine, Tui Motu. A few months on I read a piece by and Anglican priest I knew of his experiences starting from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

In 2010 I had some family weddings in late July. My wife was then unable to travel. First went to Belgium and France, to the battlefields associated with New Zealand. Then to northern Spain as I had never been there before and with the thought in the back of my mind to do some of the Way to Santiago.

My mind was partly made up very early on a Saturday morning. On a street just to the west of Burgos Cathedral and looking towards the river I saw individual back-packers cross about 50 metres in front of me. Many stopped and, by the gesticulations, I guessed they were asking directions before continuing westwards. And I also hazarded a guess as to their end objective.

Just before sundown that Saturday I passed by O'Cebriero with back-packers everywhere. It started to drizzle and ponchos etc were being donned. I stayed at a private hostel in Samos that night and continued before sun rise. Staying as close as I could to the route I couldn't help notice all kinds, conditions and ages of people streaming out of their hostels. Before I had reached Santiago I determined to make a go of it. And had a hectic time dropping excess baggage, finding what was a suitable start point and how to get there. By 6 pm I was on the balcony of the International Hostel in Sarria talking to a young American lad who, with three friends, had started from SJPdP 28 days before and whose sister had been to New Zealand.

I was hooked before I had started.

A few years before my wife died we had a conversation about things I could do subsequently. A more planned pilgrimage (to Santiago) was at the top of the list.

 

[DowtyCamino]

A British preacher visited our church in NC-USA in 2008 having just come from his Camino. I told Allison - for our 20th Anniversary we should do THAT! Well we missed our 20th, but walked on our 25th, 7 years after first hearing about The Way.

 

[ManyMiles2Go]

A British preacher visited our church in NC-USA in 2008 having just come from his Camino. I told Allison - for our 20th Anniversary we should do THAT! Well we missed our 20th, but walked on our 25th, 7 years after first hearing about The Way.

My wife and I first heard of the Camino in 2011. We also planned to do it the next year for our 25th anniversary. Unfortunately, with work, kids in college, etc. we had to wait until 2013, but we did get to celebrate our 26th anniversary on the Camino!!! Already planning to do it again for our 30th in 2017. Can't wait

 

[Deanpf]

I heard of the camino about three years ago and, after deciding to leave my job of a decade, am heading out for my first time at the end of May this year. Hard to think about anything else these days.
Buen Camino

 

[HeidiL]

My family and I lived in Madrid 1996-1999. In 1998 my husband and I went to a meeting at the Norwegian embassy to hear a talk about the Camino. The same summer we drove along the Camino for about 500 km and visited Santiago, swearing that we'd return when our son was big enough. In 2004, we decided that we'd waited long enough.

 

[NHDori]

I saw the movie, "The Way," in July of 2015 and I knew I would do it. I asked a friend who travels regularly (she was in Nepal when I watched the movie) if she wanted to do the Camino with me and she asked if it was something I'd always wanted to do. I'd never even heard of it until the movie. My trip is booked for June, eleven months after that fateful day I will be walking my Camino.

 

[AlwynWellington]

I saw the movie, "The Way," in July of 2015 ... eleven months after that fateful day I will be walking my Camino

Welcome to the forum

Buen camino
Ki kaha (be strong)

 

[Urban Trekker]

Hi,

I am curious as to how long people waited, between their first idea of doing a Camino and actually doing it. I am starting my first Camino (Frances), at the end of May this year. I first thought of doing it when I was last in Santiago in 1964, 52 years ago, I had arrived then by ship and bus. I kept on meaning to do it, but other things seemed get in the way. Still, better late than never! I feel it may be busier now than then?

Regards,

Chenahusky.

Heard about the caminos in 2010. French way was my goal. Walked the English way from Ferrol in 2013 and the Portuguese way from Porto in 2014. Walking
The French way from SJPDP starting in April. Had to wait for my collage friend to retire. Buen Camino

Happy Trails

 

[Cecy]

I heard of the camino about three years ago and, after deciding to leave my job of a decade, am heading out for my first time at the end of May this year. Hard to think about anything else these days.
Buen Camino

Ok this one matches mine hehe i heard of the Camino the first time in 2013 but didn't think much about until the Camino knocked on my heart again last year...going in Sept starting in Valenca...yes, very hard to think about anything else

Buen Camino

 

[C3 to Camino]

I love reading these inspirations. I have known about the Camino for decades - not even sure when I first heard about it - but never really considered doing it until I spent a month in Santiago vacationing this summer. It has just been calling to me since, and it will be a great way to celebrate and give thanks for beating cancer (two with surgeries and treatments, and one surgery to remove pre-cancerous cells). I am now trying to get my strength and stamina back as I can hardly walk right now, and even then I'm using a walker. But, slowly getting better and once I can walk -- Camino here I come!

 

[dougfitz]

Chenahusky, ... btw, did you know you have a doppleganger on the forum? Check out @dougfitz

I know that I had a very close double in England in the late 1970s, although how we compare now would be interesting. But in this case, I think that any similarities might be more the result of interpreting our small profile pictures than any closeness that actually exists!

 

[Chenahusky]

I know that I had a very close double in England in the late 1970s, although how we compare know would be interesting. But in this case, I think that any similarities might be more the result of interpreting our small profile pictures than any closeness that actually exists!

Hi Doug,
I also think it is the Silver hair and Blue shirt. The strange thing is that in the 1970s, I also had an obviously close double in London, as people would come up to me and start talking. Then after a while, they would usually say, "You are not you, are you". I used to reply "I am me, but not the me you think I am". Thank you to all, for the responses and inspirations. It has been very interesting to see the time spans.

Regards,

John.

 

[november_moon]

Yeah, I'm not sure when I first learned about it either, but it was in 2011 that I decided that I wanted to walk, and decided to do it in 2014 to celebrate turning 40.

 

[Dave2525]

A friend told me about it in 2012. I quickly dismissed the idea but the idea refused the o stay on the back burner.

I ended up doing the CF in Sep 2014.

 

[Jeannie's Journeys]

Hi,

I am curious as to how long people waited, between their first idea of doing a Camino and actually doing it. I am starting my first Camino (Frances), at the end of May this year. I first thought of doing it when I was last in Santiago in 1964, 52 years ago, I had arrived then by ship and bus. I kept on meaning to do it, but other things seemed get in the way. Still, better late than never! I feel it may be busier now than then?

Regards,

Chenahusky.

I started my planning in 2010 and will FINALLY walk to CDS beginning late May. Hope to see you out there. Buen Camino!

 

[Former member 52047]

I have just recently decided I will be quitting my corporate job next year and spending 6 months traveling, starting with Camino del Norte. So, if all goes according to plan, it will be about 18 months from idea to walking!

 

[Sarah80]

My first camino, I waited about two years as the idea rattled around my brain. Tomorrow I set off on my first winter camino and I decided to do that last week (so about a week!).

 

[JP]

I heard about the Camino reading travel narrations in travel magazines over the years and also a local TV actor did the Camino Frances and would give the occasional lecture about his trip, but I never attended one. What really lit the match for me was by pure chance. I was looking into pile of DVD's on sale at Walmarts and there was a DVD with Martin Sheen on the cover ( I like Sheen as an actor), but I had no idea what the movie was about. I sat down and watched the movie for several time over the next few days in late July 2013 and I was hooked! Bought my pack and started accumulating gear about a week later and started training in August and over the Winter. I convinced my Girlfriend to come with me and on the 20th of April 2014 we started from St-Jean Pied de Port and made it to Santiago in late May.