Camino - Last Day of Walking

After five days and 75 miles, we arrived in Santiago de Compestela today!

Congratulations to all our pilgrims on an incredible journey!

From Roger W:

Today was the first day of the trip that I woke up sore. It may sound surprising, but usually by the time our walking ends to the time I wake up the next day, my legs are fully replenished. Today was an exception likely due to my unwillingness to take Advil during yesterday's walk. Those two small tablets can really make an impact, and without them, pain is usually at the forefront of my mind. No need to worry though, as today is the last day of walking, so it'll be fairly easy to power through mentally. Regarding physical endurance, I've been quite impressed with myself throughout the trip. I don't mean to brag, but I lack any blisters on my feet, unlike my other companions. It's likely due to my shoes, which I have been wearing in for quite some time now. My pain derives from somewhere else though: my shins. I have had a history with shin splints, but today is the only day I have fully come to terms with their return. As far as my mental dexterity goes, I've found myself quite impatient at times while walking. When I'm alone, my mind easily becomes eager on reaching my destination. I try to keep pace with others in order to converse and keep my mind astray, but when I'm caught alone, I recklessly await for our walking to end. Personally, today (the last day) was by far the most painful out of the five. It took mental and physical toughness to power my way through today, which made our arrival at the Cathedral so much more satisfying.

A key lesson I've learned on this trip is to focus on enjoying the journey instead of anticipating the destination. There were plenty of times I did both, and I can whole heartedly say that it was far more enjoyable to take in the journey instead of waiting for it to end. As happy as I am to be done walking, I am definitely going to reminisce on what was one of the greatest times of my life. I look back on each day now and realize that each farm, hill, forest, town, and meadow would only be passed once. At times when I was eager to finish, I overlooked the scenery and beauty that the world had to offer, and as a result, I will always focus on enjoying the journey and taking in what is so easy to overlook. Each day was unique in its own right, and looking back on it, no day was more special than the rest. Galicia is truly a beautiful place, and I hope to return one day.