Part 1: The Journey Begins (September 28–30, 2026)

I’m not quite sure where to start or how to put into words the last 16 days of my life.

Less than a year ago, walking the Camino de Santiago was just an idea in my head. Something I thought would be an incredible experience, but wasn’t sure would actually happen. And now, here I am, having completed my very first Camino!

Before I get into the adventure, I have a few thank-yous.

First, to Eric, for supporting me in taking this once-in-a-lifetime trip for myself. Since starting my 50 by 50 bucket list, I’ve felt like I’ve been a little more selfish than usual. Or maybe, for the first time in my life, I’ve just been giving myself a little more self-care. Either way, I’m grateful to have a husband who encourages me to do these things.

Second, to my walking buddy, Diane, who answered “Yes and yes!” when I asked her two questions: “Have you ever heard of the Camino de Santiago?” and “Would you ever walk it?” And just like that, an idea became a plan!

And finally, a special thank-you to my sister for reaching out to friends and family and collecting letters of encouragement for me to take along the Way. And to everyone who took the time to write a letter, send a card, or share some encouraging words, thank you! I carried those messages with me every step of the way, and believe me, they helped get me through some of the tougher days. There were moments when I needed that extra encouragement more than you know. 

Now, let’s talk about the walking!

Diane and I walked the final 124 kilometers of the Camino Portuguese Central Route, from Valença, Portugal, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. That’s approximately 77 miles.

But here’s the funny thing. According to our trackers, from September 28 through October 7, we actually walked 99.54 miles and took 230,857 steps! Our longest day was 15.54 miles, and our shortest was 5.05 miles on the day we arrived in Valença. In fact, during that time, our only mode of transportation was walking.

Oh, and did I mention we were each carrying a daypack weighing approximately 15 pounds? Add that to all those miles, hills, and rainy days, and let’s just say we got quite the workout!

Along the Way, we stayed in everything from albergues (hostels for Camino pilgrims) to apartments and small hotels. Some were nicer than others, and the bathrooms were an adventure all their own. Seriously, I was amazed at how they managed to squeeze a toilet, sink, and shower into some of the tiniest spaces imaginable!

I’ve been struggling with how to share this experience without writing an entire novel, so I’ve decided to use my journal to take you through the different stages of our Camino. Bear with me, because there’s a lot to tell!

September 28: Valença, Portugal, to Tui, Spain

Our Camino adventure started with a train ride from Porto to Valença. Sounds simple enough, right?

Well, there were no assigned seats, and apparently not enough seats for everyone, so I spent about two hours sitting on the floor of the train before a seat finally opened up. Not exactly the glamorous beginning I had envisioned!

Once we arrived in Valença, we quickly discovered that Ubers and taxis weren’t exactly plentiful. Thankfully, we lucked out and found a driver willing to take us to our first albergue, Villa San Clemente, in Tui, Spain.

After checking in and dropping off our luggage, we wanted to officially begin our Camino in Portugal, so we walked back to the bridge connecting Valença and Tui.

And of course, I had to stop and put one foot in Portugal and one foot in Spain! Not only was I standing in two different countries, but also two different time zones. Pretty cool!

From there, we made our way to the Tui Cathedral, where we received our first official Camino stamp. We’d collected a few stamps in Porto, including one at the cathedral, but those didn’t officially count toward our Camino.

After a quick dinner, we headed back to the albergue to organize our daypacks and get ready for our first full day of walking.

The adventure was officially underway!

September 29: Tui to O Porriño

We were up bright and early, hoping to get ahead of the rain in the forecast. One thing we quickly learned is that the sun doesn’t rise until around 8:30 a.m., so an early start means walking in the dark!

As we made our way along the Camino, we came to a fork in the road. One option took us through an industrial area, while the other was a longer, more scenic route through the countryside.

We wisely chose the scenic route, and I’m so glad we did. The countryside was absolutely beautiful, and even better, the rain held off!

Along the way, we met Aryan, who was handing out Camino stamps and bananas in exchange for donations. His dream is to someday build his own albergue along the Camino. I loved hearing about his plans and seeing how everyone along the route contributes to the experience in their own way.

We also stopped at a charming little café, where we began meeting some of the people who would become part of our Camino story.

There was Josephine, a young woman from Germany whom we’d continue to see over the next several days. We met Sandra and Alexander, who lived in Florida but were originally from Venezuela and Quebec. We also met a couple from Indiana and another from Mallorca.

One of the things I quickly fell in love with about the Camino was how easily people connected. You’d strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, walk together for a while, share stories, and before you knew it, they weren’t strangers anymore.

Everyone had their own reason for walking, their own story, and their own journey. Yet somehow, we were all sharing this experience together.

We also learned a valuable lesson that day: hiking poles make a HUGE difference on hills!

And on a personal note, I started noticing that my cardio on the hills was improving. It was something I would continue to notice over the next eight days, and I was pretty proud of myself!

One quick side note about our luggage: We used a company called Top Santiago to transport our large suitcases from one accommodation to the next. I can’t say enough good things about them. They were professional, punctual, and our bags were always waiting for us when we arrived. Definitely one less thing to worry about!

September 30: O Porriño to Redondela

This would turn out to be one of my favorite days on the Camino, despite being our longest at 15.54 miles and spending more than half of it walking in the rain!

We set out early again, and after about four miles of walking in the rain, we were more than ready for a break. We stopped at a café in Mos, where we ran into Josephine and Brenda, a woman from Colorado whom we’d met the day before.

It was already starting to feel like a little Camino reunion!

We collected some fun stamps that day, including one from a police officer and another at an unmanned stand with a singing piggy bank that thanked you for your donation and wished you “Buen Camino!” You just never knew what you’d come across along the Way.

Before lunch, we met up with Josephine again, and she invited us to join her and two friends she’d met, Esme and Debra, for a pilgrim lunch.

On our way to the restaurant, we ran into Sandra and Alexander again.

And this is where the day became especially meaningful.

Alexander had shared with Sandra that I was walking the Camino in honor of my mom. Sandra was also walking for loved ones she’d lost—her mom and her brother.

When we saw them, Sandra gave Diane and me each a small wooden cross, almost like a worry stone, to carry with us.

It was such a simple gesture, but one that meant so much. Here we were, people who had been complete strangers just a day earlier, connecting through something so personal.

We continued on to meet the girls for our first true pilgrim lunch. One of the things we discovered was just how much more affordable meals were along the Camino compared to back home. Many restaurants offered special pilgrim menus that included a starter, main course, dessert, and drink, all for one set price.

That day, we got all of that for just €11.60 per person!

And because Diane and I were so touched that these young women had invited us “old ladies” to join them, we decided to treat them to lunch. It was such a fun afternoon, sharing stories and getting to know one another.

Two hours later (yes, TWO hours!), we finally got ourselves moving again. After all, we still had some walking to do!

We made our way through Redondela and continued another three miles to our albergue, Casa D’Mina, which was literally right on the Camino.

One of the owners, David, was absolutely wonderful. He also happened to be a chef and had a fully stocked kitchen that operated on the honor system. There were so many delicious options at incredibly reasonable prices. After a long day of walking, it was perfect!

That evening, we ate dinner and spent time chatting with what we started calling the Australian delegation—about eight people from Australia—as well as a mother and son from Arizona.

As I sat there listening to everyone’s stories, I couldn’t help but think about what an incredible day it had been.

We had walked more than 15 miles, spent hours in the rain, shared a meal with new friends, received a meaningful gift from someone we’d only just met, and ended the evening surrounded by people from all over the world.

Different ages, different backgrounds, different reasons for walking. Yet somehow, we were all connected by this one experience.

I’d heard people talk about the Camino community and the Camino family before I left, but I don’t think I really understood what they meant.

Three days in, I was beginning to understand.

And we still had so many miles to go.

Buen Camino!