An evangelical Christian and a Unitarian Universalist undertake a pilgrimage

We are all in this together

Anyone who has seen the 2011 movie. The pathKnow who shows up to walk: all kinds of people, with varied personalities, cultures and religions. The film, written and directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his father Martin Sheen, introduced the Trail to the United States, generating interest and sparking a wave of would-be pilgrims. Americans now make up the second largest number of people in a single country. Ed and I are part of that statistic, but frankly, the similarities end there. He prays for our safe journey. I pray we get to town before the bars close for siesta.

The Camino has a long history. In 44 AD, Santiago’s bones were taken to Galicia and interned. As word spread, pilgrims began traveling there and the tradition continued on and off until modern times, when it is now the most famous pilgrimage in the world. During the three weeks that I have walked, I have met people who walk to honor their dead friend, to mourn a divorce, to spend time with their daughter before she leaves for college, and others, like me, who have no particular purpose or reason. Maybe we’ll figure it out along the way.

Different but the same

Ed and I have been hiking buddies since 2016. We met on the Appalachian Trail and have reunited over the years for other adventures. We talked about many things and we agree on most of the topics. But in others we are very far apart. The big things. Religion and politics. And he likes the Yankees and I’m more of a Mets fan. So you can imagine that there are not always roses and sunshine among us. But we solved it.

It’s similar to the way I navigate language and cultural barriers here. I have a habit of inviting all solo travelers to join us at our table in a cafe. Some happily accept, others object. At first I don’t understand why anyone would want to sit and eat alone, when they could exchange stories from the Camino with us. But I also realize that it can be stressful for you to have conversations in English. Or they may feel like they are intruding between Ed and me. (Most people we know think we’re a couple until we introduce ourselves as not.) Ed once insisted that a younger Spanish woman take the only empty seat at a bar we were hanging out at. Her male companion said no, you sit down. After some insistence, the couple left and the empty seat remained. I told Ed that they were respecting the age while he was respecting the gender. Who is right? Both.

the real test

For me, the hardest challenge is the boredom of walking miles on boring terrain. For days, the Camino runs along roads from one town to another, and only occasionally takes us over an ancient Roman bridge or a magnificent church. For many pilgrims, this is a time to turn their attention inward and meditate or pray. I, on the other hand, have been listening to the audio version of Harvest Dawn. The prequel to the popular Hunger Games The saga is definitely more entertaining than reflecting or repeating the story of my life. Or pray. Or solve world problems. I am not unhappy nor jealous of the happy ride of others. When my interest in Haymitch and Lenore Dove’s audio stories wanes, I switch to Spotify and dance for a while. Although that doesn’t last long. You have to conserve energy when it’s 94 degrees in the shade. If you can find shade.

walking

Tomorrow we will be in León. Until now, Ed and I have been sharing accommodation and have practically walked together. In León we are going to follow our own path. It will be a break that we both need. You won’t have to listen to my constant, consistent litany of trivia I’ve researched about every city we visit. And I won’t have to tolerate his insistence on keeping the volume up while watching television shows broadcast in Spanish, a language neither I nor he understands. I can use my day off to just lounge in my fancy hotel room wrapped only in a towel and order room service. I don’t know what Ed will do, but whatever it is, he’ll do it in the peace and comfort of being alone for a while. After León, we will join forces and continue our walk east towards Santiago. We are two pilgrims separated by different beliefs and ideas, but united by history, respect and the search for peace and understanding. Ultreia and Buen Camino.

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