Sunrises to Santiago: Searching for Purpose on the Camino de Santiago Read Online Free

de Santiago before and assured us, “ This
will change
your life!” I tell them our plan of walking further than the
recommended stage tomorrow, and they beg us to reconsider.
    “ I
am serious, Gabe,” a concerned Italian man tells me as everyone
nods in agreement. “Don ’ t walk
too far tomorrow. Why are you walking the Camino anyway?”
    “ It ’ s
stupid I guess,” I reply, feeling a bit sheepish sharing something
so personal with people I have known for less than an hour. “I need
focus. I need to know what my purpose is. I need to know what career
I should pursue. I need to know why I am here. Here on Earth, that
is.”
    “ This
is not stupid,” the Italian man replies with a slight smile. “We
are all here for different reasons. Be open to the lessons you will
discover on your way to Santiago. Don’t force the answers, and
don ’ t forget this is not a race
so take it slow.” I nod in agreement.
    Church
bells ring loudly from somewhere outside and another woman from Italy
asks, “Time for Mass. Would you like to come?”
    “ No
thanks, not today,” I politely decline.
    We
say our goodbyes as the entire table heads outside, leaving Amy and
me alone. The concern on their faces has planted a seed of doubt and
fear in my mind. I have only pretended to consider their requests to
walk less tomorrow. I would soon learn that we should have listened
to their advice.

The Barista

    Trail
Days 2—3

    It
has been a while since I have slept on the top bunk of a bunk bed,
and I am beginning to see that sleep deprivation may lead to possible
hallucinations on this trek. My un-needed alarm goes off at 5:00
a.m., and I look around to see many pilgrims already heading out the
door. Amy and I stuff our sleeping bags quietly into our packs and
slip outside before dawn. We are greeted by a dark, damp sky and a
wet path as it has rained all night. I spot a sign on the way out of
town, Santiago de Compostela - 765 km . I glance at Amy and
point to the sign. She is not amused. We both clearly need coffee. We
sleep walk for hours through a thick forest as the day slowly turns
from dark to light. Finally we see a bar and grab our first café
con leche of the day, coffee with steamed milk.
    The
caffeine starts to wake me and I start to become aware of my body. My
left knee is still killing me. I try to squash a bit of panic as I
think about how far we still have left to go. This is only day two of
30!
    After
breakfast, we stumble onward and keep seeing a group of four guys we
briefly met the first day in St. Jean. They were staying at our first
albergue, and we recognize each other. They are from Hungary and
decided a few weeks ago to walk the Camino de Santiago. We say “Buen
Camino” and end up talking to them as we walk for a few hours. I
immediately connect with one in particular as I am quickly realizing
that the people you meet on the Way are a huge part of this
international experience. So many people from so many walks of life
walk the Camino for a myriad of reasons.
    His
friends jokingly call him The Barista, and I find out why as we end
up talking about coffee for about an hour. He is passionate about the
topic and is also a youth pastor in a church back home. He just had
his first child (we are the same age) and is clearly a proud new
father.
    “ So,
why are you here walking the Camino de Santiago?” I ask as we walk.
    “ I
have a big decision in life,” he explains slowly in English, his
second language. “I am a youth pastor in Hungary. I also love
coffee. My dream is to have a coffee shop with books and to speak
with people from all over the world as they drink my delicious
brews.”
    “ That
sounds amazing,” I reply as we continue on a wide dirt trail
through a thick oak forest. Amy is a ways back chatting with the rest
of the group.
    “ Yes,
but I am a pastor and I don’t know if I can do both,” he
explains.
    “ So
you are looking for your answer out here in the woods?” I ask.
    “ I
want God