Ahh the camino though – what a brilliant guide book it is to life. Every camino has always reminded me of what matters, of who I am, of what I need to be considering and it’s challenged me to reflect deeply. Each long day along the ancient paths an opportunity for the camino to work it’s magic by providing the moments, experiences, people and the possibilities needed for such introspection. Always, I am reminded to meet myself exactly where I am in life, and really – is there any other place we should be?

Hiking the Camino del Norte has been my post covid hiking project after walking the entire Camino Frances in 2018. I started in 2021 and it is now 2026. I am about to publish the 2024 daily stages of my walk as I prepare to leave for Spain later this month to finish this camino project. Excitedly with a tad of trepidation I am yet again off to walk a long walk! I have been walking a number of long walks these past years (Scotland, Italy, Japan) and hopefully they will find their way to this space in the future. But first it is time to finish this project.

It does feel rather significant that for the past 6 years I have lived my life alongside a yearly or biennial walk along the Camino del Norte. The Norte has been a constant through these years of growing children, menopause, life on the other side of the world, the covid effects, losing myself, rebuilding myself and all of the easy and hard, joyful and not so joyful days that life gives us.

Having just reread my hiking posts of this long hike thus far, the Norte has shown itself to be quite the mentor to me in this time. Ironically, just last weekend I was saying to some friends that I missed having a mentor. Mentors have always been significant in my life and career. Yes, the camino has been my friend and mentor, it has shown me my weaknesses and strengths – all the the while putting exactly what I need in my path. This is probably one of my favourite new thoughts, seeing the camino as a mentor.

You may recall that I left you after my last post in Comillas. It was my first ever #CaminoOver and it was due to injury, a bit of a silly preventable one. But it taught me I am human, that I am not invincible and that I DO need to know myself better. I took those lessons with me and came back to the Camino in 2024 stronger and ready to practice knowing myself better. I’d love it if you’d indulge me and read along as I write up my 2024 walk (albeit 2 years later) as I prepare to leave for my final stretch of the Camino del Norte soon….

If you want a refresh of my walk reflections you can read my stage by stage posts from day one here!

My walk along the Camino Del Norte – stage by stage