It was a tough inaugural day for Laura. Just short of twenty miles and there was no reprieve of heat. No shade, no clouds in the sky, only sun. She learned right away that the Camino will test you.
The Camino de Santiago has been testing pilgrims for over a thousand years. The heat, the open meseta, the relentless sun with no place to hide. The Way has a way of stripping things down to what is essential. The plains of the Camino are famous for being one of the most difficult stretches of the entire journey. Bless her heart, Laura stepped right into the heart of that reality on day one.
The Camino also teaches something that today's world resists. That you cannot rush transformation. Twenty hard miles on day one means Laura already has learned a lesson. The arrival is earned, the destination is sweeter for the difficulty, and that she is stronger than she thought.
The joy at the end of our journey will be proportional to the cost of the journey. Today's suffering is tomorrow's
.
