my Camino history...

This blog was pretty much setup to document my planned pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago in France and Spain. There are 3 permissions I need before the trip is a go. That would be from my GP, from my boss and from my oncologist. So far, my GP has given his green light. With any luck, the boss will give her green light this week and then the oncologist will hopefully happen next week.

This pilgrimage has been in the making for nearly a decade, I just didn't know it until a few months ago. The lineage for this adventure probably started when I quit smoking almost 10 years ago. That put me on a course to eventually end up in an eight year (ish) relationship.

I think my first brush with the Camino was when one of my best friend's father took several "hiking" trips to Spain (guess his purpose as it turns out). He kept a blog and sent emails detailing his adventures like getting lost because he had missed the directional "shell". I had no idea at the time that he was doing the Camino.

My partner at the time (Randy) was/is an avid reader. He suggested I read a book he had just finished called My Camino. The author was a former co-worker of his named Sue Kenney. It was one of those books I could not put down that summer and have actually read it again since.

Next came the cancer and successful treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. As many may know they have a lottery called (this year) The Princess Margaret Home Lottery for Cancer Research and in part due to my gratitude for my treatment and wanting to pay it forward, I have bought a ticket for each of the subsequent lotteries. The only prize I have ever won was to date has been a backpack...the type you use for the long hikes. Of course, I have tried to get rid of it over the years but for one reason or another, I have unwittingly hung onto it.

Then while out cycling one day, Randy saw Sue on the street as we were passing and we stopped and chatted for a while. Turns out she has returned to the Camino and written another book called Confessions of a Pilgrim.

Since meeting Sue that day, I have been thinking about whether I could actually do the pilgrimage. Side effects of the cancer treatment caused a radical surgery a few years back. This results from the surgery (although known going in) have caused me to question whether I could complete the Camino. I have done a lot of reading about others that have completed the Camino and I am pretty much thinking I can do it...just maybe not as a "true" pilgrim would.

Most of the people I have read about seem to be on some sort of a self discovery pilgrimage. I think I am too but I just haven't formalized it enough to put into words. More to come on that later.

Did I mention the pilgrimage is about 800 kms (500 mi for those still on the other system) in length? It takes just over 4 weeks to walk it at a normal pace. I am hoping to allow about 6 weeks in total for this adventure.

Fingers crossed on getting the other 2 green lights!