Eleven Days Left

As the Camino starts getting closer to the end, I'm honestly feeling a little sad about it. I only have 11 days left, and part of me wishes it could just keep going.

Somewhere along the way, this stopped feeling like just a long walk across Spain. It became a way of life. Wake up, pack the backpack, follow the yellow arrows, stop for coffee, walk, eat, sleep, and then do it all again the next day.

Life out here is simple in the best possible way. You carry only what you need. Your biggest decision most days is where to stop for lunch or where to sleep. You meet people from all over the world, and somehow after a few days they don't feel like strangers anymore.

I think that's why the ending feels emotional.

So these last days, I don't want to rush through them just trying to "finish." I want to slow down and really notice things. The green hills of Galicia. The quiet mornings. The birds chirping. The conversations at pilgrim dinners. The sound of shoes on gravel. The laughter of everyone frantically trying to get into their ponchos. Even the tiredness at the end of the day.

Because I know I'm going to miss all of it.

People say the Camino changes you, and I think they're right. Not in some huge dramatic way. Just quietly, little by little, one step at a time.