At the start of their journey, a Camino angel bestows upon a woman and others in her group each a necklace of religious medals. A year and a half on, she still wears this necklace often as a reminder of her Camino days, when she learned to be present and savor this moment.

Carrying an immense load of grief and anger after her mother’s death, a pilgrim walks the Camino with a 1.6-pound rock painted by her niece in memory of her mother. When she finds the perfect spot to finally set down the rock, she feels lighter than she has in months.

Sitting on the side of the trail nursing her blisters and inflamed calves caused by an overburdened backpack, a woman meets a Camino angel who offers her a vital insight that changes her pilgrimage and ultimately her path in life.

More and more, pilgrims are lightening their load by discarding worn-out boots, trash, and even human waste on the trail. A new tradition encourages pilgrims to pick up just one item of litter each day of their pilgrimage, to help lighten the load of trash on the Camino.