My Camino Family

To me, this is my favorite part of the Camino— my family. I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to them, as they are now a part of me. This is by no means everyone I befriended, mainly because that would take ages to write!

Never in my life did I imagine I would form such wonderful friendships that turned into a family, all within 30 days. Life. Is. Magical.

Frank/Manu- somewhere in the Netherlands ( I think) they were Dutch though. These were my first friends. I was on the same bus as them on the way to St. Jean. They were much more prepared than I was. They had reservations at an albergue already so I followed them there and it was so lovely! My Camino sister, Stephanie, was even there too. But she and I met a couple days later. Anyways, Frank and Manu were retired and felt like father figures to me. They enjoyed their time, didn’t rush. Even though Frank had 2 new hips, he still managed to hike faster than me somehow! Sadly I only have a picture with Manu. But they will both be remembered at my first friends!

Dai- Japan. He was my second friend I made. He was also on the same bus to St. Jean. He went to another albergue though so he and I didn´t get to hangout much until later. He was the one to tell me I was using the MEN´S bathroom in Roncevalles, haha! I took a shower, hand washed some laundry and brushed my teeth without realizing I was using the wrong bathroom. He grew up in a Buddhist family, believes in the power of Reiki (a form of therapy Jamey brought into my life.) He always had a smile on his face, created a happy atmosphere wherever he went.

Typical Dai, with a smile!

Dariush– Germany. He brought a lot of humor into my days. He had no issue voicing his opinion on any topic. He left behind his cell phone and would tease me whenever I would use mine (which was a lot, haha) He helped me be more cognizant of how much I use my phone. I learned to not hold back by being around him, since he never held back either. He had to leave the Camino around Belorado, as he landed a job and needed to go back home to move. He and Michel (my Camino brother) formed a beautiful friendship, a brotherhood. They would recite movies while hiking, scene by scene. It was never the same once Dariush left, he provided such comedic relief to the long days.
Stephanie, Dariush, Michel, myself

Jay, Neil, Dariush, Stephanie, Michel

Tony– Holland. He has traveled the world! He was hiking through the Himalayas during the earthquake in Nepal. He saw it happen. He also has felt the energy from Machu Pichu and Easter Island. He, Alice, and I had some lovely conversations about nutrition and having a balanced lifestyle without being too stressed out. He played professional soccer for about 7 years (I think) and then went to work in healthcare. He and I spoke about how Obamacare is similar, or tries to be, to the healthcare in Holland. I was SO happy to see him in Santiago. He was much faster than me and got very far ahead. But his girlfriend was meeting him so he had to slow down to meet her!

Didn’t have a photo of tony 😞but this photo from his Facebook pretty much sums him up haha!

Malcolm–Scotland/ Ireland– The man with the guitar. I cant even count how many nights were full of his music. After a long day of hiking, it was so nice to just sit somewhere and hear him play the guitar and sing to us. I wish I had a better word but he was such a kind person as well. He had soul to him, wasn´t just a surface level human being- he had substance. Everytime he sang, it was like looking into a well of feelings. Was so nice to see such depth to a person. Now I´m trying to figure out how to get him to come play music in Portland!

Malcolm and his guitar!

Neil– Scotland- Neil was the life of the party. He was a part of the group who went out on Logrono (when we somehow managed to go to a club of all places. haha!). He was so happy to talk about Scotland, has a tattoo on his arm even! Would love to use it as a map whenever he talked about Scotland to show people where he was talking about! He was very caring as well. I was a little upset one night, crying, and he just gave me a big hug and told me to cry it out– was so comforting.

When I randomly ran into these guys in a town after almost a week hiking by myself, I was a little happy!

Me and Neil!

Alice– Australia– I only hung out with Alice for a couple days but she was a kindred spirit. We both shared the need to always help people. She was so supportive throughout my Camino via Instagram, always sending me encouraging messages. She had an ankle replacement a couple months ago (the same surgery my mom had, so I knew how intense it was) I was so impressed she was doing the Camino after learning that about her. Tough woman she is! I wish I could have spent more time with her, but grateful for the couple of days I did have.

Clearly a screenshot, but I sadly didn’t have a photo of her.

Hannah– Sweden– She and I spent a lovely evening talking about boys together in Pamplona. Then separated until Burgos. I was able to assist Michel as he took photos of her and her boyfriend in Burgos. They are such a beautiful couple. I always enjoyed speaking with her because she was so real. She had ups and downs, and cursed like me, haha! She has a similar outlook on life to me, and it was comforting discussing life with her since she shared similar philosophies.
Hannah is the one next to me 😍 (others photographed are Stephanie from Miami and Michel!)

Roxy- Taiwan- I only got to hangout with Roxy a couple days but she would become a large part of my Camino. She came to my rescue when I lost my debit card. I still don’t know if it was lost or stolen, but either way I was SO worried. She (and Stephanie) both gave me money. While she insisted I didn’t pay her back, of course I did. The funny part was when I arrived in Burgos (where I had my new debit card sent) I completely forgot about it. When I ran into Roxy, she asked if I had picked it up yet. I couldn’t believe after a week of stressing that I would forget to pick it up! But not only did she help me by giving me money, she also reminded me to pick up my FedEx package! She was so kind to me, and was such a sweet soul to have along the Camino. I will always remember her kindness.

Michel– Germany– My little brother. I had no idea I would ever form such a close friendship to someone, where they felt like my family. He came to the rescue when i lost my debit card. He bought me a sandwhich since I was too busy freaking out to eat dinner. And trust me, you do NOT want to miss a meal when you are hiking 15+miles a day. He was such a lovely person to hike with because we had a similar pace and he liked to stop to take photos as much as I do. He was always there to give me a hug when I needed one, which was a lot haha!

Me and my little brother!

Stephanie– Canada– My Camino sister. Even though she left in Burgos, I had more in debth, philosophical conversations with her than anyone else. She helped me further understand what unconditional love means. She also gave me countless foot massages (doing reflexology on them.) She is the reason I want to go back to school to study Reflexology as well. She had a natural remedy for just about anything and that is the kind of person I want to be. She taught me a lot about self love and how to accept all that you are. I call her my sister because we are closer in age, but there were many times I felt like she was another mother to me. She also was there to hug me when I needed it. Another reason I felt so close to her is because she also opened up to me. I found myself talking a lot but then she would share as well. It was nice to have a two way, sharing street, haha!

Being my goofy self with Stephanie

Stephanie, myself, Sebastian
Sebastian– Germany– His type of humor reminds me of The Office, very quick wit. He helped me a lot during the Meseta when I was by myself, hiking in a very mundane area. He helped me work through some issues by giving me questions to ask myself. He also brought a different perspective to life, one that challenged my perspective. He was one of the MANY people who didn´t quite understand why I was so emotional on my blog. But it provided me the chance to really figure out why sharing brings me so much happiness. He also loves the Simpsons, which I never watch, but I just might after all the YouTube snips he sent me.

Sebastian and Olaf!

Olaf– Germany– Olaf was hilarious. He nicknamed me ¨Sunshine.¨ One day we were hiking up a hard hill, oh a rainy day, when I passed them and said ¨Buen Camino.¨Apparently my smile was like Sunshine for him, haha! I aboslutely loved being around him because he was always so bubbly! He and his friend, Pepe, were nicknamed the ¨Sugar Boys¨ because they always had something sweet with them. They wore bright colors and were usually behind everyone as they took their time. You always knew the Sugar Boys would be there to look after you if you got hurt, they were the caboose of the Camino. They had to leave in Burgos as well but I definitely still felt their presence the rest of the way.

Molly– Canada– The only other female Canadian I met, and just like Stephanie, Molly was one of the sweetest people I would meet. I pretty muc told her my life story. She not only listened but asked me questions while also sharing her experiences as well. I struggled a lot with negative self image, something very common yet seldom discussed. It was nice to share our struggles together. I never felt judged when I shared with her. Even her voice was calming, just so sweet.

Myself, Molly, Mateij, and Michel

Myself, Lucy, Mateij, Molly (may have had a couple glasses of wine by this point 😂)

Myself, Molly, Mateij, and Michel!

Denniz– Cypres– What a character! I will always remember how much he loved his Coca Cola Zero and putting up curtains around his bed to create his own fortress, haha! He was such a lively spirit, and very profound as well. He and I discussed our love for the book, The Power of Now, and the buddhist Pema Chodron. Each of these authors wrote with specific language/terms so it was refreshing being able to discuss what it means to be unconscious/conscious and to feel hopelessness. He has lived in London for the past 7 years but always says he is from Cypres. I loved that because I am the opposite. I have lived in Portland for 2.5 years and lived in Charlotte for 25, yet I say I am from Portland. He is so proud of his roots!

Haha sorry Denniz! But this is the only photo I have of him, his judging/RBF!

Christine– Ireland– I only got to hangout with her for a couple of days, but those days were full of insightful conversations. I will always remember her saying, ¨It´s okay to not be okay!¨ Those words brought me so much peace. We shared an afternoon in Leon together. Drinking wine and discussing life while sitting along a popular fountain in the middle of a town square.

Me and Christine!

Lucy– England– What an incredible woman. From an outsiders perspective she grew the most out of anyone I met. She shared a lot of herself with me, a lot of personal stories. I was so honored to hear about her growth even before the Camino, and to see the continued growth during the Camino. She would randomly start running, simply because she could! haha! You could just feel her confidence building and her outlook on life improving. She also has a beautiful singing voice and I was lucky enough to hear her really sing the last night in Santiago. Along with the others, I will always remember the talks we shared!

michel, myself and Lucy!

Matiej– Slovenia– I met Mateij in a cafe. I was trying to pay for my meal coins so I didnt have to pay for a 5 euro meal using a 50 euro bill. I was short about 5 cents, and Mateij just offers to give me money. I hadn´t even said one word to him and he just goes, ¨how much do you need?” Then he offers to have me sit with him and his friend outside. Little did I know, his friend was Lucy. This was when I was by myself in the Meseta, very lonely. I subsequently met Cristina, Denniz, and Molly through them as well. They basically adopted me into their family.

Haha he was confused why they still had pay phones 😂