Life on the Camino
blog
A dream come true
A dream has come true: Thijs, Femke, and I are living on the Camino. Why did we dream of this?
When I was walking the Camino, I often thought, how wonderful it would be if real life were like that. Now we live here in a pilgrim hostel on the Camino, and this is the new normal. I feel at home here. I know what to do, how to behave without thinking about it. I'm more daring here; I'm myself here because I feel less judgment—judgment of myself and of others.
Special energy on the Camino
The energy on the Camino softens people, the layers slowly fall away. There's no need to defend yourself here, because there's less judgment. You can be who you are; after all, everyone is a pilgrim, which creates a connection on a deeper, vulnerable level. After all, you see each other on good days and bad. There's less rushing, less outward display—back to basics. Everyone is equal. Special things also happen here, things for a reason. You see that everything is meant to be. This is true in life too, but because of all the distractions, it's less visible. It's hard to describe, but if you've walked the Camino, you know what I mean.
A thought that increasingly strikes me is, "How do I bring this atmosphere into 'normal' life?" Surely it should be possible? How wonderful would it be if people there cared more for each other? That's why I still believe it's good for everyone to walk the Camino once in their life. It has certainly changed my life.
What I wanted to invite within myself is to learn to give and share more without expecting anything in return. Letting go of the idea of scarcity and the fear of lack. Ultimately, it's about moving from me to we. Something that's desperately needed in our society. We're learning this through trial and error. It's about maintaining the balance between taking good care of ourselves and others.
Of course, there are also people here who behave according to different norms and values than yours. In that respect, the Camino is also a reflection of society; it's the world in miniature. We've had everyone here: astrologers, midwives, unemployed people, hackers, and so on. From New Zealand to Canada, from Mexico to South Korea, all nationalities pass through here. It's a great gift to meet so many people from different backgrounds and cultures.