Wait... what are you doing?

That's the question I usually get from people when I tell them I'm walking across Spain for a month. They usually think I'm kidding, because who on earth walks across a country on their vacation? Well, I do.

The Camino de Santiago is one of the oldest Christian pilgrimages in the world, dating back over a thousand years. Prior to its existence as a Christian pilgrimage, the route is believed to have had significance as a fertility ritual for the pagans of the Iberian Peninsula. Since I'm not looking for any help in that department this week, I'll stick with the medieval idea that it is one of the three pilgrimages on which a plenary indulgence, or reprieve from half of your originally scheduled time in Purgatory, can be earned. The pilgrimage ends at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of the apostle James are said to have been buried after he was beheaded in Jerusalem.

There are several different ways to get to Santiago. The traditional Camino Frances, which I did in college, begins at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France (we started in Pamplona) and crosses over the Pyranees through the northern plains of Spain to Santiago. That part of the Camino has becoming increasingly popular since I walked it in 2001, to the point that it now sort of resembles a human highway from May-August. In the interest of being original, we've decided to walk the Camino del Norte, an 825 km stroll that begins in Irún, a coastal town on the Spanish side of the French/Spanish border. During Muslim rule in Spain (711-1492), the Camino del Norte was the only safe way to Santiago, and is believed to be the oldest of the Camino de Santiago routes.

Inevitably, the next question I get after explaining the "What?" aspect is "Why?" Why in the world do I want to spend my last free summer before law school walking across a country with nothing more than my backpack, boots, and a couple of changes of clothes? Because it's an awesome experience. I walked the Camino the first time because two guys in my study abroad program decided to do it, one of whom said I'd never be able to finish the whole thing because I wasn't tough enough. Right. What he didn't realize is that I am the youngest daughter of a Marine who made up for his inability to have sons by teaching his girls how to keep up with the boys. I was PLENTY tough enough. And it took a little toughness. There's nothing like walking the equivalent of a marathon 3 days in a row with a 25 pound pack on your back. As grueling as some of the longer days of the Camino could be, there was something so calming about waking up in the morning and having nothing else to do all day but walk. I believe in God and go to church every once in awhile, but I describe myself as more spiritual than religious. For me, the Camino is more about finding a little inner peace than practicing an exercise of penance, though I suppose I could also come up with a good list of things I could atone for in a month. It is my reset button - an opportunity for me to find a mental center again before I run myself through the 1L gauntlet.

Not to mention I'm going to have some rockin' calf muscles by the end of July.