Why The Camino de Santiago

Together we've encountered some of the more interesting hikes in the USA, including parts of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT), the Gunflint Trail, the North Country Trail (NCT), and the Cowboy Trail. We're passionate about the national park system, and have also explored many of them over the years. Internationally we've romped on trails in Argentina, Mexico, Australia, Japan, France, Spain, Scotland, England, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Italy. So- what makes the Camino the next stop on our exhaustive list? Read on to find out more!

I first completed 900kilometers on Way of Saint James (el Camino de Santiago or sometimes called The Way) in 2014. I had started the hike completely unprepared for the journey, but came out of it a different, and more resilient person. It was life chaining.

“The Camino was challenging in ways unexpected. Less of a hike, and more of a stretching of the soul. It pushes you to learn a different kind of endurance, and a new way to engage with others.” - Kristin

After returning home, I vowed to myself to take my husband along on a Camino hike if I ever got married. When I met Dan in 2019, and mentioned that I'd hiked the Camino a few times (by then twice), he was intrigued. What kept bringing me back?

Landing on the Camino de Santiago I wanted to bring Dan to Spain before we got married- I had spent fond parts of my childhood and adolescence there, and had spoken Castilian (the dialect of Spanish spoken in Spain) my whole life. For me, sharing this country is an important part of sharing my bilingual culture. Sharing the Camino goes much deeper than cultural sharing for me though. The Camino helped to transform me in many ways, and set my life on the path that I'm now on. If it weren't for the Camino I can confidently say that I would have never come to Seattle, or met Dan at all. See, the Camino is not only a hike, or a cultural encounter- it is spiritual. You encounter people ready to talk about faith, explore ideas, and places that have held these questions for millennia (literally, the way is thousands of years old). The place is charged with openness, curiosity, encounter, and beauty. It is a wonderful way to fall in love with the world, people, and that Creator we all nod to from time to time. In our COVID world, Dan and I have been feeling drained, disconnected, and pessimistic. We were not just looking for another vacation- we were looking to tackle some serious healing and respite time for our souls! This made the Camino not only a great way to introduce Dan to long-distance hiking, but a mutually beneficial platform for growth. So- here I am again, planning a 3rd Camino. I have a suspicion that I'll keep returning to the Camino for wisdom throughout my lifetime, and I can't wait to experience it together with my husband.