Day 59

Day 59: Santiago

When I met Viktor yesterday, I had already walked 26 kilometers. And he had already walked 46.

I was sitting with Tony, Andrea, and Kevin at a cafe near the albergue where they were all staying. They were trying to talk me into staying with them. Not knowing if there would even be another albergue with open beds for another 15 kilometers. Because it was once again a holiday in Spain. Their Labor Day.

But I felt drawn to walk.

And I met Viktor less than half a kilometer later.

Looking back, it reminds me of my "chance" encounter with Randy on Day 1, less than half a kilometer from the start of my Camino. Because I know God ordained exactly who I would begin my Camino with. And exactly how and who I would walk with in the end.

Viktor had planned on stopping shortly after meeting me. We began our journey in silence, and daylight, through a forest of eucalyptus trees.

But he quickly adapted to my slow pace and soon felt like he could walk "forever" if he walked this slow. (Or at least the 20k to Santiago!) So when we came to the next town, he said, "I think I want to keep walking."

By the time we stopped for dinner, we had committed, albeit mostly unspoken, to entering Santiago together. By night. THAT night.

(Kind of like Randy and me deciding to hike the Pyrenees, simply by continuing to move forward.)

And 8 hours later we did. Enter Santiago. Alongside Andres the German, who we met on the trail with 5 kilometers to go.

We were ecstatic to see the Santiago sign and stand under the archway that countless pilgrims before us have stood beneath.

But to be honest, by the time we made the long trek across town, the cathedral itself was a bit anticlimactic.

Granted, it was dark and we were exhausted. But more so, I think we realized it was not "where" we journeyed to that was important. It was "who" we walked with that made the Camino.

Walking through the night to "end" this Camino with someone who in ordinary life would be a stranger, but in Camino life is a lifelong friend after a few hours, felt exactly right.

And today the first person I saw was Kim who told me not to give up. Then, waiting in line for my certificate of completion, I saw Seth from Virginia. While storing my backpack I bumped into the Frenchman who held my hand across the streams (who is actually from Venice and speaks perfect English). And several others I had met during the last 100 kilometers.

While visiting the cathedral and attending mass felt like important "traditions" to help us feel the end of the journey, celebrating with and congratulating friends we made along the way was the best way to honor how far and how much we had all come through. Together.