Fifteen days of walking, three days of rain, two pouring all day, and one pouring as we entered Santiago.  One day with hurricane winds and flooding and incredible rain. We took that day off.  A few blisters on my toes. Several friendships forged that will last a lifetime. One new tattoo on my leg.  Lots of laughs, reflection and fun.  The Camino de Santiago is an incredible journey.

In October 2014, when I was 65, I walked the last 100-kilometers of the Camino.  I really had no idea what I was getting into and knew very little about the Camino, except what a friend, who actually hadn’t yet done it herself, told me.  But I was determined to walk, so I packed a suitcase, hired a company to do all the planning for me, including all my accommodations, and moving  my suitcase each day.  I never got walking poles or even hiking boots, and set out with a few items in my suitcase, a back pack with even less items, and wearing a pair of running shoes.  As luck would have it, my bag was lost for the first 3 days of a six day walk.  I bought myself a pair of shorts, a tee shirt, a long sleeve shirt, a baseball cap, and set out on my walk.  I was a runner at the time and I was in great shape and although it was different from running, I completed the 6-days with no trouble and headed back to South Korea, where I was living with my husband, Steve, and announced that we had to do the entire 800-kilometer (500-mile) walk as soon as possible.  That walk happened in 2017, when I was 67.  I was still an active runner and in great shape.  I did have poles, very good hiking shoes, and I managed with little difficulty to finish the walk in 40 days, with some days off.

Today, I’m 75, and there is no comparison between doing this at 65 or 67, and doing this at 75.  For starters, I wore a brace on one knee, and a sleeve on the other.  This, after two cortisone shots and one gel shot.  I am slow, and I noticed that I spent most of my time looking down. I needed to keep a close eye on the changing terrain so that I wouldn’t fall or trip. That would end the journey for sure.  In past Caminos, I didn’t think twice about dashing behind a tree, squatting, and peeing.  There is no squatting happening at 75.  My dear friend Jeanne, from Peaks Island, gifted me a “Lady J” device, which is essentially a urinal for women.  I don’t squat, but rather pee through a funnel standing up, like a man.  An essential item for any woman my age that may have to pee in the woods.  My poles are another item I couldn’t walk without.  I noticed some people walking along as if the rain we had was just a part of the walk.  Not so for me.  The rain was, frankly, a pain in my ass.  I somehow managed to walk through it and arrive at our hotel, wet, tired, and ready for a hot shower and a glass or two of wine.

This is my last Camino-well, my last Camino de Santiago. I don’t usually say that about many things, but I am complete. I’m humbled by the experience. I did it!

Arriving in Santiago in the pouring rain, did not allow for the joyous picture taking or friends to greet me.  Instead, two loyal friends, Maria and Gino, came out in the rain to fetch me and take me to the warm, cozy bar they were in with more Camino friends for a lovely glass of wine and a place to dry off.  The rest of the evening consisted of a Pilgrims mass at the Cathedral, a must regardless of one’s faith, dinner with Camino friends and a great night’s sleep. The next day, I went back to the Cathedral Square and took some pictures as I watched enviously as Pilgrims poured into the square under a bright sunny sky. I met my new friends for some coffee before I headed to the tattoo parlor for my first, and probably only, tattoo.  I ended the day with a few martinis at the luxurious Parador in the cathedral square.  I bid a farewell to my new lifelong friends, and to Maureen, my Peaks Island friend who I walked with and headed to the airport for the journey back to Latvia. I’m “home” and settling in for the week.  Next week, we are off to  Vilnius, Lithuania, home to three of my four grandparents.  And the adventure continues!

With love and gratitude,

Marsha