Page 6 of Every Step She Takes
“But you haven’t trained for this Camino-thingy,” my mom counters.
“It’s just walking,” Vi interjects.
“Sadie hates walking.”
“No I don’t!” Sure, most of my walking happens on the treadmill while watching old episodes ofLove It or List It, but still. I do yoga twice a week with my mom, and my job is basically strength-training in the form of moving solid-wood furniture. How hard could it be to justwalk?
“But… but what about the store?” my mom cries in a final, anxious attempt to keep me here. “Who will take care of the store?”
Something stubborn takes shape in my chest, maybe because I’m tired of being the safety net. “You and Vi,” I answer plainly. “You can both handle it while I’m gone. It’s only for…”
I don’t even know how long this trip is, and that’s probably a sign I should abandon this impulsiveness.
“Two weeks,” Vi fills in.
“Two weeks,” I repeat. “Don’t you think you can handle everything for two weeks, Mom?”
I can see a thousand anxious thoughts blooming behind my mother’s eyes, but she doesn’t voice any of them.
“Are you serious about this?” Vi asks with so much hope in her voice.
“Dead serious,” I say with growing conviction. Because maybe this is what I need. Maybe I’ll be like Cheryl Strayed, and this will be myWild. I’ll have two weeks away from the store, and my family, and the pressure to date men so I can finally figure myself out.
Or I’ll be like Diane Lane inUnder the Tuscan Sun, and I’ll buy a crumbling villa and never return to the real world.
“I’m doing it,” I say one more time, to convince myself.
Even with the broken big toe, Vi manages to catapult herself off the stool and smother me in a hug. “Thank you, thank you,thank you!”
“Who knows?” my mom adds, because she can’t fucking help herself. “Maybe you’ll meet a hunky Spanish man and finally fall in love!”
I down the rest of my pinot. “Yeah. Maybe.”
C’est La Vi with Me
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Find Yourself on the Camino de Santiago
Vi Wells
April 16, 2025 116 comments
As always, Nomads, this post contains affiliate links, and I receive a small commission if you purchase anything from these links. I only promote products that have helped me embrace my life of adventure!
If you haven’t already heard of the Camino de Santiago, then listen up, Nomads, and prepare to dust off yourKeens. You’re about to become as obsessed as I am with this travel trend!
Historically, the Camino de Santiago (also known as The Way of St. James, or just “The Way”) was a series of routes throughout Europe all ending at the glorious Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain, the location of St. James’s final resting place. Once traveled by medieval Catholic pilgrims, the Camino is now a popular long-distance trek for travel lovers of all ages, cultures, abilities, and backgrounds. Last year, nearly 500,000 pilgrims arrived in Santiago from all over the world, and this year, I can’t wait to grab myOsprey backpackand join those ranks.
While the Camino was originally viewed as an act of sacrificial piety, the modern Camino is the perfect place to escape the demands of everyday life. Pilgrims attest there’s something meditative about walking for weeks through beautiful countryside, quaint villages, and the staggering coastlines of Portugal and Spain. Evenings are reserved for resting your feet over tapas and cerveza while making friends with fellow trekkers who might just become your “Camino Family.” Unlike other long-distance hikes, such as the Pacific Coast Trail, you won’t have to rough it on the Camino. The routes travel through towns where espresso and wine are always available, and pilgrims rest their heads on pillows each night at various hotels, hostels, and albergues (hostels specifically for pilgrims). Even if you don’t complete the trek for religious purposes, there is something undeniably spiritual about The Way.
At least, that’s what draws Brazilian-born Inez Oliveira to the Camino year after year. Oliveira completed her first Camino—the most popular route, the Camino Frances—at age twenty-two, and fell in love with the transformative nature of the trail. Almost a decade ago, her experience inspired her to launch Beatrix Tours, a company that’s grown to include organized trekking tours in over 15 countries. But CEO Oliveira still serves as a guide for small groups of pilgrims along six different Camino paths. She’s found the Camino often attracts travelers who are spiritually lost in some way, and her tours are unique in that she provides guided prompts for self-reflection along the way, making the Camino both a literal journey and an emotional one.
“Many come to the Camino at a crossroads in their lives and they do this walk to find answers, and often a way back to themselves,” Oliveira explained to me in a phone interview. “I am blessed to be their guide on the path of self-understanding.”
I will be joining hertwo-week trekon the coastal route of the Portuguese Camino from Porto to Santiago in May, and I can’t wait to get away from it all and find myself on the Camino. I was lucky enough to interview Oliveira about her approach. For our full Q&A, click on thelink.
TWOSEATTLE, WASHINGTONMonday, May 12, 2025
