There are many ways to travel mindfully. Whether you are paying for carbon offsets on your flight or volunteering your time to clean up a beach, anyone can add a dash of mindfulness to their trip. Now, what happens if you turn up the dial and spend weeks or months walking with nothing but the pack on your back? The Camino de Santiago offers travelers of all kinds an opportunity to connect with their inner self, the local community, fellow hikers from all over the world, and a storied history of pilgrims.
I recently got to know fellow author Adam G. Fleming as a guest on my newest YouTube channel, Story Unfolding.
After learning about his years of experience as a leadership coach and his impressive travel repertoire that includes training nonprofit leaders in Congo, Egypt, and Syria, I asked him to come tell his travel stories on my travel channel, The Caring Traveler.
Thirty-five minutes later, I am yearning for an opportunity to join him on one of his return hikes on the Camino de Santiago. Luckily for those who aren’t toting around little children, Adam is offering you an opportunity to join him on a transformative excursion where he will be your personal and professional guide.
Read on to hear about Adam’s experience and why traveling with him will make your Camino a memory that will last a lifetime.
Q1: What is the Camino de Santiago?
The Camino de Santiago means “The Way of St. James.” It is a pilgrimage route with multiple trails from all over Europe, to the city of Santiago de Compostela in NW Spain. People have been traveling to Santiago for centuries for both religious and secular reasons. Many routes have hostels every 10 to 15 miles for inexpensive lodging and there are plenty of places to buy food so that carrying tents and food isn’t necessary.
Q2: Why is the Camino valuable?
The Camino is something different to each person who walks it. You will discover your own value as you do it. Here are a few of my lessons.
- I found that it was a great way to lay down my identity in my work and just be a traveler / pilgrim for a few weeks. I was on the same level with everyone else; they were also just pilgrims. It’s very easy for us to be tied up in our work and the hustle of it, and become attached to our work so much that it begins to define us.
- I spent about ⅔ of my time on the trail alone, but also discovered friendships developed very quickly as I shared space in hostels, ate together with fellow pilgrims and sometimes encountered and walked with them on the Way. It’s an amazing community experience and you’ll meet people you would never have otherwise met. For example, when do you get to have dinner with a fish restaurant owner from Germany, med students from the Netherlands, and a retired CFO from Ireland?
- They say that it is your Camino, so walk it your Way.
Q3: What do you do as a coach?
I will only take up to 3 people with me. I believe a team that is bigger than 4 will be completely inward focused, but with four people, there’s still space to meet and chat with others along the Way; it’s often in the unexpected and unplanned moments that you get the real gold. In general, as a coach, I help people get clarity on what’s most important, or find balance between their work life and the rest of their living.
As a coach on the Camino, I will help you prepare to detach from your identity for a while and debrief for a few months afterwards. I will also help you know what gear to pack and how to train so that you’re ready for the hike, and help you be accountable to preparing yourself both physically and internally (mental, emotional, spiritual).
Q4: How much do you walk, and is it quite mountainous?
The trip I have planned this year covers approximately 227 miles in 18 days. Average 12.5 miles per day. The longest day would be 21 miles – it’s the last day so you’ll be ready for it. There are some climbs, but you never get over 2000 ft above sea level, so you never have trouble with oxygen deprivation like mountain climbers must deal with. I train in flat terrain and didn’t find the uphill sections to be a real problem.
Q5: Why travel with Adam?
- You can hike the Camino on your own. If nothing from the previous paragraph seems appealing and you want to do it alone, go for it. I know the route and have been over it, and I can be helpful in finding places to sleep and eat, but my primary role is as the internal guide and my secondary role is the external stuff. I can speak a little Spanish.
- A second reason to travel with me is that you are sure to have community. If you’re concerned that you’d be alone the whole time, but you’re shy, don’t worry. That won’t happen with me. Even if our group is just me and you, (two of us) I’m very outgoing and will make sure we connect with others as we walk!
- Walk it your Way: I will encourage you to walk alone for the day, or walk with me, or do half-and-half, or meet and walk with someone else, whatever you feel that you want and need. In other words, you will not have to worry about what I want. I’m there to serve you by encouraging you to meet your own needs on a flexible basis, knowing that each day is different. Even if we’re not walking together, I’ll be sure to be within a few minutes if you’re concerned that you might need support in some way.
Q6: When are you traveling this year?
November. Please note that November is typically not the nicest time of year; it won’t be hot, but it might rain. In 2021, I was lucky and had only 1 day of rain in 19. I travel in November because I don’t like it too hot, and it also suits my family schedule best.
The dates can be found on my website and I can give more detail to people who make serious enquiry; I can also be a bit flexible with the group. The start date will be firm, but how you end the trip will have some options depending on how much time you can spare.
- Travel date October 30 – or go to Europe on your own in advance
- Arrival in Porto, Portugal, and Beginning Date October 31
- First long walking day November 1 (Porto to Vairao)
- Day off in Pontevedra November 10
- Arrive in Santiago (VN Arousa, to Padron via Boat, and hike to Santiago) November 13
- Options at end of trip include: a) Immediate return home i.e. Nov 14 or 15 b) walking with Adam to Fisterra (From Latin root words “The End of the Earth”) and return home Nov 19 or 20 c) spend time in Santiago and Porto or other locations in Europe on your own and return home whenever you want.
Q7: How much will it cost?
Coaching Package $6000. This is for 7 months of coaching, July 1 to Feb 1.
Your other costs are variable:
- Airfare: $600-800,
- Food and lodging: 18 days, ~$1200,
- Gear: depends on what you already have, should be under $1000.
Don’t forget to travel mindfully
You can also check out Adam’s full-length interview and learn more about his books by clicking here.
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Think big. Act small. Travel with purpose!
~ Change the world one nameless stranger at a time. ~
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