My way to St. James

Day 58 of the project, 
Prague, Czech Republic

Each person walks their own camino on the Way of St. James. Though there are definitely some distinct categories. A few dedicated Catholic souls walk the Camino for the original religious ritual. Some people simply want a holiday of walking the countryside. Others are looking for a fitness challenge. Many more are seeking spiritual (though not necessarily religious) guidance or insight. It can be all or none of these reasons.

My camino started as intrigue ten years ago during my study abroad in Alicante. A Spanish friend told me about an ancient pilgrimage route that Christians took to worship the remains of St. James. While it sounded like an adventure, my thoughts at the time were decidedly focused on Italy. Over the years, I've heard snippets from people and the media about the Camino de Santiago. Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez even made a movie about the Way. But ultimately I decided to undertake the Camino as a way of reconnecting with myself during my six month adventure. So if one wishes to classify my pilgrimage, it was a spiritual journey. A good short summation.

Pause

7 days until the project begins

It never ceases to amaze me how fast time goes. Two weeks ago I was working a full time job; seven days ago I was visiting two of the biggest and (arguably) best U.S. national parks. Today I sit on a plane back to San Francisco. In exactly one week I will board another plane bound for South America.

Yet there are clear points when just for a moment the clock seems to stop. It's as if fate is giving us a chance to appreciate the present before it rushes into the past. The last two weeks have given me a rather large dose of those pauses and it has taken a while to fully absorb them.

Advertising - official profession of the strange, outrageous and drunk

39 days until the project begins

It has been a long time since my last elevator ride at 201 Post Street. As I entered the lobby, waves of memories from my days at Venables Bell & Partners came rushing forward. The elegant and slightly austere entrance bathed in sunlight from the nearly floor to ceiling windows. The crisp whiteness of the furniture. The pile of awards on the staircase shelf. It was a bit like stepping into a time warp, as if for a moment the last five and a half years at my current ad job had never happened. 

As my friend Robert and I set out for the evening, we vented about our respective days. Crazy creatives and crazier clients. Surreal shoots. Blown budgets. Stretched thin with no reinforcements in sight. Standard Thursday night advertising business speak. At least to those who have been in the business for long enough to earn their stripes and know that it doesn't matter whose name is on the door...the underlying theme of the circus is always the same. 

Prologue

"You must have been planning this for a while." The very patient booking agent for American Airlines had been on the phone with me for two hours. Which was probably a long conversation for someone who, up until 8am that morning, had not heard about my upcoming travels. 

To say I'm traveling is a bit of an understatement. More like taking a page from the explorer Ferdinand Magellan with 21st century upgrades. Mostly this means a compression of time and space. I am still going to circumnavigate the globe. Just by plane/train/automobile instead of boat, in six months instead of two years. Or at least that is how the agenda stands now. 

The concept is hardly new, at least to me. And to my beleaguered friends and family, who have been listening since the seed of an idea took firm root. This wanderlust has deep roots. My mother still laughs about my rather abrupt departure on my first solo flight (I was seven and had a miniature pink suitcase, thankyouverymuch). Since then, a collection of adventures has stoked an inextinguishable fire. This one started after reading about a hacker's successful use of frequent flyer miles and crystallized when, after nearly a bottle of wine and an excel spreadsheet, that I could achieve it too.