07/22/2026
The Camino - Part II - One of the questions I was asked before leaving on my second Camino was, “Are you going to carry your backpack again?”
The answer was always yes......
I knew I could have my backpack transported from one town to the next, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing that. In fact, it’s a wonderful option that allows many more people to experience the Camino.
But for me, carrying my own backpack was part of the journey.
Over the past two years, I’ve walked more than 650 kilometres across two Caminos. Everything I needed was on my back, and there was something empowering about knowing I was carrying my own journey every step of the way.
What I didn’t expect was the lesson my backpack would teach me the second time around.
About halfway through this Camino, my back was starting to complain. Every morning I put my backpack on, I could feel the weight a little more than the day before. That’s when I stopped and really looked at what I was carrying.
An older pair of hiking shoes “just in case.” A bathing suit I never used. Cutlery. A Camino guidebook. A few extra accessories that had seemed like a good idea when I packed them.
I decided to leave what was not serving me behind.
The difference was immediate.
As I continued walking, I couldn’t help but think about how often we do the same thing in life.
We carry responsibilities that no longer belong to us. We hold on to old fears, unrealistic expectations, perfectionism, guilt, and habits we’ve outgrown.
Sometimes we carry them for so long that we don’t even realize how heavy they’ve become.
The Camino reminded me that resilience isn’t about proving how much we can carry.
Sometimes resilience is having the courage to stop, take an honest look at what’s weighing us down, and choose to let it go.
That lesson will stay with me long after arriving in Santiago Spain.
In fact, it’s a question I’ve continued to ask myself since returning home:
What am I carrying today that I no longer need?
Maybe it’s a question worth asking ourselves from time to time.
Want to read more about what I learned on this journey?
