It was December, a time that I always soul search and jot down next year’s concrete goals for something new to experience, train or learn. This particular instance was the year I was turning 50, so I wanted something extra special. Princess-style.
Being a lover of long hikes, I decided on the Camino de Santiago’s ‘French Way’ or ‘Camino Frances’ across Northern Spain. This trek is also called ‘The Way’. If you watched the 2010 movie of the same name, written by Emilio Estevez and starring Martin Sheen, you’d know what I’m talking about.
Princess-style
Everybody does the Camino for different reasons, be it a reset in life, a true pilgrimage, or simply an adventure. Some travel with group tours, and others go solo. I wanted an adventure, and planned to do mine solo.
I also chose to do it princess-style, with more comfortable amenities along the way. While most solo hikers stay in shared accommodations, no ma’am, hostels are not for me. Private rooms were a must. So months before the trek, I booked all my rooms on booking.com, ranging from $44-125 USD/night. I was able to easily adjust when I needed to, like when I wanted to extend a day in the Rioja Wine region.
Carve out your own path
When figuring out your route, understand your daily limits and use Google Maps for planning. I started in Pamplona, with an average day 27 kilometers, a light day 21 kilometers, and most aggressive being 44 kilometers.
Some younger ‘pelegrinos’ (Camino hikers) did more than me, and I also met people who were doing way less. Carve out your own way. There’s no judgement here.
I walked for a total of 30 days, logging 730 Kilometers on Strava. I carried my so-called ‘light’ backpack for half the time, before finding out there was a service to transport it to the next town. At 5 Euros it was marvelous and well worth it. I had nothing to prove to anyone, so sign me up!
Be open to the unexpected
Traveling solo gave me the option to inject myself with strangers along the way. You’ll bump into super nice people, and it was great to join in sometimes. But many days I wanted to enjoy just being with myself. I found it very meditative.
Being by myself allowed me to be super sensitive to the surroundings around me. I was able to take my time, stop for coffees, take pictures of snails on the path, pay attention to beautiful lady bugs, say hello to a horse, smell the flowers, and pet so many cats.
I also got lost one day, after following a guy from Spain who was referring to his handy book. He had to know exactly where he was going, right? Nope, that added 8 kilometers more to an already 32 kilometer day! I laughed about it at the end of the day, and enjoyed the best burger ever in my life.
The accommodations that night happened to be extra comfy, in one of cleanest places, and with the best showers. Not bad for a walking princess.
More than you bargain for
I had the opportunity to start my journey as a tourist, and end as a pilgrim. I lived as a minimalist, backpacking with only my belongings. Along the way I conquered fear of the unknown, and there was lots of it – big and small. I proved to myself that you’re never too old to take up a challenge.
I was able to feel like a kid again, totally free. It was like being on an endless summer holiday backpacking across Europe. Best of all, I was able to hike the way I wanted, with private rooms, great food and wine, and even a facial and massage here and there. My mission was accomplished.
Princess-style.
Shannon Yelland is an outdoorsy Canadian transplant living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Formerly a Digital Web Analyst, she now offers local hiking experiences on Airbnb. If you’re ever in Vegas, book with Shannon’s Guided Hike in Red Rock Canyon.
