The First Seps - Camino Day 1

We started our first day on the Camino de Santiago following a beautiful evening in Burgos. We stayed at a hotel overlooking the Cathedral of Santa Maria, and the view was spectacular!

I felt the anticipation of the trip reach a high point in the evening as we watched the moon rise over the back-lit cathedral. It was not pure excitement or fear, but a healthy balance of each I suppose. We had been planning this trip for almost a year, ever since Kristin gifted me a camera and a scallop shell with the words 'Camino 2022' written on it for Christmas last year. Now here we were, on the eve of our pilgrimage, full of hope and excitement and nerves. We're we going to make it? Would our sore bodies and, let's be honest, less than prepared muscles dictate a shortened journey for us? Would the Camino bring us together, or drive us apart? With a prayer the following morning for God to watch over us, we began.

The morning leaving Burgos was cool and pleasant, with a soft breeze hitting our already sweating skin and cooling us mercifully. I was worried about the heat, as this stretch of the Camino has been known to have temperatures near 40 C (115 F), but the beginning of our walk was thankfully very mild. We stopped a few times on our way out of town, doing our best to listen to our bodies and take a rest even for 10 minutes when needed.

At our first rest stop at a bench near a river, an old man greeted us as pilgrims and excitedly shared his experience on the Camino 35 years prior. He and Kristin spoke rapidly in Spanish as I nodded along and attempted to laugh and say 'Gracias' at appropriate moments. When he left us with a 'Buen Camino,' Kristin graciously translated his message for me.

He told us to take it easy, that we were young and should take our time to enjoy the Camino rather than attempt to walk 30 to 40 km in a day. He was glad to see us stop for a rest at the bench, and hoped we would continue to go slow and stop at churches, cafes, scenic spots, and to talk and share with other pilgrims and locals. This felt validating to me, as that was exactly our plan and the experience I was hoping for.

As we walked throughout the day, my feet started to ache, my shoulders started to throb, and I continuously adjusted my pack to alternate weight from my hips to my chest and shoulders. I slowly started to come to terms with my body's state and limitations 2 years after the onset and diagnosis of Lyme's Disease. I was definitely not 24 anymore and it had been many years since I was hiking everyday for my job. But this did not discourage me so much as remind me to do what we had talked about and already been doing - to go slow, take breaks, and listen to our bodies. I am grateful for the chance to learn how to move, grow, and endure in this body, which is still an incredible machine capable of amazing feats!

At the end of the day, we made it to Tardajos, 10 km (or about 6 miles) away. I felt grateful, satisfied, and fulfilled after a 3 course pilgrim dinner and am excited for the new memories, connections, lessons, and aches of the coming days! Buen Camino!