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 ❤️
