023: The Camino de Santiago: One Destination, A Thousand Stories
Reflections at the end of my 2025 personal Camino walk. And an invitation to join me on the next one in October!
Hello Camino friends! Here’s what’s in this issue:
🧭 “The Camino de Santiago: One Destination, A Thousand Stories”
🥾Camino First Steps Experience: Join me in October on the Camino Inglés
💭Scenes from the Camino: Impressions from the Camino Inglés
🎥Camino Conversations: Join us live or watch the recordings. Next Guest: Maria Seco of Spanish for the Camino.
🇺🇸Come meet me in Asheville, North Carolina, USA
📆How to get help planning your Camino.
Are you getting my posts directly to your email or Substack feed? If not, click here to join us.
“What’s the Camino?”
❓Not even sure what the Camino de Santiago is? Start here.
🤔Heard of the Camino but not sure if it’s for you? Read this.
Let’s get started!
🧭 The Camino de Santiago: One Destination, A Thousand Stories
There were hundreds of us in the Plaza de Obradoiro yesterday. I had walked 6 days to get there. Others had walked 15 or 30 or more. But in moment you are standing there, in front of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, none of the details matter:
Whether you are religious or not
Whether you started your journey alone or with others
Whether you’re 22 or 48 or 77
Whether you walked 10 or 15 or 20 miles per day
In that moment, we are all united. Our goal was to get to this very spot on which we stand.
Some have been dreaming of this moment for years. Some decided only a month ago or a week ago that they would set out to walk the Camino de Santiago. But none of that matters.
All of us standing here, staring in awe at our surroundings, laughing or crying or taking pictures, all of us — every single one— have done something incredible.
We set out on a journey with a specific destination.
We faced challenges.
We experienced highs and lows.
We had long hours of being inside our own heads and/or long hours of conversations with others.
We listened. We learned. We wondered. We marveled.
Some of us had tears in our eyes at some point. Some of us more than once. Some due to sadness, others due to happiness or overwhelm or love.
We’ve shared our joys and our hardships—in words if we share a language, in looks and sign language if we don’t. We’ve consoled one another, shared our love, our water, our blister treatments, our love, our hugs or whatever else someone needed.
The majority of people who were in that square with me yesterday morning? I’ll never see them again. Yet in that moment, we were all simply humans sharing an experience together. And it was incredible.
With love,
Rebecca
🥾Camino First Steps Experience
I’m kicking off my first Camino Walk with Rebecca this October with a small group and a supported start on the Camino Inglés.
We’ll walk the first few days of the route—not necessarily side-by-side, but connected. You’ll have the freedom to walk at your own pace, with the reassurance that I (and others) are nearby. Some may walk ahead, some may linger—and that’s exactly how it should be.
Before we go, we’ll have on-line small-group prep sessions where we’ll cover everything from training and packing to accommodations and Camino culture. Then we’ll begin our journey in Spain—walking the first few days together as you settle in, find your rhythm, and gain confidence. After that, you’ll continue on your own, with the tools and trust you need. And when your walk is done, you’ll receive gentle post-Camino support, because reflection is part of the path, too.
This isn’t a tour. It’s a supported beginning to your Camino Inglés.
Interested? (October trip is full, but click here to be the first to hear about my upcoming Camino Walk with Rebecca trips).
💭Scenes from the Camino: Video Reflections from the Camino Inglés
For the first time ever, I posted a live video every day I was on the trail. Below are the links. My goal, at first, was to share information. But then a wise person advised me to share my experiences. So you have a little bit of both. If anything from these videos brings up a question or a thought or an observation, I would be honored if you would take a moment to share that with me by writing a comment.
Live from the Camino Inglés (Day 4) - Due to technical issues, this one isn’t available yet.
🎥Join me for live interviews here on Substack!
Upcoming:
Wednesday, July 30, 11-11:45 EST: Maria Seco, of Spanish for the Camino, teaches pilgrims the Spanish they need to make the most of their time on the Camino de Santiago. She’s a pilgrim herself and lives on the Camino Portugués. Click this link on July 30, 11-11:45 EST to join us. (Or, if you’re reading this after that date, you can watch the replay at this same link.)
Wednesday, August 6, 11-11:45 EST: Dave Whitson has walked pilgrimage routes around the world. In his book Pilgrimage: A Medieval Cure for Modern Ills, Dave—who doesn’t consider himself religious—explores why these centuries-old religious traditions still speak so powerfully to our modern needs for community, meaning, connection, and renewal. He also hosts the oldest podcast about the Camino de Santiago (The Camino Podcast).
Wednesday, August 13, 11-11:45 EST: Hana Maris — Last August, at age 65, Hana walked the Camino Primitivo.
Past:
Lois talks about her experiences walking over 500 miles on the Camino Francés at 72.
Tim Wesolowski shares his experiences about the Camino Portugués, which he walked at 65.
🇺🇸Come meet me in the USA!
Asheville, NC
I’m delighted to be giving a talk, “Camino Insights from a Pilgrim-turned-Local” at the REI in Asheville, NC on November 5, 2025. If you live in that area, I’d love to see you there.
(Once the link gets posted, I’ll post it here. The talk is free but pre-registration is recommended.)
📆Ready to start planning your Camino?
Rebecca Weston
Camino Planning & Preparation Guide (for People 45+)
Rebecca@TheCaminoCalls.com
Your Camino adventure should feel exciting, not stressful — here are some ways I can help you get ready:
Watch Camino Conversations for practical tips and advice from my guests who have done the Camino (or more than one!).
🗓️ Camino Planning Session (60 min): Get answers to your top questions and a notes doc created during our call.
📞 Full Camino Experience: 6 coaching calls with detailed notes to plan your trip with confidence and ease.
🥾 Walk With Rebecca: 7-day hybrid Camino walks — 3 days guided, 4 days independent, private rooms, preparation classes, and optional check-ins. Click here to be the first to be notified about my next trip.Rebecca Weston is an American who walked her first Camino in 2012.
About me: I’ve walked more than a dozen Caminos since my first in 2012. I’ve spent many days volunteering along the trail, and if I’m not walking one now, I’m planning the next—and would love nothing more than to help you plan yours, too. Originally from the US, my husband and I live in a town of 6500 people on the Camino del Norte.