My Camino de Santiago – A 780 km Walk in Thanksgiving for MY Recovery

In two days I fly to Madrid, Spain. This is a dream come true for me. A miracle considering I was chronically ill for over 20 years. I promised God I would  do this walk in “thanksgiving” if I  was ever completely recovered.   I remember watching “The Way” in 2011 with Martin Sheen and was very intrigued by this ancient pilgrimage. I was extremely ill at that time and barely leaving the house. I was dragging myself through life and desperately trying to figure out the cause and cure for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia.  I had no idea at the time that I had Lyme Disease.

In a few months I will be coming up to my 2 years of complete recovery/remission from Lyme Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, hypothyroidism, candida overgrowth and several co-infections.  This promise that I made to God keeps knocking on my heart. I did have other plans for this August/ September, but the Camino calls to me. This call is constant, daily and all consuming. Maybe it is time for a “pause”. A timeout to reflect on my life and future path.

In so many ways, I feel like I have just woken up from a 20 year nightmare. So much time has passed and my children are now all grown up. I have since immersed myself in health coaching, blog writing, research and travel. I am still trying to figure out how I can open a guesthouse in Mexico for persons who are chronically ill – those in need of a place to pause and heal themselves. That too does not leave me alone.

El Camino de Santiago in English, The Way of St. James, is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where legend has it that the remains of Jesus’ apostle Saint James the Elder lie. There are several routes, and I have chosen the most popular which is the Camino Francés (The French Way). This Camino starts in St Jean Pied de Port on the French side of the Pyrenées mountains and finishes about 780 km later at Santiago de Compostela.
I hope to complete the walk in 40 days and 40 nights.  This means walking about 20  kilometers per day; more if I want to have a rest day once per week.  I began training in earnest this past month and feel that I am now strong enough to attempt such a strenuous walk. I have selected the perfect women’s-specific backpack – the Gregory 38L, Italian Scarpa hiking shoes, merino wool socks, light clothing and sleep sack. My pack and gear should not weigh more than 10% of my body weight. I have it packed at exactly 12 lbs. This really doesn’t allow for much of anything. I will be sleeping in  pilgrim hostels (known in Spanish as albergues). These are very simple rooms, typically with rows of  bunk beds.

My only concern is not having access to paleo meals, green smoothies and other nutrient-dense supplements and super foods such as fish oil. I plan on eating sardines at least a few days per week, and hopefully I will be able to find kombucha or some other fermented foods along the way. It would be so awesome if I could find a restaurant that serves liver and onions once in a while.  I now have the phrase down,”Tiene higado con cebolla?” (“Do you have liver with onions?”). I have the most amazing energy when I eat liver even just once per week.

I hope to bring my beloved magnesium, digestive enzymes, whole food multi and blood builder supplements. That is it. Maybe I will sneak in some kelp. Oh, and maybe some probiotics.

This will be my very own “Eat, Pray and Walk”. I have decided to do this pilgrimage alone. Just God and I walking together every single day. I am going with no expectations and an open heart and mind. I am turning my will and my life over to His care. Pope Francis has declared this the holy year of mercy. This means there will be many pilgrims on the Camino this summer. I felt it would be safest to walk solo when there are many other pilgrims on the trail.

To all of you who are sick and struggling, I am bringing you with me. I carry you all in my heart and prayers. I know we need divine intervention with all that we face in these times of sickness. I pray for each and every single one of you, that you will recover and live life to the fullest. Please pray for me that I will be kept safe and well.

I won’t be posting here in the next couple of months.  I will be back to work around October 10th, 2016. I will post Camino updates on my Real Food Rebel Facebook Page. Please like that page if you would like to receive updates.

In the meantime, keep eating those green smoothies and continue being awesome!

Much love and blessings! Buen Camino!

Brenda

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