One day, without realizing it, I became a pilgrim. Not for religious reasons, not because it was trendy, nor because there were pilgrims in my family. It was as if something awakened within me, something I can’t explain. Suddenly, I was a pilgrim on the way to Santiago de Compostela.
I had never pilgrimed before, and I confess that I didn’t always understand the “sacrifices” I saw in Fátima and Lourdes. But I realized that I don’t need to understand everything. Sometimes, it’s enough to respect and accept.
At the end of 2005, my former mother-in-law told me about her experiences on the Camino de Santiago. At that moment, I didn’t know why or how, but I felt deeply that I had to do it. I started researching, and in May 2007, I set out for Santiago for the first time. It was one of the most transformative experiences of my life.

Since then, I’ve walked to Santiago de Compostela so many times that I can no longer count them on one hand. It has become a life experience. The Camino de Santiago is not just a physical route, but a long and profound journey into myself. It’s not about competing or arriving quickly, but about finding your own rhythm, your own time.
The Camino is more than religion, more than sport, more than a trend. It’s a journey to our values, our joys and sufferings, to everything that defines us. On this path, I learned that “less is more” and that “a tortoise knows the way better than a hare.” The first time, I was so focused on arriving quickly that I missed the essence. I made mistakes that had consequences. But one of the most important lessons I learned was: The Camino doesn’t give you what you want, but what you need.
Being a pilgrim means giving up the comforts of everyday life. It means exposing yourself to the weather, whether it rains or shines, and putting on the same boots every day. It means carrying everything you need to live in a backpack. It means caring for others and allowing yourself to be helped. It means feeling happy to have a bed to rest in and a plate of hot food.

Being a pilgrim means understanding that very little is needed to be happy. It means listening to the stories of others and sharing your own. It means moving forward despite the pain and not giving up. It means spreading laughter and sharing sorrows. It means leaving behind, little by little, the weight of life, becoming lighter, and arriving in Santiago with a purified soul.
Being a pilgrim is more than words can describe. Only the heart and soul of someone who has walked this path can understand what it truly means. Today, I am a pilgrim with all my heart and soul, a pilgrim of Santiago. And with me, my hope has also become a pilgrim.
The Camino is the people, the encounters, the difficulties, the moments, the blessings. On this path, I learned: first you walk with your feet, then with your head, but the real magic begins when you walk with your heart. Then, the pilgrim becomes a storyteller.
On the Camino de Santiago, I found myself and found my inner peace. I grew beyond my limits and felt a profound transformation. I am infinitely grateful for everything the Camino has given me, especially for the people I met who became my family. I am grateful for having been able to touch the lives of others.
And so, one leaves a legacy, not only on the Camino de Santiago, but on the path of life.
Comments