386: Walking Back to Ourselves: Lessons from the Camino de Santiago

Guest Dennis and Ali Pitocco lead 360° Nation, a global media platform dedicated to uplifting humanity. For over 15 years, the couple has focused on showcasing humanity's best aspects and driving positive change. Their philosophy emphasizes presence, belonging, and compassionate service, allocating resources for the greater good. They believe in the power of media to benefit society, employing a purpose-driven "for good" vs. for-profit business model that highlights the human potential for creativity, compassion, and collaboration. Summary In this episode, Dennis and Ali reflect on their 500-mile walk along the Camino de Santiago, a six-week pilgrimage through northern Spain that became one of the most profound experiences of their lives. Initially drawn to the Camino less for its religious tradition than for its potential as a reflective journey, the couple sought quiet, connection, and space away from the noise of everyday life. Along the way, they discovered what they call a "symphony of silence"—a meditative calm in which layers of distraction and obligation fell away, revealing a more profound sense of self and purpose.

Dennis describes how walking each day with nothing but their thoughts and nature's rhythms stripped away life's "varnish," exposing what truly matters: authenticity, relationships, and wonder. Upon returning home, he and Ali found themselves changed. Dennis reached out to each of his siblings, determined to cultivate genuine, not transactional, relationships—an impulse he attributes directly to the Camino. They also wrote the book we occasionally dip into during this episode to record for themselves and inspire others to approach the Camino as a journey of introspection rather than endurance.

The conversation touches on lessons about slowing down, embracing simplicity, and rekindling awe in the everyday. For Dennis, the Camino became a metaphor for life—an act of "unbecoming" all that is false so one can return to one's most authentic self. As he puts it, "Pain is temporary, but the accomplishment of doing it lives with you forever."

The Essential Point

The Camino taught Dennis that transformation often comes through subtraction—not adding more, but shedding distractions and illusions to rediscover authenticity, connection, and the quiet beauty of being fully present.

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