The Camino

It's tough to begin a post about the most recent section of my time abroad. For the last 37 days I have been walking the Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St James. This is a 490 mile pilgrimage trail that beings in St. Jean Pied de Port,  France and ends in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. I made the choice to continue after Santiago to Fisterra, another 55 miles, all the way to the Atlantic ocean. This means I have walked the entire length of northern Spain. And if you couldn't tell from my poorly hidden hints of bragging- I'm quite proud of this accomplishment.

Me- at the edge of the world Fisterra, Spain

The famous sign marking the edge of Santiago!

Sans 2 rest days, daily life consisted of waking up around 5:30am, strapping on my pack and walking 12-18 miles. I would then check into an albergue (think hostel) and go to sleep around 9 or 9:30 so I could wake up and do it again. Throw in some incredible conversations, about 6 meals a day, and perhaps a nap and you've got a good picture.  In case you are wondering, my pack weighed about 22 pounds when my water was full. Yes it was hard and yes I got blisters.

Camino scenes: cafe sidewalks filled with backpacks and walking sticks

Spain is filled with beautiful nature scenes and my favorite flowers, poppies!

The typical pilgrim lunch: a cheese, chorizo, and bread sandwich. 

But beyond being an incredible physical challenge, the Camino is so much more. People come from all over the world to walk it and for a million different reasons. Some come for sport, some for religious pilgrimage, others for healing, and many because they simply don't know what's next. My reasons were to connect with God, connect with others, and connect with myself.
I was extremely fortunate that my parents were able to start the Camino with me. It is something they have been wanting to do for many years and it was a blessing to share part of the Way with them. They were absolute champs- pushing through bum knees, blisters, plantar fasciitis, and sore ankles. Despite the hardships, I think they enjoyed it and got a taste of the journey I continued on my own.

Mom, Dad, and I with part of the Camino crew.

After Mom and Dad left, I fell in with a group of walking buddies. Two guys- a Canadian and an American and three other girls- all American. People phased in and out of the group but these were the main people I spent the redst of the Camino with. We walked, tsalked, ate, and grew together. We were and remain incredibly different people but poor differences helped treach us lessons we needed to learn. Below is a list of just some of the lessons I learned on the Camino:
1. When you don't think you can't go another step, you can.
2. In life, it is necessary to cast off timidity and play all your cards.
3. Life is best lived with others.
4. Living life with others requires sacrifices- they're worth it.
5. Its possible to walk 12 kilometers before eating breakfast (possible, though not suggested).
6. If you want to have a good conversation with someone- take a walk.
7. Talking about your faith with others strengthens it and allows for personal reflection on your true values and beliefs.
8. People are incredibly different but we all seek purpose and connection.
9. Shut up and listen.
10. Most of us have way more than we need. The simple life is the best life.
11. Choose to live with joy- always.

These are just a few of the lessons the Camino and my Camino people taught me. I now want to share with you a few if the sayings that were often proclaimed on the Camino. The first is, "it's your Camino." This encompasses the fluidity, acceptance, and diversity found on the Camino. This phrase in essence means that though you may walk with others or be asking others for advice in the end the way, pace, and reason why you walk is dictated by you alone. Goodbyes for a day or forever are common on the Camino. In the beginning it is hard but by the end you understand that leaving is what that particular person needs to do to "walk their Camino."

Another phrase we use often is, "the Camino provides." Be it food, a bed, companionship, healing, or confidence- what you truly need the Camino provides. It may take us for an unexpected loop but it provides. And what is "the Camino'" anyways? Well, obviously it is the trail itself but also the people and the experience. When you least expect it someone happens by too help or encourage you. When you run out of water, a fountain is there. When you are struggling with a thought or concept, a conversation or moment will come along that sheds light and understanding.

Interestingly, I also discovered another beautiful aspect of the Camino. It is a place where people, many of whom are nonbelievers, exemplify the Body of Christ without knowing it. Pilgrims care for each other and offer support on many different levels, just as the Body of Christ is called to do. I think that is why so many people are drawn to the Camino- here they receive the  love, acceptance, challenge, growth, and support that they often fail to find in daily life. This highlights the thirst for genuine community that people from all places and backgrounds desire. It also calls us, the Church, to work towards achieving the same raw, genuine, and supportive community in our churches, small groups and homes as is found on the Camino.  If we take up this challenge it is possible to show nonbelievers that the love, purpose, and connection they seek can be found at home and within the Body of Christ.

 Life will never be the same after completing such a journey. I am incredibly grateful to the Lord for providing the opportunity, time, and funds to make it possible. It is my prayer that I never forget the lessons and truths the Lord has revealed to me in this time. Unfortunately, I am only able to scratch the surface of my experiences in this blog. So, if you want to hear more, well...we'll just take a walk sometime.

My Camino girls: from left to right Elizabeth, Me, Melissa, and Tricia

The girls and I in Leon enjoying a well deserved rest day.

The girls with our Canadian walking buddy Brad. 

Long Awaited...Israel

It has been over a month since I left home and almost as long since I left Israel. It is easy to say that never has my worldview been more challenged or affected as they have in this month alone. I will try to give some musings and highlights in this next bit. 

Israel was mind blowing both for reasons I expected and for those I didn't. Obviously there is the Biblical and historical side of Israel that I was looking forward to immensely. However, the modern political side of Israel impacted me deeply. The program I traveled with, Passages, did a wonderful job of including both of these elements and many perspectives into my experience. 

My tour group- complete with 2 SBU professors, our tour guide- Adrian, and security guard- Yoni

Me and our Passages fellow- Lydia

The two biggest take aways for my faith were better understanding the Biblical narrative in terms of geography and culture and the humanity of Jesus. I had a friend who has been to Israel comment that once you have been there the Bible never reads the same way. How true that statement is! How can the way I read the Word of God be the same after seeing the valley where David fought Goliath or the pools of Bethesda where Jesus healed the lame man? 

Dr. Bayer- an SBU Old Testament professor gives us a devotion at An Gedi national park 

A sunrise over the Sea of Galilee

The Western Wall

Some of my peers standing in an ancient cistern that holds roughly a million gallons of water 

This leads me to the second biggest impact of the trip for my faith- I was overwhelmed by the humanity of Christ. We say all the time in Christian circles that Jesus was fully God and fully man. It is an accepted fact that, at least for me, was taken for granted. Jesus called himself the Son of Man on multiple occasions but there is something all together more real about it when you are staring at a 1st century synagogue  where Jesus probably taught. He was here. He walked through this land, stared at these hills...Wow. This man was real and faced struggles the same as me and you. He stood near the Sea of Galilee and thought "Man it's hot today," just like I did (I mean I can't prove it but having been there I think it's a safe assumption to make). Kidding aside it is amazing to sit and have the certainty and knowledge that I worship and follow a God who is not statue or stone but was once flesh and blood. 

In addition to learning about biblical Israel, Passages gave us a great understanding of the modern nation. I had the opportunity to visit the Syrian, Lebanon, and Gaza boarders. Getting a first hand glimpse of the threats that Israeli citizens face daily was humbling and eye opening. It became clear very quickly that the stories I so often see in the news about current situations are usually biased and inaccurate. 

While these two perspectives are incredibly valuable I discovered an Israel that goes beyond the typical biblical or political stereotype that befalls the nation. Israel was breathtakingly beautiful with amazing geographical diversity. There are mountains, valleys, rivers, deserts, beaches, and forests- all within a space the size of New Jersey. The economy is booming and the government has an incredible way of promoting entrepreneurship. The food is fresh, healthy, and delicious. The culture is diverse and beautiful. People are direct and filled with gumption but incredibly kind. The amount of national pride found in each Israeli brings tears to my eyes. 

Mud Masks at the Dead Sea (I'm the one in pink in the front on the left!)

Food!

In short, the nation of Israel is incredible. It is not perfect, something stressed to me by Israelis themselves, but its citizens strive to improve the nation on all fronts with the resources available to them. I encourage you to go and see for yourself the wonder that is Israel from both a modern and Biblical perspective. If you let it, it will change your worldview. I also challenge you to seek non-biased news sources on the nation. And please- if you have questions or want to hear more- ask!