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Hola! I’m Isabel aka Spaghetti (she/her) and I’m hiking the Camino de Santiago via the Northern Route. This route follows the northern coast of Spain and is notable for its stunning views. I know Trek bloggers aren’t usually Camino hikers, but maybe something I share will speak to you!
Choosing the Camino
In all honesty, hiking the Camino is a back-up plan. I had been preparing to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail northbound in 2025, but life is unpredictable. My fiancée and I had planned to complete the AT together after I finished my graduate school program in December. But, he broke off our engagement and decided to thru-hike on his own this season. Ouch.
While I could have started the AT a few weeks after him and probably never crossed paths–an idea I contemplated, as this was a huge goal I’d been excited about – I realized my priorities had shifted. I still wanted to accomplish a big goal this year, something to challenge my body and soul after studying so much for the past several years. I wanted to complete something that would help me grow in a new direction now that my life suddenly had a large vacancy.
The Camino was a trail I’d heard of but didn’t know much about. One of my friends did it a few summers ago and I’d heard of others doing sections. The Camino seemed like a much more realistic goal for right now–something to scratch my thru-hiking itch.
What to Expect
My sister lives in Madrid, so I’m visiting her for a few months before starting my first “big girl” job in the fall. For five of those weeks, I’ll be hiking the Camino! That means I’ll be hiking 15-35km (9-20+ miles) each day with my backpack and staying in albegues (hostels) at night. I do think I’ll miss the sleeping outside part of this adventure, but I certainly won’t complain about an almost-daily shower and warm bed.
I’m not really sure what this blog will entail–potentially reflections on traveling on the Camino as an American, learning more about the Camino history, navigating a life-altering break-up (dramatic but not really), trying new candy along the way, getting better at Spanish! Possibly a chaotic, from-the-heart mix that I’ll have to look back on someday when I’m past this crazy period of life.
Closing Thoughts
I’m reading a few (what can possibly only be described as self-help) books right now with daily passages that have become like journal prompts to me. One of these books is called Keep Moving by Maggie Smith, gifted to me by my best friend’s mom. It’s a self-described collection of “notes on loss, creativity, and change.” I often open to a random page to find inspiration on hard days.
Today’s Keep Moving inspiration: “Reflect on what loss has given you, as counterintuitive as that sounds. Think of solitude, self-reflection, and self-reliance as gifts. Of course they don’t weigh the same as the grief—they don’t balance the scales—but be grateful for them anyway. Keep Moving.” Her notes always end with “Keep Moving.”
The loss I’m experiencing right now has given me the opportunity to travel, spend more time with friends and family, and now, hike the Camino del Norte! I’m hoping this opportunity and journey will, in part, be healing and I look forward to sharing that story on this incredible platform <3
xo
Isabel (Spaghetti)
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