There's a Magic in Long Walks

Walking the Camino Frances in 2022 was life changing. Every day on the path to Santiago was a mix of challenge and simplicity, pain and elation; waking up with or before the sun, walking anywhere between 20 and 30 kilometres a day, and having those long, reflective moments to myself. It’s about the physical, the mental and spiritual self. It taught me a lot about my ‘presumed’ and occasionally real limits, how to trust my inner strength, and the importance of taking things one step at a time…after all, there is no other way! The whole experience brought a sense of joy and clarity that's hard to find in the regular hustle and bustle of daily life.

Now, as I gear up for the GR 65 Le Puy to Saint Jean Pied de Port in May, it's more than just seeking another adventure. It's about experiencing that clarity and sense of purpose again – if that’s what this 750km walk has in mind this time.

The Camino Frances gave me a taste of what it feels like to strip life back to the essentials and find joy in each day. I'm looking for that connection again—with nature and the road, and with myself. The thought of going through extraordinary landscapes embossed with history, meeting new people where the conversations are genuine right from the start because we are all going ’somewhere’, and overcoming fresh challenges is incredibly intoxicating. There will be poetic moments and breathtaking views; but for me, it's as much about testing my limits, learning, and growing in the most real way possible.

There's a magic in long walks that can't be found anywhere else, a magic that changes you, and I'm desperate to immerse myself in it once more, to let the journey shape me again in ways I can only begin to imagine.