Faire son Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle

September 2024.
The brilliant and slightly arduous Christic path: "El Camino del Norte", from Biarritz to Santiago, 900 km through the mountains of the Basque Country.
I went there like a vagabond, lighthearted, a little carefree...
Being more of a fool than a Christian, I wasn't looking for faith, and I started it as a little adventure, half sporting, half spiritual, I thought...
I had no idea of everything I was going to leave behind... my past, my family, my friends, my place here in this world, some invisible and unconscious burdens I was still carrying.

Before leaving, a mandatory stop at Decathlon: mini camping equipment, stove, hammock, all the kit for the perfect pilgrim.
Because I was afraid I wouldn't find anywhere to sleep.
I even bought special socks for walking.
Because I was afraid my feet would hurt.
My bag weighed 16 kg.
Because I was afraid of missing out on something.
On the first day, I set off with an extra 1.5 liters of water - that is, 1.5 kg more on my back - because I was afraid of being thirsty.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

I left - like all pilgrims - carrying the weight of all my fears.
I carried my invisible burden on my shoulders: my fears, my beliefs, my habits.
And even if I knew I was strong, confident, self-assured... the mind doesn't care about that.
The most basic fears resurface, and some pilgrims actually advance bent over, crushed by the illusion of the weight of their lives.

On the first day, I abandoned 3 or 4 kilos of brand new equipment, left directly on the side of the road.
I suppose the walkers with their dog must have been stunned to see a brand new camping stove, hammock and camping equipment left there.
But my shoulders were screaming too loudly: I was crazy to leave so heavily loaded, I wouldn't have made it.

The following days were a battle between my fears and reality.
And the reality is that I needed almost nothing.
And it was an extraordinary 45-day journey, becoming lighter and lighter...
Day after day, I left behind a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, a pair of flip-flops, a cable, in the guesthouses I stayed in.
But it was above all on an emotional level that I left the most behind.
And learned.

Above all, acceptance.
Accepting that when you're exhausted after walking 20km, you want to sleep, and snorers aren't welcome! Except it doesn't work like that 😁.
The first few nights I fought, I raged silently, I cursed those vile "old people" who wouldn't let me sleep. I searched for solutions. In short, I struggled, remaining in the resistance while trying to find a way out.
Until the day I decided to accept .
Without flinching, without fuming, and without throwing my shoes in the middle of the night onto the bed opposite, by stupidly going to get them in the early morning in front of the guy's bewildered face...
And then, miraculously, I was able to sleep like a baby again.
I understood the power of surrender in acceptance .
As strong as forgiveness, I think.

I also realized, as the days went by, that I couldn't change the world, something I'd always tried to do. For the better, of course, and almost every time... splash, face down in the water.
Now I know.
It's completely unnecessary to change it.
It is. Period.

In the end, I finished the journey with 8 kg on my back... without lacking anything.
And huge personal achievements, resulting in more lightness in my being, in my soul, less fear.
I now know that I need almost nothing to live and be happy.

👉 Must do.

PS: For those who are interested: