WHEN IT'S TIME FOR YOU *** The podcast is taking a break next week and will return on Tuesday, July 15*** Some dreams have to be put on hold for a very long time. What I love about this week's pilgrim conversation is Katey’s honesty and vulnerability as she explores the themes of her pilgrimage. Specifically, what is the significance of going after your dream – you know, the one you have been hanging onto for decades. And what happens when you finally give yourself permission to make that dream ...
Jul 01, 2025•33 min•Ep. 121
TESTING BOUNDARIES, EXPLORING FAITH Telling our stories is such an important part of the Camino experience, and it starts long before we take our first steps on the trail. My guest this week, Eden, does an amazing job of showing just how important the pre-Camino story is. And she shows us that pilgrimage isn’t just about the pilgrim; rather, it touches the lives of everyone who knows you are going to make this journey. You’ll see. There’s more to it, too. Eden reminds us that walking the Camino ...
Jun 24, 2025•49 min•Ep. 120
THIS IS NO SMALL FEAT Life can be challenging at times, but what do you do when those tough times come at you rapid fire, one thing right after the next? You walk the Camino. Life: no small feat The Camino: no small feat Pilgrim Kristen will be walking with one of her best friends, and they intend to walk an "entire Camino." Find out why, along with some solid inspiration to make this journey your own. Here are the shows Kristen talked about in the interview: Rick Steves' Europe on YouTube Alex ...
Jun 17, 2025•46 min•Ep. 119
SHARING MY BIG VISION! Today I have some updates on the pilgrim registration requirements and for the Francés route: >> updates to the luggage transport services >> new places to buy gear, and >> where to find the best pizza And then my favorite topic: >> How do we deal with the hardest part of the entire Camino experience? >> How do we fill our lives with what I call Camino-grade experiences? To jump ahead to this part of the episode, when I talk about bringing hom...
Jun 10, 2025•35 min•Ep. 118
LET'S CLEAR UP A FEW THINGS! In this episode I am going to answer a handful of first-time pilgrim questions that are showing up nonstop on social media. Questions like: How hard is it, really? Do you have to train? What’s the weather going to be like? Do I need a sleeping bag? Do I need to reserve a bed or room in advance? READY TO TELL YOUR STORY? I would love to help you do that! If your pilgrimage had an "alternative ending," meaning you didn't finish in Santiago, I would love to have you as ...
Jun 03, 2025•27 min•Ep. 117
MAKING MEMORIES, LIVING HIS DREAMS My guest in this episode said yes to walking the Camino before he even knew what that really meant. Is it a leap of faith or simply saying yes to life? Either way, Ron shows us that now is the time to say take on those big dreams and goals. After losing nearly 80 lbs by eating less and moving more, Ron is ready to take on the physical, mental, and spiritual challenge of walking the Camino. Wondering about the "marvelous resource" Ron refers to during our conver...
May 27, 2025•48 min•Ep. 116
SAY YES. YES, THIS IS POSSIBLE. What happens when you sense a loud, clear calling to walk the Camino de Santiago? Well, you do it. You put some dates on the calendar and you plan this thing. That’s what my guest today, Noel, did. The calling was mysterious yet unmistakable, so who was she to refuse it? And the timing coincides perfectly with a big milestone birthday, so this is the perfect time to take this journey. DON'T MISS ANYTHING! Everything I offer to the pilgrim community is announced fi...
May 20, 2025•51 min•Ep. 115
WHEN HEALING TAKES PLACE ON THE PILGRIMAGE TRAIL I hope you are ready to be inpsired, because today I have the compelling after-the-Camino story of US veteran Paul who walked the Camino last October with the life-changing program offered by Warriors on the Way. ( https://warriorsontheway.org/ ) Warriors on the Way is a pilgrimage on the Camino De Santiago that is designed to facilitate a combat veteran’s healing from PTSD and Moral Injury. This program works to reduce PTSD and Moral Injury sympt...
May 13, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 114
THE WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, AND HOW OF IT Diana will be walking the Camino Portuguese with her daughter, and in this episode she reminds us that it is as important to plan the journey home from the Camino as it is to think about and plan the actual walking part. I won’t spoil the surprise; instead, I will invite you to open your mind and heart to new ways of doing things. In all, this is a story of getting the most out of the pilgrimage experience, and noticing before you go that reaching S...
May 06, 2025•49 min•Ep. 113
WHAT CHALLENGES DO COUPLES FACE ON THE CAMINO? Claire and Richard walked the Camino Francés in 2023 and had the time of their lives. While they walked the same trail, the same day-to-day stages, and they stayed in the same places every night, they still had their own unique experiences. What is it like to walk the Camino with a partner? Well, it's time to find out. The book we talked about is called In Movement There is Peace: Stumbling 500 Miles Along the Way to the Spirit, by Elaine Orabona Fo...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 112
6 FRIENDS MAKE THE JOURNEY TO SANTIAGO Kimberly shows us the value of making this pilgrimage with friends, with "your people." Any way you do it is valid, and I believe that each person ultimately chooses the way that is best for them, but there is definitely something to be said for sharing this journey with people who know you well, who know you at your best and at your worst and who love you anyway. Did someone say cheesecake?!? Yes! Here is where you find the best cheesecake in Santiago de C...
Apr 22, 2025•57 min•Ep. 111
READY FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF PILGRIM WISDOM? It's all here! Pilgrim Sandra is taking a thoughtful and well thought out approach to her Camino experience. There's gold in here! Here is the pilgrim planning resource in Porto (Nicoletta) that Sandra used: https://your-camino.com/ WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED? If you have already walked one of the Camino routes, I would love to hear from you about what challenges you faced in returning home from the Camino. You can take the survey here: https://thec...
Apr 15, 2025•50 min•Ep. 110
WHAT IF YOU ONLY HAVE 21 DAYS? How do you break up the Camino Francés route if you have only 21 days for your pilgrimage? Jarrett and Amy tackled that challenge and came up with a plan that suits them perfectly. Find out how they did that, using this podcast and my Camino Francés Getting Started Audio Guide. Be the first to know when the audio guide gets its remodel and goes on sale at the end of April 2025. Go to https://thecaminoexperience.com/promo/ Here is the planning tool we talk about: ht...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 109
THE ENTIRE CAMINO EXPERIENCE Our pilgrim wisdom continues this week, this time with someone getting ready to walk the Camino, rather than with someone who has already walked. Today you are going to meet pilgrim Annie who is walking the Camino Francés this spring. You'll hear what Annie says about the intersection of human spirit and Camino spirit and how she intends to explore how the themes of surrender and restoration will work into her pilgrimage. I think Annie is going to speak for many of u...
Apr 01, 2025•51 min•Ep. 108
WHY DO CAMINO CONNECTIONS HAPPEN SO QUICKLY? This is just one of the questions my guest Maurice and I ponder in this episode of the YOU on the Camino de Santiago podcast. Before he walked his first Camino, Maurice spent some time exploring the question of why he was going to do this pilgrimage. It’s a question I recommend every pilgrim ponders. You may not know exactly why you want to walk the Camino, but simply by asking the question, you invite answers that may take you off in new and exciting...
Mar 25, 2025•52 min•Ep. 107
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT OUT OF YOUR CAMINO EXPERIENCE? Colleen does. Walking the Camino isn't a life-long dream and she doesn't have a deeply compelling reason to walk the Camino. So why do it? Let's find out! Colleen also shares the common pilgrim concerns – how to find beds and if there will be beds available when they need them, how to use trekking poles without doing a lot of flailing about, how to pronounce those tricky Spanish words for the cities and towns you will be walking through. W...
Mar 18, 2025•41 min•Ep. 106
A JOURNEY OF BECOMING Why walk the Camino de Santiago? Why walk it now? These are questions that will take you from the idea or dream of walking the Camino to a full-on pull to make it happen. In this episode, Janet shares her plans for walking the Caminho Português with her sister in a journey of becoming. And without too much consideration, she knows she will be doing it her way. Find out what that means as we explore Janet's plans and the health benefits of walking. WALK WITH ME IN SEPTEMBER!...
Mar 11, 2025•50 min•Ep. 105
TURNING DOWN THE NOISE OF EVERYDAY LIFE For many people, the story of a Camino dream is a series of false starts. You hear about the Camino and hear its call, but it’s not the right time to go. Then it is the right time, and you put some dates on the calendar, and something comes up – a significant family event, like a wedding, graduation or birth of a grandchild, a loved one gets sick or injured, you get sick or injured, there’s a global pandemic, or you have to move unexpectedly. There are so ...
Mar 04, 2025•56 min•Ep. 104
BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO YOUR GOALS In this episode we pick up where we left off in episode 101 by taking my #1 strategy for goal success to an even deeper level. Then I am going to share with you five tactical steps and three top ideas that will guarantee your success in reaching your Camino goals. DO YOU NEED THE HIGH-LEVEL PLAN FOR HOW TO MAKE YOUR CAMINO DREAM A REALITY? Get your free copy of my Camino Planning Roadmap: https://pages.thecaminoexperience.com/roadmap and reach your goal of walkin...
Feb 25, 2025•43 min•Ep. 103
SAVED BY WALKING! Pilgrim Adam walks the Camino Portuguese to process and heal from some devastating losses . . . and finds his way to peace and connection. Content warning: My guest in this episode mentions his personal experience with suicide ideation and suicide within his circle of friends. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or is in a crisis situation, please know that help is available. If you are in the US, you can call 988 from any phone to access the 988 Suicid...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 102
GO FROM CAMINO DREAM TO CAMINO REALITY Have you ever wanted something, dreamed about something, maybe even longed for something, but the wanting and dreaming wasn’t making anything happen? What’s missing there? Well, what’s missing is a clear goal. In this episode I explore: Why we’re not reaching our goals How to craft a goal that hits the mark My #1 success strategy for reaching your goals Let's do this! READY TO GET YOUR CAMINO VISION ON? Here's how: https://pages.thecaminoexperience.com/visi...
Feb 11, 2025•29 min•Ep. 101
THE 100th EPISODE! Thank you for tuning in and for making this podcast one of the most sought after and reliable resources for first time pilgrims walking the Camino routes in Spain, France, and Portugal. With this episode, the podcast hits a milestone – the 100th episode! I love milestones. I love the feeling of hitting a mark, of reaching a big goal, of noticing and noting when you do something significant. The significance for me is helping thousands of pilgrims get ready for their first-ever...
Feb 04, 2025•17 min•Ep. 100
DEAR YOU . . . Now we come to the final step of our year-end practice. The only thing we have left is my favorite New Year’s tradition. This is the one I have been doing since 1976, long before I started setting goals and intentions for the new year. Uh, long before I even knew what that meant, because in 1976 I was 11 years old. My best friend was Kristi, who lived next door and who had all kinds of fun and creative ideas. Usually, they involved getting into a little mischief and making it look...
Dec 29, 2024•12 min•Ep. 99
LET'S SET THE STAGE FOR YOUR BEST YEAR YET Forget asking Santa for what you want . . . go after it yourself! In this episode we walk through my annual goal setting process. We have already reviewed our accomplishments and successes (episode 18). We tallied up what didn't go as well as hoped and planned. And we mined both those lists for lessons and messages (episode 19. Now it's time to pick our priorities for the coming year and think through and draft our goals and intentions. What do you want...
Dec 24, 2024•27 min•Ep. 98
NOW WE LOOK AT OUR NOT-SUCCESSES In last week's episode we spent time reviewing our wins and successes for the year. This week we are moving on to the second step of the year-end process by listing our regrets and disappointments. Wait! This is not about beating yourself up or dragging yourself through the mud, or finding fault with who you are as a human being. If you are prone to self-criticism, I invite you imagine yourself setting down whatever you usually use to beat yourself up with – the ...
Dec 17, 2024•22 min•Ep. 97
THANK YOU 2024, AND GOODBYE! (WELL, ALMOST) As this episode releases on Tuesday, December 10, we have four Tuesdays left in 2024 and four episodes left in this season of the podcast. That timing feels perfect for me to share with you something I do every December to wrap up the year. In this episode and the next three, I am going to share with you my four-step end-of-year practice, in the hopes that you will find value in ending the year strong and setting a solid foundation for the New Year (wh...
Dec 10, 2024•18 min•Ep. 96
A "TRIP OF A LIFETIME" - FOR REAL! John covers all the bases as he shares his story of walking the Camino Francés in May and June 2024. Overnight in the Pyrenees? Check. Stay at a monastery? Check. Sing with the nuns? Check. Meet an undertaker who wants your business? Wait . . . check? Here are the places and helpful tools John referenced in this episode: >> Book your bed at Refuge Orisson: https://www.refuge-orisson.com/en or >> Auberge Borda: https://www.aubergeborda.com/ >> ...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 95
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU? That is the question pilgrim Danielle had to ask herself over and over again as she walked the Camino Francés in April and May 2024. And as she answered that question, she gradually learned to trust herself and to know that she did, in fact, know what is most important and what is also best for her. Danielle had the honor of carrying Tracy's backpack, and you can hear that whole story in Danielle's first interview, in season four, episode five. She is going to shar...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 94
WHAT HAPPENS IF . . . ? That seems to be the theme of Roger's pilgrimage on the Camino Francés! What happens if . . . . . . you become injured? . . . you need a dentist at 6:30 am on a Saturday in a small village in northern Spain? . . . you don't want to book accommodations in advance in July? Find out in this episode. And Roger has some well-earned, fabulous advice for first-time pilgrims. JOIN ME ON THE TRAIL IN 2025! Want to get your pilgrimage started in the best possible way, with all the ...
Nov 19, 2024•48 min•Ep. 93
SHIFTS HAPPEN ON THE CAMINO FRANCÉS Back today with a story of peace from one of the pilgrims who you met in season four (episode six) – Joshua from Corpus Christi, Texas. It is also a story of plot twists and disappointments. But in true Camino fashion, the trail brought it all full circle, and Josh found out what blessings really feel like. Like many of my guests in this season of the podcast, Josh’s biggest lesson came from the adversity he experienced on the trail, and it’s a lesson I am tak...
Nov 12, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 92
