Walking the Camino as a shy person

[emmarosegardner]

Has anyone walked the Camino while "shy" or introverted?

I (26 f, USA) am walking the Camino Frances in May 2025 mostly excited but also a bit nervous about the social aspect of the journey. I really want to meet and walk with new people during my time on the Camino, but I don't feel confident in my people skills/knowing how and when to approach people I meet. I worry that I will wait for others to approach me and will miss out on meeting cool people as a result.

I wouldn't describe myself as an introvert - more "shy," in that I love being around people once I am comfortable with them, but don't feel like I'm good at meeting new people or initiating interactions with strangers. I feel I lost a lot of my 'instincts' for approaching and meeting new people when I started working from home during COVID. I also have lost a lot of my self-confidence due to gaining ~50 lbs over the past few years due to a pelvic fracture, and find that strangers often treat me differently/poorly now that I am on the heavier side. Additionally, I have had a handful of bad experiences with dishonest people who I thought were friends, but actually turned out that they didn't like me (they just felt bad and were people-pleasing, I guess?) I am genuinely garbage at small talk and feel like I have a really hard time gauging whether new people I meet like me/are genuinely interested in getting to know me or not. I am very smart and that can be somewhat off-putting to some people, which I understand.

There are many reasons I'm doing this walk, but mainly I am hoping to a) spend some dedicated time to nurture my body and work towards my body feeling better, b) reconnect with my self-confidence (the two are not related - I want to love myself regardless of what my body looks like), and c) meet some cool people along the way.

Can anyone speak to their experiences of meeting new people on the Camino? If any of this resonates with you, I'd really love to hear your perspective, experiences, and any advice you might be able to offer. And if anybody knows what I can do to put off a "please, approach me!" energy so that I don't have to worry about initiating, please let me know!

Cheers!

Emma

 

[James van Hemert]

Has anyone walked the Camino while "shy" or introverted?

I (26 f, USA) am walking the Camino Frances in May 2025 mostly excited but also a bit nervous about the social aspect of the journey. I really want to meet and walk with new people during my time on the Camino, but I don't feel confident in my people skills/knowing how and when to approach people I meet. I worry that I will wait for others to approach me and will miss out on meeting cool people as a result.

I wouldn't describe myself as an introvert - more "shy," in that I love being around people once I am comfortable with them, but don't feel like I'm good at meeting new people or initiating interactions with strangers. I feel I lost a lot of my 'instincts' for approaching and meeting new people when I started working from home during COVID. I also have lost a lot of my self-confidence due to gaining ~50 lbs over the past few years due to a pelvic fracture, and find that strangers often treat me differently/poorly now that I am on the heavier side. Additionally, I have had a handful of bad experiences with dishonest people who I thought were friends, but actually turned out that they didn't like me (they just felt bad and were people-pleasing, I guess?) I am genuinely garbage at small talk and feel like I have a really hard time gauging whether new people I meet like me/are genuinely interested in getting to know me or not. I am very smart and that can be somewhat off-putting to some people, which I understand.

There are many reasons I'm doing this walk, but mainly I am hoping to a) spend some dedicated time to nurture my body and work towards my body feeling better, b) reconnect with my self-confidence (the two are not related - I want to love myself regardless of what my body looks like), and c) meet some cool people along the way.

Can anyone speak to their experiences of meeting new people on the Camino? If any of this resonates with you, I'd really love to hear your perspective, experiences, and any advice you might be able to offer. And if anybody knows what I can do to put off a "please, approach me!" energy so that I don't have to worry about initiating, please let me know!

Cheers!

Emma

Emma
You sound like someone I would love to meet on the camino!
In my experience most people will respond positively to a smile, a "hola" , or a helping hand with something. On the camino people enjoy meeting strangers. Simply introducing yourself may be enough to start a great conversation. You will make camino friends. As you walk you will gain confidence.
Buen Camino!

 

[J Willhaus]

@emmarosegardner, do you have your first few nights booked? Some albergues those first nights have a communal dinner where everyone introduces themselves. You'll probably see a lot of these same people a lot on your Camino so it is a good way to "break the ice".

Both Borda and Orrison have a communal dinner. In St Jean, I can recommend Bellari. Make reservations in advance as these are popular places. Best wishes!

 

[AK2112]

Emma
You sound like someone I would love to meet on the camino!
In my experience most people will respond positively to a smile, a "hola" , or a helping hand with something. On the camino people enjoy meeting strangers. Simply introducing yourself may be enough to start a great conversation. You will make camino friends. As you walk you will gain confidence.
Buen Camino!

I can only second what @James van Hemert writes. You will be fine.

 

[Jharris]

I have to agree with joining the albergue communal meals. I did this all along the Frances. It's a great way to meet people. Also at the albergue if I see a group of people visiting in a common area I'll ask to join them. I'm never refused. Walking by myself is my preference.
I've walked the Frances solo twice.

 

[Juspassinthru]

Hi, I’m Emma from fill in the blank, where are you from? Where’d you start? Further on, add when did you start? or when do you think you’ll arrive in Santiago? On the CF, you just broke the ice. Especially on the CF, most people are eager to talk and meet new people. The other nice thing about the Camino, most people respect the need space. If you need some space, slow down or re-tie your boots.

Emma from wherever, I’m Keith from Texas, I think you’ll do fine.