The Little Voice that Guided Me in Spain and to Spices

by Sasha C. Woods | Englewood, CO

It was November 2014 when I walked the last part of the Camino Francés. I left a toenail in Astorga, my pride and stubbornness at the base of the Cruz de Ferro, and surrendered to the lessons of the Camino. I hobbled into Santiago with a newfound appreciation of pilgrimage.

Months later, I caught a terrible spring cold, complete with headache and congestion. I sautéed garlic in the pan, reached for a spice out of the cabinet, and felt a little voice inside me say, “Write this down.” It was the same little voice that guided me in Spain. The same one that taught me to be vulnerable. The same one that taught me to trust. Because it was never wrong.

I obeyed it as I did in Spain. I blindly grabbed, measured, and wrote down the spice concoction that contained cayenne, cinnamon, cumin, curry, ginger, turmeric, clove, and nutmeg. I mixed and put about two tablespoons of the spice on the garlic. I added a handful of cauliflower, broccoli, cashews, and the juice of one lemon.

The cayenne sought the back of my throat instantly and heated it in the best way. The rest of the spices (unbeknownst to me) were all anti-inflammatory spices, and they opened up the airways in my sinuses, and made me sweat. The concoction was smooth and bursting with different flavors and scents that somehow worked together. Afterwards, I was breathing better and on the mend.

I made more of the spice blend and gave it to friends and family. They used it as a tea, added it to brisket, to coffee, sprinkled it on potatoes, and ice cream. I dubbed it Divine Inspired Spice.

On the third anniversary of my Camino, I started Camino Spice.

By the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I opened a small commercial kitchen and was supplying grocery stores with three different spice blends, gluten-free granola, and an award-winning Mexican hot chocolate mix.

Trusting that inner guidance again, in 2023, I closed my shop and sold my house. After a couple of years roaming the United States, I moved back to Colorado. I’ve found a house to put down roots, and a perfect-for-me kitchen to once again blend spices. Camino Spice will reopen with a new Santiago Smoked Pepper Blend, adding new flavors to the journey.

The lessons I learned on the Camino opened me to possibilities.