I was writing on the whiteboard when I thought, “I missed this.”
I wasn’t in a classroom. I was in my living room.
I wasn’t getting ready for school to start. I was getting ready to host a potluck.
I wasn’t welcoming students. I was welcoming friends both old and new.
And our topic wasn’t math. It was the Camino de Santiago.
More specifically, the future of our local group of Camino aficionados.
Through what can only be described as a wild set of coincidences--or destiny, depending on who you talk to-- within a week of moving to Asheville, North Carolina, in July, 2012, I was sitting among a group of people who had done what I’d just done: walked 500+ miles across Spain.
To understand how unusual this was, prior to this gathering, I knew just two people in the entire city of Asheville. And, prior to this gathering, no one I knew had ever heard of the Camino de Santiago, let alone walked it.
It was like Asheville was saying to me, “Welcome home.”
And I didn’t even have a home there yet. I was living with friends I’d met just 6 months earlier. They were in their 70s and thought I was interesting, so offered me a room and bathroom in their home--all to myself--for absolutely nothing in return. Though, and I say this very proudly, one night I came home to tell them of my latest Asheville adventures and they said, “You’re better than television!”
When I asked why they were so generous to me (besides my apparent entertainment value), they said, “We know you’re going to have a wonderful life here. . . and we want to look back one day and be able to say that we helped you get there.”
Here I am, 14 years later, still in Asheville. Well, minus the 4.5 years I just spent living in Spain. But the point is: they were right--I have a wonderful life here. And I can trace it all back to that welcoming couple and the welcoming Asheville Camino group.
At the time, the group was nothing “official.” It was a word-of-mouth thing. If locals wanted to do the Camino, and talked to enough people, they’d eventually hear about this group of us--Camino addicts all--who welcomed newcomers every Tuesday and loved nothing more than to answer their every Camino question.
Unless we were out doing another Camino.
Because I was an anomaly in the group. I’d just done one Camino. The others had done 3 or 7 or 10. Or, if they’d only done one, were already planning their next one.
I was also an anomaly because I was younger than any of them by at least 30 years.
“When are you doing your next Camino?” they’d ask.
“Well, unlike all of you, I still have to work,” I explained.
But here I am, fourteen years later, with more than 16 Caminos under my belt. Thanks in no small part to gathering every Tuesday with this group of people who kept the Camino enthusiasm going.
At one point, we became an official chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino.
I collected email addresses and started a monthly newsletter (being the most technologically advanced in the group).
We somehow started giving monthly Camino-related talks at our local REI.
Friends who were preparing for a Camino planned out a 16 mile route through the city and surrounding areas. We adopted it into our first Asheville Camino and started walking it monthly.
Eventually, my work responsibilities meant I had to give up writing the newsletter. So I trained my replacement. He’s still doing it.
And the Tuesday group? It has never stopped. During COVID, it turned into a walking group. Now, they meet at 8:30 for a walk and then at 10 for coffee.
Those REI talks? We’ve got one the first Wednesday of every month from April til October. (And this Wednesday yours truly is giving the Camino 101 talk there with one of the original retirees who welcomed me into the group when I first moved to Asheville.)
And that Asheville Camino? We now call that the Asheville Camino Francés, as we’ve also got a Norte route (and soon a Primitivo route!). And we’ve spread into the surrounding area--we’ve got routes in Brevard, Black Mountain and Hendersonville.
So what’s next?
That’s why I was writing on a whiteboard in my living room.
Since returning from Spain, I’ve had impromptu conversations with various members of the group.
It turns out we have just one official coordinator (we used to have three). And he’s been doing the newsletter, and coordinating the REI talks, and finding volunteers for the monthly Asheville Camino walks.
Our Facebook group coordinator recently passed away. He recovered our group from hackers and now we need someone to follow in his footsteps.
Some people have stopped attending the Tuesday walk because its pace has increased to a level they no longer enjoy. How can we bring them back?
There may be interest in a weekend walk that only lasts an hour (for those that can’t attend Tuesday mornings and/or those that don’t have the time for the longer monthly weekend walks).
Some of us are interested in starting a Spanish (and/or French) conversation group. (There are options locally, but none of them fit my schedule, so I may have hatched this idea with my own goals in mind!)
And . . . well, it was just time. To gather together. To thank those that have lead walks, given talks, helped others plan their Caminos. And to look to the future.
The group members didn’t disappoint. We had at least 4 tortillas, a roasted chicken, tostada con tomates, chips and crackers and cheese spreads and guacamole, salads, and desserts.
And then we gathered in my living room. In front of my whiteboard. To celebrate what we’ve done so far. And to plan for the future.
With love,
Rebecca
**One of my hosts when I first moved to Asheville passed away a couple years ago. The other no longer remembers who I am. I am forever indebted to them and pass on their generosity whenever I can. Consider this a reminder to say “thank you” (whether for the first time or the 50th) to those that have helped you along the way.
**To find a local Camino group near you, Google your country and “Friends of the Camino.”
🥾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.
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.
I love how you bring the Camino spirit with you wherever you go 🧡
You are an inspiration. We (my late husband and I) started hiking in our early twenties. Of course, we "punched a clock" but that's what weekends were for.
I'm sorry I missed the meeting but I won't miss your talk at REI.