Summer 2026: Parting Gifts
Letter from Our Editor
by Amy Horton
Fellow Pilgrims,
Several months ago, I received the gift of clarity to see that a job was no longer serving me well, and so I could no longer serve it well. With my husband’s gift of encouragement and support, I found the courage to leave this job, a decision further complicated because I worked for family. Before I jumped into new employment, this work interlude also afforded me the freedom to embark on a solo Camino, over a longer distance than life’s obligations had previously allowed my husband and I to walk together.
My 37 days walking the Francés route this spring bestowed immeasurable gifts. My middle age body, weary from being tethered to desk work, relished the daily task of trekking from village to village. My eyes and brain, tired from computer screenwork, rejoiced in the novelty of France and Spain’s mountain vistas, scenic river valleys, vast plains, vibrant plant and animal life, charming villages, and splendid churches. And my soul, equally lonely after years of remote work and jittery amidst societal and political strife, relished opportunities the Camino provides for both rich human connection and blissful solitude. There are, no doubt, many more gifts to unwrap as I continue to process this pilgrimage.
This La Concha issue considers the PARTING GIFTS that usher us onto Camino. We unpack not the necessities we carry, but the gifts—tangible or intangible, delightful or surprising—that help us step over the threshold from our everyday into the foreign territory of pilgrimage.
We have a recap of the 2026 Annual Gathering of Pilgrims, whose theme—Echoes from the Camino: The Gifts We Carry, The Gifts We Share—continues to guide reflections, poetry, and imagery in La Concha in this summer issue and in upcoming seasons. We have book reviews on guides for before you go and when you return; a collection of essays offering historical and cultural insights for each stage of the Camino Francés; and the final installment in the three-part Camigas Scarf series. There’s a review of a documentary film about two artists who step into pilgrimage with a heightened sense of presence by literally walking backward. We also have reflections and poetry that appreciate the gifts that help make our Caminos possible and meaningful: time and space away from the demands of daily life, practical and emotional support from loved ones, clear intentions, and more.
Join us here in La Concha as we reflect on the gifts that summon us as travelers.
May your journey be sacred,
Amy
Summer 2026 La Concha Content
American Pilgrims News
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Letter from the Chair – Summer 2026
Summer 2026 letter from American Pilgrims on the Camino Board Chair Rachel Ganzon, a special In Memoriam section, plus a summary of the April 2026 and January 2026 meetings of the American Pilgrims Board of Directors. -
Chapter Happenings – Summer 2026
A Summer 2026 compilation of American Pilgrims on the Camino chapter happenings. -
2026 Gathering of Pilgrims: Echoes from the Camino – Gifts We Carry, Gifts We Share
Reflections from the Annual Gathering of Pilgrims hosted by American Pilgrims on the Camino, from April 9-12, 2026, in Hunt, TX.
Pilgrims Way: Reflections on the Theme “Parting Gifts”
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Three Gifts for My Camino
A friend’s special playlist, cards from her sister, and attending online services at her home church were the unexpected gifts that motivated and encouraged a pilgrim throughout her journey. -
The Little Voice that Guided Me in Spain and to Spices
A woman learns to listen to her inner voice on Camino. Back home with a head cold, that same inner voice inspires her to create a healing blend of spices that opens her sinus passages and opens herself to possibilities. -
Number 13: More Than Good Luck
Seeking a journey of rebirth, a man embarks on Camino. Along the way, the number 13 surfaces and resurfaces in unexpected ways, not superstitiously but as a reminder that we can always begin again -
Not Just Any Piece of Cloth
As a woman embarks on Camino, a friend passes on to her a scarf the friend had rescued while on Camino in 2010. Upon her return, the woman hands the scarf off to another woman. The journey of the Camigas scarf continues today, and woven into its fibers is a simple yet profound truth: we walk our own paths, yet we are connected to each other in ways we don’t always see. -
My Camino, My Bardo
Tugged throughout life by a spiritual duality born of a Catholic father and a Buddhist mother, a woman on Camino experiences a state of bardo, an intermediate space described in Tibetan Buddhist teachings, a liminal space to just be and experience lightness, joy, and grace. -
L-O-V-E Rocks on the Camino
A friend presents a woman with four pebbles whose shapes roughly form the letters L-O-V-E, a visual reminder of the woman’s intention for her journey. -
Little Moments of Great Meaning
On the Portugués coastal route, a brief interaction with a local man reminds a pilgrim that on Camino as in everyday life, it is the smallest of encounters that can provide the greatest of meaning. -
Gifts of Going & Staying
A man finds gratitude for the many gifts that marked his Camino. Sabbatical time from work. A financial grant to help find his renewal activity. Grace from family managing life in his absence. A special gift from the woman who would become his wife. And a proposal acceptance that would mark the beginning of a shared journey in life and back on the Camino. -
Every Step of the Way
A couple embark on Camino with a dear friend to celebrate milestone birthdays and relish the gifts the Camino gives every step of the way.
Poetry
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Camino Letter
Song lyrics by Robert Bain, set to the tune of the folk-rock song “Teach Your Children,” serve as an audio shadowbox for the gifts that accompanied him on his first Camino in 2018: a shell from friends, Euros to spend, a stone to leave at Cruz de Ferro, and a letter from his wife.
Book & Film Reviews
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Film Review: All Backwards
A review of the documentary short film All Backwards, which considers an unlikely journey walked literally backward. -
Book Review – The Camigas Scarf: Crone
A review of Alder Allensworth’s “The Camigas Scarf: Crone” the third novel in a three-part series inspired by an actual scarf that has created a special connection among women across many Caminos. The third in the series follows Dot, an 80 year-old pilgrim. -
Book Review: The Camino Compendium
A review of The Camino Compendium, Dave Whitson’s deep-dive into forgotten histories, unlikely miracles, and cultural oddities to explore along the Camino Francés. Whitson also bursts a few bubbles on some of long-lived myths along this long-traveled pilgrim route. -
Book Review: Two Camino Books by Sybille Yates
A review of two guides by Sybille Yates. Pilgrim Tips & Packing List offers the prospective Camino pilgrim practical tips on what to know beforehand, what to take, and what to leave at home. Taking the Camino Home is a thin volume packed with advice and gentle admonition on how to continue to live the simple life of a pilgrim back home.
Gallery
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Parting Gifts: A Photo Collection
Selected photos that consider this issue’s theme, “Parting Gifts,” through the lens of contrast.
Submissions to Autumn 2026 Issue Close August 29
The Autumn 2026 theme is HIDDEN ARROWS. What trials did you face or obstacles did you navigate along the way that were blessings in disguise, offering vital lessons in adaptability, resourcefulness, assertiveness, surrender, compassion, or humility? Was there a friend or foe; a place that felt dark or mysterious; or a specific ordeal that provided a moment of clarity, sudden insight, or sense of direction? As you trod your path, what seed of potential did you unearth, inner resource did you tap into, latent talent did you rediscover, or forgotten part of yourself did you remember? In this issue, we’ll map the unexpected yellow arrows that guided the way or became defining features of our journey.
We invite American Pilgrims members to share their pilgrim experiences and insights on this theme. Watch your email for our La Concha call for submissions as the Autumn 2026 deadline approaches. If you would like to submit materials and are not yet an American Pilgrims member, learn more here.
Your original creative contributions may take the form of:
- Personal accounts, reflections, and essays
- Poetry
- Artwork
- Photography
Please limit written works to 400 words maximum.
Access the LA CONCHA SUBMISSION FORM for complete submission guidelines and to submit your creative work. We include as many submissions as possible in each issue. We may defer some items to future issues.
Team La Concha – Summer 2026 Volunteers
- Amy Horton, editor-in-chief
- Carol Guttery, web designer and content creator
- Copy editors: Rebecca Balcárcel, Kelly Bates, Pruitt Layton, Jeanette Mills, Gigi Oyog
- Lauren Kerr, features contributor
- Julianna Goodman, social media management
Other Communications Team Volunteers
- Corinne Dougherty, committee chair and membership liaison
- Rachel Ganzon, board chair
- Tracy Pawelski, board member
- Joe Curro, board member, webmaster, and technology wizard
- Thom Ryng, communications manager and monthly e-newsletter editor
- Jim Porter, video and YouTube management
- Rosa Torres-Tumazos, Facebook group lead moderator
Archives
Explore our archive of back issues of La Concha in PDF format (through Winter 2024) and find more recent content on our La Concha homepage.
Thoughts and opinions expressed by La Concha contributors are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of American Pilgrims on the Camino.