In 2016, I had reached my 70th year, and I had run out of dreams.
I’d had an eventful and rewarding life, but now, I was beginning to feel that I was too old to grasp any more of life’s possibilities.
Somewhere deep inside, I knew I needed a new dream, a new hope, and I thought I might find them on the Camino the Santiago.
Perhaps on the Camino I might find a way to reconnect with my lost self, the girl who believed in hard work and perseverance more than strength and genius. The mother who realized that every step forward is progress, and that making comparisons is self-defeating.
I discovered that in many ways the Camino mirrors life, with all its challenges, its mundane moments, its moments of exhilaration and despair, exhaustion, and transformation.
I regained my zest for life and possibilities emerged. I accepted that having reached one destination, there could be many more. I was able to ask myself; how do I know when one journey ends, or when another begins?
The memory of the Camino lingers, guiding me on, and reminding me of its lessons.