March 14th – April 21st, 2025

Route: Camino Frances (Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela)

Total Distance Walked: 779 km / 484 miles

It’s taken me a lot of thought to write this final Camino Frances post. Since finishing, people have been asking me questions like, “Would you do it again?” or “What did you learn about yourself?” And honestly, I’ve wrestled with those answers.

When I set out from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, walking alone into the unknown, I thought the Camino would be about self-reflection. I expected that somewhere along the way, I’d have a profound personal epiphany or maybe I’d uncover some hidden part of myself.

But that didn’t happen.

What actually happened was something different, something better. I met wonderful people who made the experience worth having.

When I arrived in Santiago, my little Camino group celebrated with a beautiful dinner and plenty of wine. At the end of the night, three of us walked to the symbolic endpoint of the Camino: a simple flagstone embedded in the middle of the square inscribed with the text “fratres in viam,” or “brothers in the way,” in Latin. We stood there together, knowing it was over. We hugged, pointed in the direction of our respective hostels, each of us heading off in a different cardinal direction, and we laughed at how much it felt like the closing scene of a movie. Then, we walked away, each into our own night.

In the days that followed, I felt a heaviness settle in. I’d planned to attend CampFI Spain after the Camino, but my head wasn’t really in it. I missed the Camino. I missed my friends. I missed the routine we had built over weeks of walking and adversity.

And after weeks of reflection, I’ve realized something: this experience was exactly what a challenge like this should be.

Every big challenge in my life has been punctuated by deep personal connections. Boot camp was designed to break us down so we could be rebuilt together as a team. My time in the Nuclear Navy introduced me to some of the smartest people I’ve ever met, including one of my best and longest friendships. Striking out on my own in Seattle led me to even more friendships that have lasted 20+ years. Moving from Seattle to Washington, D.C. brought me my “running girls” and friendships that have carried me across cities in the U.S. and Europe.

The Camino was no different. It was hard. It was unforgiving in those early days. But it only became a truly life-changing experience when it was shared.

So to everyone I met along the way, whether we shared a minute or a day, thank you. And to Scott, Monique, and Stefano: it wouldn’t have been the same without you. I’m so grateful.

Buen Camino.