I’m currently sitting at the Madrid airport waiting for my first of two flights back to the United States… I’m fairly sleep deprived at this point, so I hope this stream of consciousness makes sense…
My journey home is definitely bittersweet… if I could do nothing but walk around the world, I would. I was kidding with other pilgrims yesterday saying “tell my boys I love them and send me my dog. I’m never going home!”
There was something so liberating, so majestic, and so divine in this experience, I just can’t put it into words. If I had a year to describe all the nuances, tough lessons, and beautiful divine interactions it still wouldn’t be enough time to adequately describe the impact this journey has had on me. I could try to chronicle each detail, yet it wouldn’t come close to the full expansion my soul has realized, and all the love I have in my heart.
What started out as a physical endeavor and a personal best test quickly morphed into an inward journey, a journey back to love as it turns out: love of nature, love of humanity, love of community, and big love for myself. My work now is to remember... love is always the answer.
The love I experienced on the path added to who I am. It shaped me into someone more aware, more grateful, and more connected to the world around me. I am beyond grateful for the acts of love I encountered along the way because they added to the mosaic that is me.
In the end, walking the Camino del Norte reaffirmed a simple yet profound truth: regardless of the craziness in the world, love is all that matters. It is the guiding light that drives us all, the common denominator that unites us, the golden thread woven through each of us.
For me, this journey was a testament to the power of love – a force that can heal, connect, transform, and guide. Love is the light that illuminates our path, it is the essence of our being, and the foundation upon which we build our lives. This journey taught me to be truly aware of the love that surrounds us - to internalize it and watch it grow.
Love isn’t just confined to grand gestures or dramatic moments. It is also in the simple acts of kindness – the offering of a snack when you are weary, the sharing of advice that eases your mind, the gentle guidance when you feel lost. Love is also in a soft smile, the laughter of children, and the song of a bird. Love is in the stroke of an artist’s brush, and the words of a budding writer. Love is in a beautifully prepared meal, the waves crashing upon a coastline, and the dancing eyes of a stranger. All of that is love and I am only separated from it if I think I am, or if I choose to be. Love is everywhere when I open myself up to the awareness of it.
Each time life knocks us down, it makes it harder to get up, I get it - believe me, I really do. Yet wherever you are in your life, whatever struggles you may have, YOU have the strength to set out on your own path whatever that is for you. And, it doesn’t have to be walking across Spain. There are unlimited possibilities ahead of you once you get out of your comfort zone.
I encourage you to unplug and get out into the world to find your own path. The experiences you have really do create reality, so what do you want that reality to be? Only you know the answer. Nobody can tell you how to do it, and nobody can do it for you. The journey really is the destination, and it is a journey back to love.
I am so grateful for this opportunity and know that I have so many more in my future. In my heart I know that the end of this Camino is truly just my beginning.
Thank you for all your love and support. Until the next time… I WALK.
~Candace ❤️
There is a saying on the path: “The Camino doesn’t give you want you want. It gives you what you need.”
My Camino has been a very skillful teacher, a loving guide, and a constant companion, leading me not just to a physical destination, but to a place of inner transformation. The Camino has a way of stripping away the superficial, leaving only the essence of who you are, whether you like it or not.
As I walk the kilometers of the Camino del Norte, I find myself constantly reflecting on this profound journey. It has been a catalyst for incredible personal transformation, teaching me the true meaning of self-empowerment, self-love, and vulnerability.
When I first set out on this pilgrimage, I wasn’t sure why I was taking this journey. Sure, there was the physical challenge of walking this Camino, but there was also a deeper calling within me that I couldn’t quite put my finger on at the time. Looking back now I was searching for a way to reconnect with myself, to peel back the layers that life had built up over the years, and to rediscover my true essence - who I truly am.
This has been the perfect environment for self-discovery and growth. With each step, I feel myself becoming more authentic, more ME. This time has allowed me the space I need to listen to my own thoughts and feelings without distractions and most importantly, without judgment. I have found the courage to embrace who I truly am at my core, with all my strengths and imperfections.
I have come to realize (and accept) vulnerability is actually a superpower of mine, not something that needs to be hidden away, but rather celebrated full on. It allows me the courage to be open, to show my true self to others, and to face my fears. Because of it I have opened myself to deeper connections with the people I have met and have experienced my life in a much more meaningful way.
Each step forward has been a testament to my resilience and determination, teaching me that I am capable of far more than I have ever allowed myself to imagine. I am capable of enduring, of moving forward no matter the challenge, which has allowed me to rediscover an inner confidence that has been dormant within me for quite some time.
This path has taught me that self-transformation is not about becoming someone new, it’s about uncovering the strength, wisdom, and love that have always been within. I have the power to shape my own destiny, to walk my own path wherever that path takes me. I have an inner knowing that ‘I am enough’ just as I am, with ALL my imperfections.
This journey has been a pilgrimage for my soul, a testament to the power of walking, of moving forward - momentum, step by step. I walk with a heart that is so full of love, a spirit that is empowered, and a soul that is deeply, divinely loved.
With gratitude in my heart, I WALK.
~Candace ❤️
Before I left home my friends asked me why I was walking the Camino Norte. And my answer was always the same: “I’m going to find out why I’m going.“
From the very start, the Camino demanded a level of surrender I wasn’t prepared for. My neatly outlined Virgo-ish plans and expectations quickly dissolved in the face of unpredictable weather, challenging terrain, physical pain, and the sheer exhaustion that would set in after hours of walking each day.
It was clear early on: this journey would be less about reaching Santiago and more about learning to surrender and trusting the process. Like I’ve said, it’s not about the miles.
As the days have turned into weeks, a rhythm has emerged in my days. Wake, walk, eat, rest - rinse and repeat. I find the simplicity of this routine to be liberating. And daily I find the space to reflect and connect with the world around me in a much more profound way.
Walking the Camino Norte is more than a journey across Spain; it's a pilgrimage that is stirring my soul and transforming my spirit. It is an experience that is causing profound spiritual and energetic changes within me. It is the perfect backdrop for introspection and connection with something far greater than myself.
This journey demands both my surrender and trust—two concepts that have become my faithful companions since the beginning as I move forward, step by step.
It is here that my full surrender has taken root and continues to grow. I let go of the need to control every aspect of my journey, embracing the uncertainty that the Camino brings. This act of surrender is not about giving up, but rather about opening up—releasing any preconceived notions and allowing my path to continue to unfold as it will.
Trust, as I’m finding, is a deeper ongoing relationship with the Divine. It’s the quiet assurance that despite the lack of control, things will work out for me as they are meant to. I trust in the path beneath my feet. I trust in my journey to Santiago. I trust in my ability to navigate any challenge that comes my way. The Camino is like a metaphor for my life in general… surrender and trust.
My life, like this pilgrimage, cannot be meticulously planned out. It must be lived, moment by moment, with an openness to whatever comes my way. This journey is the destination, and every step I take, no matter how difficult, is a step toward becoming more fully alive.
I surrender. I trust. I WALK.
~Candace ❤️
As I’m learning, this journey is about surrender and trust.
Yesterday I got slightly squirrelly because I got really lost. I wasn’t paying attention to my app or the markers, and I wound up quite a bit off trail which normally wouldn’t be a big deal, but when you’re trying to get miles behind you, it’s a big deal.
So I took a deep breath, and asked the Universe for guidance to get me back on my path. And just like that, my feet started walking, but in a very specific direction.
It seemed odd to me that my feet were moving without me giving the orders, because normally when you’re walking the Camino you are constantly checking your app, or looking for a yellow shell marker to confirm the direction and then you move on.
After just a few minutes of walking, I turned a corner and heard Bob Marley‘s “Don’t Worry About a Thing” that was playing on someone’s radio. No joke. So I did what anybody else would do, I started singing along!
Just as I was passing by the house with the music an old man came out of his modest home smiling widely. His skin was weathered with age and sun, and his eyes were such a bright blue! I can still see them dancing in my mind’s eye.
This man started speaking to me in full on fast Spanish (and I took French in high school) so I couldn’t understand what he was saying. With more hand gestures than a game of charades, I finally understood that he was asking me if I was a pilgrim. I said, Si, and turned around so he could see the seashell hanging off my backpack. He then asked me to wait as he disappeared into his home. A few minutes later, he came back with an orange and presented it to me. And I started crying.
I was crying not because of the orange, or because I was lost. I was crying because of this profound random act of kindness from a complete stranger. In a foreign country no less! I cried, he laughed, and then I started laughing too.
As I said goodbye to this beautiful soul and set off on my path, I couldn’t help but wonder if these simple acts of kindness have always been around me, yet in the always busy way of life back in the States I haven’t allowed myself to notice them.
Maybe it was the Divine’s way of showing me that kindness really is out there. And it is being reflected back to me because of the kindness that I put out to the world.
Or perhaps I’m becoming more aware of the Greater Awareness that lives within me and surrounds me and all of us. Maybe I’m finally allowing myself to become one with it, and no longer separate from it.
The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me on the Camino. Countless times there have been locals and pilgrims alike to offer a hand, advice, a knowing smile, or a gentle nod in the right direction. It’s truly remarkable.
But maybe kindness isn’t just on the Camino. Maybe kindness is everywhere and I’m at a place and space in my life that I’m allowing myself to be aware of it.
It’s kind of hard to put into words, but it’s like things are becoming clearer, more in focus with each day that I walk.
At a minimum my interaction with the old man and the orange was a direct sign from the Divine designed to lift my spirits and keep me moving forward.
By the way, that was the best damn orange I have ever had!
Thanks for reading.
And now, I WALK.
~Candace ❤️
I’ve spent a lot of time traveling around the world. I think I’ve made it to over 60 countries so far give or take, it’s just my thing. I love to travel and explore new places. I love to hear different languages and get immersed in different cultures with different people. I love the preparation, and the research that goes into every trip. It’s exciting for me to dust off my suitcase or backpack and think back to the last time I used it. So, I would consider myself a seasoned traveler for sure.
I’m well-versed in packing well with the appropriate shoes, clothing, guidebooks, apps, flight schedules, first aid supplies, foreign currency, hotels, and sites to see. I always have things planned out well in advance. I’m a deep thinker so I have the gift of mulling things over for ages, looking for any part of the planning process that might need improvement. I’m definitely a measure twice, cut once kind of person.
But there’s nothing that can really prepare you for an experience of this magnitude.
I thought I had a really good understanding of what was ahead of me before I left. All my Ts were crossed, and all my Is were dotted. But that was me looking at this journey from the comfort of my comfort zone. It’s a whole other ball of wax when you’re out of that zone and into the throws of the actual experience.
I remember being in my living room and going through each stage of this Camino countless times so I would know what to expect, and I remember thinking, no problem. I’ve got this. I’m an avid hiker in the mountains of Colorado for goodness sakes! In fact every morning I go on 2-3 hour strenuous “gratitude hikes” with my dog to thank the Universe and people in my life for all that I have, and everything I’ve become. It’s really important for me to start my day in that state of gratitude. I’m pretty fit and I would prefer to be outside to anywhere else.
It’s the rainiest season Spain has seen in a long time. And of course, Camino Del Norte is on the coast so there’s that. What I wasn’t really prepared for was the constant rain, and the mud - good Lord the mud! I was not prepared for the pain of walking 6 to 8 hours a day on hard surfaces like cobblestones, bike paths, pavement, and roadways. I was not prepared for my feet to experience the sheer agony of the kilometers one after another after another. And, this might be too much information for some so I apologize, but there’s something really wrong with having blister, after blister, on top of blisters. And then having those blisters pop and ooze their goo to soak your socks and shoes even further. You wouldn’t think that you’d be able to feel it in the rain and mud, but you can.
Now might be a good time for me to bring up the fact that I’m carrying my own pack as well. It was my choice, and I would make the same decision. It’s light by most standards, maybe 12/13 pounds but carrying it up and down every single mountain, every minute that I walk regardless of the weather, is tough. And, it was even tougher that first week with the constant, brutal ascents and descents for the first 70 miles or so.
The Camino is a great teacher, that’s a fact. And as I’ve said before, it’s not about the miles. It’s the lessons in those miles. I definitely consider myself ‘schooled up’ at this point, lol!
What Hell Week taught me was that for my personal growth and expansion I have to risk getting out of my comfort zone, and risk being uncomfortable. I would prefer not to have it be in the form of blisters, hotspots and other foot pain, but that was my reality which continues to this day. It’s hard to completely heal when there are so many miles in front of you every day.
I know that there's a lesson in that experience to help elevate who I am as a person, and as a soul. That week taught me something deep and profound... I might not be aware of it right now, or maybe I’ll never be aware of it. But that’s not the point.
The point is for me to live life my way while I am on this planet. And, sometimes I have to get out of my comfort zone in order to do it. If I don’t get out of my own way, nothing changes. If I get side-lined by fear, insecurity, or doubt nothing changes. Nothing changes if I’m complacent. No new experiences can show up if I stay in place. I don’t grow and evolve if I don’t take risks and chances and open myself up to other possibilities. And quite frankly, not all possibilities and experiences I’m gonna like. Hell Week sucked, I’m just gonna put it out there - it sucked. But I survived and I’m stronger for it. The lessons in those miles have changed me forever I can just feel it internally, and I don’t need to know how.
Thanks for reading and I’ll be in touch.
Now I must WALK.
Candace ❤️
As most of you know, I’ve decided to take the month of May for a spiritual pilgrimage, walking across Spain on the Camino Del Norte. It’s over 500 miles from Irun to Santiago. I’ve chosen this route because it’s the most difficult. Why? I’m not sure. Why do I feel the need to walk across Spain? I’m not sure.
So very many of you have reached out with your warm wishes, and words of encouragement. I thank you so much for it all!
I’m 2 1/2 weeks into this journey, this big adventure. And it’s taking me this long to get into the groove, and to truly internalize the fact that this journey is not about the miles. Not even a little bit.
I won’t be posting my days in detail, but I will be sharing thoughts, observations, awareness-es, and knowingness-es along the way. If you enjoy them, please know there will be another one coming in a few days.
With that said, I think I’m starting day 16 or 17 at this point I can’t remember, but I do know I’m almost halfway there. The days tend to blur when you’re walking 6 to 8 hours a day, sometimes in the brutal heat and most of the time in the pouring rain. There’s so much time to think, process, and notice what bubbles up to the surface...
Like many others, before this trip I felt like I was quite evolved, that I had figured out most things at my ripe ol’ age. And really what I’m coming to understand is that the learning never ends. The healing never ends. There’s always more to learn and there’s always more to heal.
As I set out on my path today, I walk with the Universe on my side, knowing that the answers to all the questions that I have are in the miles that are laid out before me.
Thank you for reading. I’ll be in touch.
And now I must WALK.
To your healing!
~Candace ❤️
