Summary

Jessica, a writer and online entrepreneur from Los Angeles, is planning to embark on a 72-month journey to prepare for the 500-mile Camino de Santiago trek, inspired by Shaunta Grimes' journey to Ironman.

Abstract

Jessica, a self-proclaimed lover of walking, has lived in cities where driving is impractical, leading her to walk extensively. Inspired by Shaunta Grimes' book "60 Months to Ironman," she has set a goal to walk the Camino de Santiago, a historic pilgrimage route in Spain. Over the next six years, she will prepare for this 500-mile trek, which she views not as a pilgrimage but as an expedition to discover more about herself. Despite not being a runner and having past knee issues, Jessica finds walking and hiking to be therapeutic and meditative. She is planning the trek for three years in the future to be there for her daughter during her teenage years. Jessica's quest for the Camino de Santiago is driven by a desire for adventure, disconnection from digital life, and a return to simplicity, as well as a way to add meaningful experiences to her life.

Opinions

Jessica values the meditative aspect of walking and hiking over other forms of exercise like running, which she finds uncomfortable and unsuitable for her body.
She has a preference for cities that are conducive to walking, such as Boston, San Francisco, and her current residence in Atwater Village, Los Angeles.
Jessica is not deterred by the challenges of urban parking, as evidenced by her strategy of leaving her car parked for weeks to avoid the hassle in San Francisco.
She has a deep appreciation for nature and the outdoors, as indicated by her frequent hikes in Griffith Park.
Jessica is motivated by personal growth and self-discovery, seeking experiences that leave an indelible impression on her soul.
She prioritizes family, specifically her daughter's needs, by delaying her Camino de Santiago journey until her daughter is older.
Jessica views the Camino de Santiago as an opportunity for self-reflection and connecting with a different culture, rather than a religious pilgrimage.

72 Months to the Camino De Santiago

A walk of passion.

Photo by Victoriano Izquierdo on Unsplash

Out of necessity, I have cultivated a passion for walking.

I love to walk.

I’ve lived in a city since I left for college. When I was a broke college student in Boston without a car, I walked everywhere, there wasn’t Uber then, and even if there had been, I wouldn’t have been able to afford it.

After college, I moved to San Francisco, where having a car is mostly a negative because of the limited parking.

The famous quote should be, “All is fair in love and war and parking in San Francisco.”

When I finally found a parking spot on Nob Hill, where I lived, I left my car in that spot for weeks, and walked everywhere, so that I wouldn’t have to put myself through another round of competing with the other 300 drivers for the one available spot.

After an hour or two of driving in circles, and up and down and up and down and up and down those huge hills, finding a parking spot was like winning the lottery, but you were too tried to celebrate when your gold came in. Did I mention I had a stick shift at the time? Yes. I went through at least two clutches. Not cheap.

Then I moved to Los Angeles.

Even though those on the outside say people never walk in L.A., it isn’t true.

I live in a small town within Los Angeles called Atwater Village, and I walk everywhere. Anything you need is in The Village, and Griffith Park is less than two miles away. I hike there three times a week for miles and miles at a time.

Inspired by Shaunta Grimes’s 60 Months to Ironman, I’m starting my own 72 Months to the Camino de Santiago — a.k.a The Way of St. James — a 500 mile trek that begins at Saint Jean Pied de Port, France, and travels 500 miles through four of Spain’s 15 regions, ending at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.

Some call it a pilgrimage. I’m calling it an expedition — to find more of myself.

While I have no desire to complete Ironman: swim in the ocean for 2.4 miles (my father took me to see Jaws — at the New Jersey shore — when I was five. I haven’t felt comfortable in the ocean since, especially 2.4 miles out), bike 112 miles (I’ve biked from San Francisco to L.A. with the AIDS ride, and my ass still hurts, and my wrists haven’t been the same since), or run another marathon (I have run the Big Sur Marathon and recently the L.A. Marathon, but that was not after biking 112 miles and a 2.4 mile swim).

A marathon is hard enough on its own, and when I say I’ve run a marathon, it was more like I walked/ran a marathon, with ‘walk’ being closer to the truth.

I am not a runner. I’ve tried to be, boy how I’ve tried.

I continued to try to be a runner even after a knee specialist in Boston firming said to me, “Never run again.”

I ran the Big Sur Marathon after that warning, but, still, I am not a runner. It hurts my knees, it doesn’t feel right for my body, and I gain weight when I run. Not something one looks for in their exercise regimen. My body does not like running. Not. One. Bit. It responds much better to more gentle exercise like walking, hiking, yoga, and pilates. As soon as I gave up trying to be a runner, I slimmed down, and my knee pain vanished.

But I have a great desire to walk the 500-mile stretch of El Camino and write about it.

I’m in search of an adventure in a place that resembles a time before cell phones, Facebook, the Internet, and email. I crave disconnection from digital. I want to get lost so I can be found. To get in touch with my minimalistic nature, a side of me that when practiced mindfully, it brings contentment.

I want something meaningful that leaves an indelible impression on my soul.

I’m in pursuit of experiences that add value to my life, and I can’t think of a better avenue for self-reflection than hiking through a foreign land stopping at small villages and getting to know an entirely different culture. The trail gives constant contact with the earth underneath the traveler’s feet, touching every step along the way, one foot in front of the other, one step behind the next with a return to a simpler time.

I love the meditative quality of walking and hiking. I struggle with yoga and meditation because I like to be on the move; I struggle with sitting still.

Walking is a way to get exercise while being able to think, or not think. My best ideas come while hiking though mountains and on trails. I could never live anywhere where there wasn’t a mountain nearby to climb. I’m like a goat; I love to climb gradually.

For many years I have dreamed about hiking the Camino de Santiago, all in one shot.

I’m planning it three years out because my daughter is nearly a teen. She needs me now, more than ever. It is a time in her life when she needs boundaries and strict rules and checking up on, making sure those rules are being followed. Right now, I can’t take off for 40 days straight.

But in 72 months I will be able to follow the journey of walking the Camino de Santiago that’s waiting for me in Spain.

Jessica is a writer, an online entrepreneur, and a recovering perfectionist. She lives in Los Angeles with her extrovert daughter, two dogs, and two cats.