Camino Déjà vu: Reliving My Camino Day by Day
Camino Déjà vu: Reliving My Camino Day by Day
by Maurice Frank | Asheville, NC
On Sunday, September 17, 2023, I stood in front of the Pilgrim’s Office in St. Jean Pied de Port and took my first steps on the Camino Francés. On Sunday, October 22, 36 days later, I stood in front of the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela having completed my first Camino.
On each of those 36 days, I documented my Camino by taking photos and videos; posting daily blogs for family and friends; writing about my experience in a personal journal; and recording notes in my phone about who I met, where I ate and slept, and other memorable places or events such as the Cruz de Ferro.
Upon returning home; I felt a mild but persistent longing to return—my Camino blues. On Sunday, December 17 (like my start date, a third Sunday of the month), I began reliving my first Camino by reviewing all these memories and more one day at a time following my original day-to-day record of the walk. I admired the credential stamps I collected that day. I viewed each day’s GPS tracks as well as the Brierley and Wise Pilgrim descriptions of where I walked. I even read WhatsApp messages I kept. And 36 days later my daily review was complete. It wasn’t the same as being there, but the day-to-day focus gave me a very rich recollection of my Camino, including a sense of time passing.
I could have reviewed all my photos, videos, blogs and journals in one pass, and that would have reminded me of my Camino, but it wouldn’t be the same. Having all my memories linked to a date and going through everything I had for each day—even on the same day of the week—helped me preserve my memories. And it helped ward off my Camino blues.
When Sunday March 17, 2024 rolled around—another third Sunday of the month—I repeated this systematic practice by again reviewing each day’s memories. And when I walked my second Camino in July-August 2024 on the Portugués central route and then on to Finisterre and Muxía, each photo and each note once again became the seed of future memories. May yours, too, remain crystal clear.
