Sue Hardman-Conklin
When asked to describe our experience on the Camino in one word, both Julie and I said the same thing – “Joy! “ This was completely unexpected. I imagined that the Camino would be a valuable experience, bringing challenges, growth and hopefully new insights –but I never expected the theme of it to be joy. In fact I was preparing myself for grueling long walks that grew monotonous over the weeks and that would require me to dig deep into my resolve as I battered harsh rainy weather and longed for the comforts of home. There definitely were times that were hard and I was in pain with blisters and feeling sorry for myself, or tired. But that was such a small portion of the whole trip. By far the overriding emotion was joy. And the greatest discovery was realizing that I had the capacity to feel that much joy.
Since returning home I’ve thought often about what was it exactly that elicited that much joy? And most importantly, what if anything can I incorporate from that experience into my everyday life? Or is that kind of joy unique to walking the Camino? Is that why so many people walk it year after year?
I don’t think I can fully create the Camino experience in everyday life because the totality of the experience is unique. However I do believe there are pieces of the experience that resonate with experiencing joy in everyday life. Here’s what I’ve come up with:
- Time outside in nature – daily
- Exercise/walking – daily
- Social interaction and readily available sense of community – daily
- Routine – with regular opportunities for novelty and new discoveries
- Regular and adequate amounts of quality sleep
- Sense of daily purpose and challenge
- Daily focus on spiritual connection, meditation
- Simplicity – pairing down to the essentials
Life on the Camino lends itself perfectly to experiencing these 8 elements. Life at home isn’t quite so simple. For one thing, I have tasks and obligations in my daily life that aren’t present on the Camino. In addition, it’s hard to imagine ever creating a life at home that could be as simple as life on the Camino. Nevertheless, the experience opened my eyes to aspects of my life that I CAN replicate at home. This experience gives me a formula to look to when I feel out of balance. By looking at which of the above 8 elements is lacking, I’m able to see what I need to work on and then create the map to bring more of that element, and thus more joy, into my life.
Are you aware of what it is that brings you joy? What does your path to joy look like? What strategies do you have for cultivating joy in your life?
It’s so good to find your article! Finding yourselves experiencing joy even in the midst of challenges while walking the Camino, & following that thread back to how, why, is illuminating. Your sweetly simple list is available to all. It’s right in front of our veiled eyes, which for me personally , is usually looking for more complicated answers!
I’m with you Nanette – often making it way more complicated when the answers are so simple. Sometimes it takes big events like leaving home to discover what was there all along – but unappreciated. Thanks for you insight and comments Nanette!