I hit the wall a week ago. The ready-to-go-home wall, that is. I was walking on the Camino Francés, on the stage from Villafranca del Bierzo to Trabadelo, and my feet had started hurting in new and unexpected ways.
I really shouldn’t have been surprised, as I had knowingly broken one of my top training rules.
The weather had changed. For the previous week we had been walking in glorious not-rainy weather, and I had been wearing my not-waterproof boots – the ones I had trained at home in and that my feet were totally in love with.
Then I left my Camino Experience group in Pamplona and jumped ahead to Ponferrada to do my own little walk, and the weather called for my waterproof boots – the ones I had not trained in at home because, well, it was summer and not raining when I was getting ready for this trip.
My feet were not in love with my waterproof boots.
My attitude was not in love with walking in the rain.
And the giant climb to O’Cebreiro was coming up and I simply wasn’t in the mood.
Now, DISCLAIMER!
I don’t recommend you do what I did next, especially if you are a first-time pilgrim.
If you are a first-time pilgrim, I recommend you take a deep breath, dig down into your emotional and mental reserves, and climb that mountain in the rain.
However, if you, like me, have already walked this particular stage a half dozen times, then hopefully you won’t judge me when I tell you a got a bus to Ponferrada where I picked up a rental car and then headed to the coast for a couple of vacation days before heading home.
Vacation-time after Camino-time – for me – can be a bit of a shock to the system. Suddenly I was alone in Spain, not surrounded by pilgrims on a mission, and not immediately recognized by the local people as someone on a pilgrimage.
But it was still Spain, and I love driving in Spain, and I do love exploring new parts of Spain, so off I went in my little rental car.
Spain is a remarkable country. So much beauty, practically at every turn. And the cities are all so lovely and welcoming, filled with pedestrian streets, open cafes, and stunning architecture. I am willing to wander around any of them.
I used my “vacation” time to enjoy some coastal areas, to catch a couple more sunrises and sunsets, and to make my US re-entry plan.
I would like to share that plan with you, in the hopes that it will inspire you to take the time to make your own post-Camino re-entry plan as you are taking the final steps of your pilgrimage.
Here are the three main components of my re-entry plan:
1. Plan for a return to healthy eating
A brief flashback: When I got back home from the Camino in June this year, I had the weirdest experience. I couldn’t remember what I ate at home. I mean, I knew where to go for my favorite tacos and veggie burger, but what do I make and eat at home?
See, I had just spent over a month eating out at restaurants. Other people had made all my meals, served them up, and had even done the washing up. All I had to do was pay and eat.
In the absence of a menú, or carta, I couldn’t remember what I typically prepared for myself at home.
Breakfast. Uh, coffee? Uh . . .
Lunch. Um, I like pizza . . . (perplexed look on my face).
It seems so silly, doesn’t it? But as a vegetarian who doesn’t love to cook, I have a limited repertoire in the kitchen. And nothing was coming to mind. Nothing. So weird.
This time is different.
This time I spent some time thinking about my re-entry meal plan while in Spain. I found a bench in a park and sat for an hour with my journal, making notes.
I made a list of what I like to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. And I used my meals on the Camino as the jumping off point.
What did I enjoy for breakfast on the Camino, and would that make a good breakfast at home?
What was typically served in the menú del día, and which of those courses would I like to make at home?
What snacks did I always have on hand, and which ones gave me the most energy?
Not all meals on the Camino were as healthy as I want to eat at home, where I have total control over what goes on my plate . . . when I know the hours of the grocery stores and know I can be there when they are open. So, some things got left off my at-home meal plans (remove: pastries for breakfast, bread at every meal, ice cream at the end of the “work” day).
And some things that were notably in short supply on the Camino got added in. (Fresh vegetables! Salads with interesting add-ins and delicious home-made dressings!)
What I ended up with was a list of favorite meals and a grocery shopping list.
Guess what I did first thing the morning after I got home? That’s right, grocery shopping! My pantry and fridge are stocked, and I am already eating healthy foods that power my body for what comes next . . .
2. Walking . . . etc.
There are so many things I love about the Camino – the culture, the local people, meeting pilgrims from around the world, beautiful architecture and scenery – but what I love most is walking every day. I love moving and challenging my body and moving from place to interesting place. I especially love walking in the early morning hours, as the sun is coming up and the world around me is coming to life.
That’s why an important part of my re-entry plan is to keep walking. Every day. But that’s not all.
Walking on the Camino also reminded me that I am not in the best shape of my life right now. Some days were harder than I would have liked, and I am feeling pretty, well, blech, in my body right now.
To be honest, I haven’t been prioritizing eating healthy and exercising the past few years. I have been super lazy around meal planning and way too indulgent with the snack part of the food pyramid. And I have reaped the not-rewards of that.
I don’t want to go into 2025 feeling blech, so I have also made a plan with two friends to spend the final three months of 2024 focusing on our health, fitness, and self-care.
See, I have a vision for what’s to come in my life in the next couple of years, and I know I won’t fulfill on that vision feeling like I do. I will need to feel strong and confident in my body, ‘cause I have some big things in mind – the kind of things that require that super-hero feeling to accomplish. (Do you know that feeling, when you are standing strong and confident, ready to take on the world? That’s the one I’m going for.)
And I also have some big/cool things coming up with my Camino business, The Camino Experience. That brings me to . . .
3. Work
I am lucky – my work is the Camino. So, every time I get home from Spain, I immediately start – or continue – working on Camino-themed tasks.
But I do have to make the transition from the free-flow nature of walking the Camino, supporting my pilgrims, and posting on social media, to the deadline-driven get-things-done-at-a-particular-time nature of running a business.
I admit, the transition isn’t always easy. First things first, I have to find my way back to my inbox so I can catch up on all the emails I didn’t respond to while in Spain. And . . .
I have some BIG things coming up that you may want to know about.
The first big thing is that I will be opening early registration for my September 2025 Camino Experience group on Monday, October 7. There is already a wait list for that, and if you are on that list, you will be receiving the registration email on Monday. If you are not on the wait list and you want to join that group, let me know ASAP so I can include you in the email on Monday.
The second big thing is that I expect to close registration for the May 2025 Camino Experience group soon, as I have only two spots left in that group. Do you want one of those spots? If yes, then NOW is the time to say YES! to your dream of walking the Camino Francés next spring.
You can let me know you are interested in one of those groups by going here.
Need some motivation to sign up now? Here it is:
The first of six planning-and-coaching calls for the September 2025 group is coming up on Thursday, November 7 (California date and time). On that call we will spend some time envisioning your ideal Camino experience. The perfect way to get started.
The second planning-and-coaching call for the May 2025 group is coming up even sooner – on Thursday, October 17 (California date and time). That’s when we talk about how to get to Saint Jean Pied de Port.
Would you like to join in on these group planning-and-coaching calls, but you can’t or don’t want to join one of these groups? I got you covered with my DIY-plus Camino planning program. Learn more here.
Note: if you are reading this post after the dates mentioned above and you would like to learn more about starting your pilgrimage with one of my groups, go here for the details.
What else?
We’ve got more inspiring stories coming up on the YOU on the Camino de Santiago podcast. Season five is all after-stories, from pilgrims you have already met on the podcast who have now walked. Tune in wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can go to my Podbean webpage to access all episodes of the podcast.