You know that you are a pilgrim if/when ...

[Magwood]

When you think about walking a Camino rather than attending a health farm to get into shape for your daughter's upcoming wedding.

 

[MTtoCamino]

When one's wife knows she will have to walk the Camino with you so she will know where to scatter your ashes when the time comes.

Interesting how that changes to the Camino

 

[dougfitz]

Interesting how that changes to the Camino

Some parts will be a bit more fertile, maybe!

 

[Robo]

When your coworkers ask why are you in your hiking clothes instead of you work uniform.

LOL. Love it .

Most days I wear my Camino uniform at work! It's comfortable.......... and my boots with orthotics are really the only footwear I can wear these days without damaging my feet.........

That's my excuse anyway

 

[Georgina77]

I have a friend who walks thousands of miles at a time, she identifies herself as a long walker. I have at times spent 25 days +walking just to fulfill a need to break from the congestion of life, but I don't consider myself a pilgrim when I walk for 300 miles to deal with our societies ills. There are reasons I've walked the various routes of the Camino and they have been for spiritual reasons. I have walked the 92 km of the Croagh Patrick pilgrimage because of the need to reconnect with my God and contemplate my sins.
Pilgrimage to me is different than long walking. However both can be fulfilling.

I didn't want to walk the Camino and get home and all I could say is I walked x amount of Km as I could do that at home but I wanted my pilgrimage to be one of reflection and of connection to God, and as a result it was just that and much more as it became the releasing of burdens and making new friends and learning to laugh again it was about seeing and learning the reality of history ; in Canada we don't have 1000 year old walls or houses or even a 1000 year old history so it was wonderful to see the monuments of faith of those who had traveled that same path so very long ago I truly was in awe it was beyond anything I could imagine and ...I am so thankful God gave me the opportunity to go , to Spain for having me and to the Camino for letting me step where so many greater than I have walked before

 

[Levi]

• You put cream on your feet before you take care of your face.
• You cut off all labels in your clothes, even in those that will never see the inside of a backpack.
• You sometimes sleep at home in your sleeping bag, just out of Camino nostalgia.
• You automatically reach for your Credential when asked for a passport.
• You think of the money in your saving account only in terms of 'Camino Kilometers'.
• You get an invitation to a posh event and you realise that you only own hiking boots/shoes and sandals.

Having walked the Camino Frances already twice in 2015 you find yourself (sleepless some night) booking flights and travel to Burgos in January 2016 to walk across the meseta in winter and in all the commercial madness of Christmas in the UK this is all you can think about...

 

[hecate105]

[
When you have openly thought about 2 or 3 eternal resting places along the path where you'd be satisfied being laid to rest (ashes at least.) For me, my favorite is on the hills, overlooking the sea, between Irun and San Sebastian on the Norte. There are grave markers there scattered about.[/QUOTE]
Wow Damian- our favourite too - Mount Jezkibel, sacred to the Basques - and us here in Devon too!

 

[Donna Sch]

You now make a lot of Spanish food at home.
You make bocadillas for lunch at work, buy Spanish Olive oil because you walked through that area, and make a really good Tarta de Santiago.
Your favourite clothes shop is the local adventure/camping store.
You giggle every time you see a Mitsubishi Pajero. And even though you only have un poquito de Espanol, you can tell when the subtitles have been cleaned up in Spanish movies because your Spanish camino friends taught you to swear.
You look for chances to improve your Spanish, and you love that your facebook feed is now full of posts in a number of different languages.

 

[good_old_shoes]

You know you're a pilgrim when...


… almost a year after your walk you still dream at night about things like putting your sleeping bag onto the bunk bed in a random albergue, already filled with other pilgrims, getting ready to sleep...

...and then you wake up, disoriented for a moment, after a while realizing you're in your own comfortable bed – and an incredible melancholia strikes, and you wish that the dream were true, and you were not in your own bed at home, but in that smelly dorm, to walk again the next morning with a heavy pack on your back.



…

 

[SYates]

• the weather app on your computer/tablet shows simultaneously the current weather in your home town and the weather at your next Camino starting point.
• you are far more interested in the later ...

 

[Victoria_Peregrina]

When you bring Camino situations and examples to every conversation ... and they are always relevant.

 

[William Garza]

• the weather app on your computer/tablet shows simultaneously the current weather in your home town and the weather at your next Camino starting point.
• you are far more interested in the later ...

Uhh Ohh..
Caught.

 

[John Richard]

When you have camino towns on your weather app and check the weather in Pamplona, Leon, Salamanca, Oviedo And Santiago before you check the weather at home.

Yes my wife does exactly that

 

[Tia Valeria]

• the weather app on your computer/tablet shows simultaneously the current weather in your home town and the weather at your next Camino starting point.
• you are far more interested in the later ...

and you watch the aemet weather forecast
a) to see the weather on the Camino and
b)to keep your ears tuned-in to Spanish

 

[pilgrim b]

When you know you have to practice trying to live each moment one at a time, for the rest of your life.

 

[MichaelSG]

You know that you are a pilgrim if/when ...

You really aren't bothered that you get the same Compostela that other pilgrims do, even though they "only" walked 1,000km, 780km, 300km or 100km.

I'm feeling sad today.

 

[SYates]

... I'm feeling sad today.

Sending you a hug, SY

 

[William Garza]

When you know you have to practice trying to live each moment one at a time, for the rest of your life.

Practice..in time
Becomes habit
Becomes,
Who you are
Your... definition.

It becomes your Way.

Because if the ineffable,indellable mark and trait the Camino has left on your character.

Which after all,
Character..is a window into your soul.

A gift from the Camino you say...

Did you not leave something on the Camino?

 

[pilgrim b]

Practice..in time
Becomes habit
Becomes,
Who you are
Your... definition.

It becomes your Way.

Because if the ineffable,indellable mark and trait the Camino has left on your character.

Which after all,
Character..is a window into your soul.

A gift from the Camino you say...

Did you not leave something on the Camino?

Thank you so much for your latest work as a reply to my post I really appreciated it. Dear William you ask me in your reply, “Did you not leave something on the Camino? “ . As i thought how to possibly answer this question, your wonderful way of putting things into words occurred to me to be the appropriate one . Forgive me for the lack of poetic craft, but I do believe it says what I wanted to say and in the best medium. Gassho’s to the master!

Yes I left…
who I thought I was

A figment 0f the mind
The illusory self
Like an old coat
Too heavy to carry
For protection in this world.


This so beautiful world!
Which… our infinite pupils can perceive!
A gift from the Camino?
Yes.

With them a myriad of pilgrims can be seen
Past and present
On their Way
Like us practising ……

To be

 

[Walli Walker]

When you read these posts with tears in your eyes.....................

 

[LauraK]

You know that you are a pilgrim if/when ...

You really aren't bothered that you get the same Compostela that other pilgrims do, even though they "only" walked 1,000km, 780km, 300km or 100km.

I'm feeling sad today.

Me too...second the hug from SY

 

[koilife]

When you bring Camino situations and examples to every conversation ... and they are always relevant.

Or not.

 

[Deleted member 43985]

When you rationalize the purchase of gear because it weighs 2oz less than the already perfectly fine piece you already own

 

[OzAnnie]

When you think about walking a Camino rather than attending a health farm to get into shape for your daughter's upcoming wedding.

Maggie
I know I'd come back in better shape from the Camino than a health farm anyway.
So buen Camino !
Annie

 

[Devon Mike]

When I reach for a dvd and end up grabbing The Way...

 

[Rosser]

When you have a first date with a new prospective partner and it ends like this
" I guess there's not much point in meeting up with you again as by the sound of things you're not going to be around much! "

 

[Cliff175]

When you read or hear Buen Camino it brings tears to your eyes

[/QUOTE]

 

[Saunterr]

When you'd rather stay up all night planning your route and reading the forums than sleep. . .

 

[pilgrim b]

When you realise your are still on Camino but it almost two years since you left Spain !!!

 

[nycwalking]

-when you notice you are checking this forum every few minutes.
-when you contemplate selling everything you own to walk ALL camino routes back-to-back and the only thing that stops you from doing so is responsibilty to care for elderly parents.
-And, when you get too ill to walk and screw up your nose not because walking down street is difficult, no, because you say to yourself: How will I walk the camino!

 

[Annie Little]

When your 3 yr old Grandaughter is constantly telling people about Spain (even though she lives in the other side of the earth) because Nanna skyped her from there AND she thinks walking 800kms is normal

 

[Annie Little]

When alllll you can think about since you got home is to quit your job so you can continue walking !!!!

When the people you work with wonder why you have a smile and a wistful look instead of looking stressed !

 

[pilgrim b]

When you breath in and think " I'm alive",
Then you breath out, and smile!
When you smile at complete strangers
and they smile back at you but they:
"Wonder why?" Timeless moments.

 

[LisaAnn]

When seeing this walking along the Waterfront in Hoboken / Jersey City NJ and a smile comes to your face and a tear comes to your eye.

 

[Angie94]

View attachment 30706
When seeing this walking along the Waterfront in Hoboken / Jersey City NJ and a smile comes to your face and a tear comes to your eye.

that is awesome...

 

[Tincatinker]

Oh that made me smile. All that way across the Sundering Sea there is an arrow pointing back

 

[Kanga]

When you would rather spend money on an airfare than get your teeth fixed....
When you would rather spend money on an airfare than buy a new sofa....
When you would rather spend money on an airfare than fix the car air conditioning....
When you would rather spend money on an airfare than buy useless Christmas presents....
When you do a job that you do not like just so you have money for an airfare....

 

[marbuck]

When one's wife knows she will have to walk the Camino with you so she will know where to scatter your ashes when the time comes.

I like that Doug,

 

[MartinZ]

When you feel -of route- whenever you're not on the Camino

 

[peregrino_tom]

Without really realising it I opened a new tube of toothpaste this morning, even though there's a third left in the old one. Somewhere in my subconscious I have plans for the old one. Camino starts in 4 weeks.
And then I remembered this thread

 

[Pafayac]

You know you are a pilgrim if you become mad every time you see a scallop shell on a backpack.

 

[David Tallan]

You know you are a pilgrim if you become mad every time you see a scallop shell on a backpack.

How about if you become happy every time you see a scallop shell on a backpack?

 

[malingerer]

I'm glad to hear that things are moving in the right direction for you, Margaret. I hope that those imaginings sustain and motivate you as your body recovers from the tumble.

I know this feeling. My love had only two days to go for cancer review and the hope we could get on with managing ( eh?) LIFE when down she goes with COVID and bang goes the plans again! Now another wait for another review. Both gutted but planning again out of sheer bloody minded obstinacy, the kind that gets you to that tree on the horizon where you can rest your sanctified arse.

Samarkand.

 

[Trailhawk]

You see the world with jaundiced eyes.

 

[Rushie]

You know you are a pilgrim when all you want to know is what is around the next corner