The Camino De Santiago: The Journey Begins

Where does any journey begin? The beginning is such an elusive word…is the beginning the moment an idea came into being. Or, is it the series of events that led to an idea. Or, is it the series of unforeseen and seen conditions that lead to the events.

In telling any story, I believe we reduce an experience, which contains all of our thoughts, senses and environment to words, which rarely do it justice.
Nonetheless, I will try…

I suppose this story may have began…when I was in Vancouver taking a father-son road trip and stumbled upon the movie “The Way.” I did not know what it was but I liked the cover, so I took a picture of it.

Or, perhaps when I was visiting a close high school friends place and her Mom and her brother were going on the Camino.

Or, perhaps when the top Netflix recommended movie to me was “The Way” — a coming of age story about the Camino.

Camino De Santiago

Or, how the following day I received an email from ServiceSpace regarding a Forrest Call, a weekly inspiring conference call, about two individuals that walked the Camino.

Or, the following day I was looking for a book to read in my fathers bookshelf and the book that caught my eye was the “The Pilgrim” by Paula Choelo (a true story about about the authors journey).

No, the trip began when I visited my friend’s mom who had just walked and she cried when she spoke of the significance of the journey she took.

At the end of the day, something told me — after the past 6 months of exploration, growth and learning — that I must walk the 900 km from St. Jean de Porte to Finesterra (“the end of earth”).

And, perhaps by the end of this path, I will have a better understanding of why I am here…my story of walking the Camino de Santiago.