People of the Pilgramage, my most memorable experience!

While in Leon walking back to our hotel, two others and I met pilgrims doing the Camino. One, a female (we did not catch either of their names), was from Toronto, Canada and another, male, was from Ireland. Both had just met a day or so prior to speaking with us when they stopped us on the street and asked where we were from. As we began to talk about our class on the Camino, they started to tell us their own story about their journey doing the Camino. We talked about the woman who was doing the northern route both walking and busing (because her legs were tired) and the man who said he has done part of the Camino each year in two-week chunks. They shared their experiences of meeting new people and bonding during the walks/at hostels. The book we read for this class reflected on the author's experience with meeting new people and then getting to speak with others who were also experiencing it, and getting to experience it in our own way as well, was amazing. I loved chatting about how they did the Camino and why they did. They expressed that you had to make it your own Camino and not do it for someone else. They also emphasized walking in a small group or by yourself, bigger groups get too hectic and harder to make it an individualized experience. Through this interaction, I feel like I got more information and knowledge that I would have without speaking to people who currently were walking the Camino because of how real it made the trip seem. I know that I was studying the Camino and "doing my own Camino," but speaking to those who were walking it because they want to know they can made the trip and my knowledge of the Camino that much better.