In different texts and countries, it can be read as Finisterra, Finisterre, or Fisterra, but for me, it just mattered that I kept up the motivation to make it to the Atlantic ocean.
It would also mark the moment where I would complete my last day of walking. At least as far as walking on the Camino goes. I thought about what would be different after returning home, but in the end I hoped that it wouldn't be odd or bad to think: not much? I'd be happier, and that was enough for me. Happy to have finished one of those feats that are on the never ending list of things I've always wanted to do, but am afraid I never will.
During the last few days, there had been a lot of talk over the next long treks that people were willing to do. From the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail (all known as the Triple Crown of long distance hiking in the U.S. and several kilometers longer than the Camino), people were sharing information on what they had known about each one, with the Appalachian Trail seeming like the most popular choice. We laughed over passages from Bill Bryson's, "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail", which someone carried with them and shared amongst the group, and we had actually met and had lunch with Bill Walker. Bill is nearly 7 feet tall, and we met him in Santiago at a kebab restaurant. My friend Robin from Amsterdam, had walked the Camino last year and swore he met Bill then too. It turns out that Bill remembered Robin, and during their nice reunion he told us about how he wrote a book titled, "Skywalker--Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail", which furthered Robin's interest in doing the trek on top of his father having already walked parts of it before.
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| Bill Walker--nearly 7 feet tall |
I never really considered doing another long distance hike. My friend Lindsay was scheduled to walk the Pennine Way only a week or so after finishing the Camino. I ended up giving her my poncho, waterproof pack cover, and a durable water bottle to set her up for her next trek. When she asked me if I was sure, I exhaustedly expressed to her, "I'm really not planning on doing another long hike for quite sometime," and she took the items graciously.
Rather than planning for another hike, I was more concerned with maintaining momentum on finishing the to-do list I kept in my mind. I want to learn how to play piano, take yoga seriously, and write a really bad novel that no one will likely read. I want to find a job I love, love fearlessly, forgive lovingly, and live intensely.
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| My hiking shoes in the ocean |
Finisterra was always the final destination for my Camino. Most of my ocean viewing experiences were with the Pacific, but nothing beats a walk alongside an ocean. Walking to the coast seemed more final to me, because it was the furthest point I could go on foot, and would also complete the length across an entire country. Not to mention, I just had the time, and I wasn't sure when I'd have time like this again.
When we finally reached the Atlantic, it was the first sunny walking day we had without any rain at all. The previous weeks before had been filled with rain and the kind of weather that just wouldn't allow our clothes to completely dry and be ready for the next day. When we looked at the weather reports across Spain, it seemed like where we were was the only sunny location along the entire route of the Camino.
Clearly, a positive sign of good things headed our way.
--J
