YOU on the Camino de Santiago

***CONTENT WARNING*** We are talking about some difficult topics in this episode, including mental health, suicide, and human trafficking. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or is in a crisis situation, please know that help is available. If you are in the US, you can call 988 from any phone to access the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you are outside of the US, there is a list of hotline numbers for the countries where most of my listeners reside below, as well as a Wikipedia link with numbers for additional countries. To give you some more specifics, my guest in this episode will be sharing his experience with multiple cases of suicide within his immediate circle of friends, his own suicidal ideation, and his career work with Safeguarding programs helping victims of human trafficking in the United Kingdom. If these are difficult topics for you, you may want to consider not listening to this episode. On the other hand, you may find this conversation incredibly inspiring. Again, help is available. And you deserve that help. If you are struggling, please reach out to one of the hotlines provided below, or to a trusted friend.   RESOURCES  FOR SUICIDE AND CRISIS HELP : USA and Canada: call 988 For more help: https://988lifeline.org/ Australia: call 13 11 14 New Zealand: call 1737 Spain: call 024 United Kingdom: call 999, 112, or 0800 689 5652 For more help: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/help-for-suicidal-thoughts/ The charity mentioned by Adam: https://www.thecalmzone.net/ List of global suicide crisis lines from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines   #youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast

TROUBLE AT HOME WHILE ON PILGRIMAGE What if something happens at home while you are away on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela? What do you do when someone you love is in trouble, hundreds or thousands of miles away? My guest today is going to share her real life experience with that very thing. In this episode you are going to meet Natalie from near Portland, Oregon in the US. Her Camino story has – at least – two parts, one that has already happened and one that will happen in 2025. And it is so much more than a story about trouble at home!   WALK WITH ME IN 2025 Are you dreaming of walking the Camino Francés in 2025? I would love to help you make that dream a reality! Let me know you are interested by visiting my website and adding your name to the wait list for one of my 2025 groups. You can do all the details and get on the list here: https://thecaminoexperience.com/walk-with-me/ Can't or don't want to start with a group? Check the DIY-plus Camino planning program and get on that wait list instead! https://thecaminoexperience.com/diy-camino/   #youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast

SANTIAGO + FÁTIMA + LOURDES After an unexpected and devastating loss, the whole family is in on the Camino plans. Learn how pilgrim Roger will make the journey to three major pilgrimage sites, in Spain, Portugal, and France.   VISIT BURGOS ON THE CAMINO FRANCÉS Visit the beautiful Catedral de Burgos: https://catedraldeburgos.es/ Visit the Atapuerca dig site: https://www.atapuerca.org/   GET YOUR FREE CAMINO PLANNING ROADMAP Discover all the big decisions you will need to make and the steps you will take to get you from where you are now – saying yes to your dream – all the way to your starting point. You can get the roadmap for free by following this link: https://pages.thecaminoexperience.com/roadmap Be sure to download the roadmap to give your consent to receive future emails from me. GET STARTED ON YOUR FIRST CAMINO HERE: The Camino Experience, with Nancy: https://thecaminoexperience.com/   #youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast

PONDERING ON THE CAMINHO PORTUGUESE In this episode you are going to hear from John from Canada, who will be walking the Portuguese route in May. As you will hear, John is looking ahead to his next decade and pondering what it will look like. We talk about some practical considerations, such as the debate between taking a rain jacket or a poncho, if you really need trekking poles, and what to do if your walking pace is different from that of the person you are doing the pilgrimage with. We also touch on some more contemplative topics like how to embrace whatever the Camino throws at you, how to make the journey significant if it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and what does religion or spirituality mean at different times in our lives.   GET YOUR FREE CAMINO PLANNING ROADMAP Discover all the big decisions you will need to make and the steps you will take to get you from where you are now – saying yes to your dream – all the way to your starting point. You can get the roadmap for free by following this link: https://pages.thecaminoexperience.com/roadmap Be sure to download the roadmap to give your consent to receive future emails from me.   ALL ABOUT THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO Find out what it is, how it works, and who does this pilgrimage. Also, information on the terrain, where to eat and sleep, and how to document your journey. https://thecaminoexperience.com/about-the-camino-de-santiago/   #youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast

AGAINST ALL ODDS Wait until you hear this story. So inspiring. It truly is time to dream big again. Keep an eye out for Cinda and Persie on the Camino Frances in April and May! GET YOUR FREE CAMINO PLANNING ROADMAP Discover all the big decisions you will need to make and the steps you will take to get you from where you are now – saying yes to your dream – all the way to your starting point. You can get the roadmap for free by following this link: https://pages.thecaminoexperience.com/roadmap Be sure to download the roadmap to give your consent to receive future emails from me. GET STARTED ON YOUR FIRST CAMINO HERE: https://thecaminoexperience.com/   #youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast

WHEN YOU JUST NEED TO GET AWAY My guest today is Kate from Australia who will be leaving soon to walk the Camino Francés from Saint Jean Pied de Port. As she tells her story, you are going to hear that she is actually planning two Caminos at the same time! Kate has some great tips for us on what not to do when you are training for the Camino, and we have a fun chat about what to do with eight days after the Camino.   TROUBLE ON FACEBOOK If you have any questions or concerns about my involvement in the recent trouble in the WOACA the Camino Facebook, please reach out to me at youonthecamino@gmail.com. I will do my best to respond to your questions and concerns within 72 hours.   LOOKING AHEAD TO 2025? I will be opening registration for the next DIY-plus Camino Planning Program in June. The what??? The short answer is that this is all the content from my do-it-yourself getting started audio guide plus six group coaching sessions and email support. If you would like to learn more about the program and get on the wait list for the next group, you can do that on my website:  https://thecaminoexperience.com/diy-camino/ Also the wait list for my 2025 Camino Experience groups is open.   THE MOST POPULAR ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CAMINO FORUM Have you found this? Every question you could imagine, asked and answered many time. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/   Related: Here is the two-part episode on luggage transport services Kate and I talked about: Part 1, Part 2   #youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast  

BEAUTY AND WONDER ON THE CAMINO Catherine of First Nation in Canada knows the truth about the land and our role in caring for the earth. She is eager to walk through Portugal and Spain to discover the rich diversity of what grows in their soils. Join me as we explore the Anishinaabe teaching of the Four Hills and how walking the Camino fits into this deep exploration of life's journey.   WALK WITH ME THIS SEPTEMBER! To get started on your own unique Camino journey, grab the one final spot in my September Camino Experience group. Find out more and let me know you are interested here: https://thecaminoexperience.com/walk-with-me/ One spot left as of April 9, 2024   SIMs AND eSIMs FOR THE CAMINO On the more practical side of things, join us for a walk-through on how to stay connected while on the Camino using an eSIM, a physical SIM card, or your home-country cell phone plan. For more information about eSIMs, check out this write up by pilgrim Lachlan Cooke: https://caminotips.wordpress.com/esims-what-you-should-know/   GET MORE CAMINO TIPS! Join my email list and collect more tips to help you get ready to walk the Camino de Santiago. To get started with my free Camino Planning Roadmap, go here: https://pages.thecaminoexperience.com/roadmap   #youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast

HOW TO HAVE THE "PERFECT" CAMINO EXPERIENCE We all have ideas of what walking the Camino is going to be like. It's hard not to, with all the YouTube videos, blogs, books, and movies about the Camino de Santiago out there. What is your idea of a "perfect" Camino? In this episode we explore that question and also bust some myths about the meseta, or high plain, that stretches from Burgos to León on the Camino Francés.   WHERE TO GET A MASSAGE IN PAMPLONA AND SANTIAGO Here are two great stops for massage on the Camino Francés: In Pamplona - Ultreia Masaje, right on the Camino trail shortly after you enter the old city walls, https://ultreiabuencamino.com/ In Santiago - Quintana Massage, located in Plaza de Quintana, next to the Cathedral, https://www.quintanamassages.com/   JUST GETTING STARTED ON YOUR CAMINO DREAM? To be sure you are taking the right and best steps to get you to the trail, grab your free copy of my Camino Planning Roadmap here. If you don't see an email from nancy@thecaminoexperience right away, be sure to check your Spam or Junk folder. And don't forget to open the email and click the link to download your roadmap! That will put you on my email list so you can begin to receive tips and stories to help you plan and prepare for your pilgrimage.   Related: Check out the conversation with Judith and hear about her "perfect" Camino experience.   #youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast

A SURPRISINGLY LONG WALK, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES Nysie has a new lease on life after years of living with a debilitating illness. And she is celebrating her second chance by making the journey from Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint Jean Pied de Port on the Chemin de Saint-Jacques, and then from there to Santiago de Compostela on the Camino Francés. Nysie knows ahead of time that she won’t be walking every step of the way, but that fact doesn’t make this any less remarkable. You will see why I say that as you get to know Nysie and her story, which is nothing short of a miracle. WALK WITH ME! Start your Camino with confidence. If you are someone who can imagine yourself on the Camino but who can’t yet see how to make it happen, someone who doesn't yet know how to go from the dream to those first steps on the trail, then consider joining my small group that starts in Saint Jean Pied de Port in September and I will ensure you get there. Are you planning to walk the Camino alone but you don’t necessarily want to start off alone? This group is for you, too. Let's connect! Follow this link to find out how I help first-time pilgrims get started on their Way. Or email me at nancy@thecaminoexperience.com   HOW TO KEEP MEDICATIONS COLD ON THE CAMINO Nysie will need to keep medication cold for her entire pilgrimage. She will be using The Voyager travel fridge by All Family. Explore this and other options here: https://4allfamily.com/   BRUSH UP ON YOUR SPANISH PRONUNCIATION Join me for a fun exploration of how to pronounce Spanish place names along the Camino Francés in season two, episode 10 of this podcast. Follow this link to the episode or find it wherever you listen to this podcast.   #youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast

THE CAMINO PROVIDES - WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? Usually my guests are people getting ready to walk the Camino for the first time. They have lots of questions plus touching and inspiring stories. This week I am happy to host David Ault, teacher, writer, adventurer, and visionary leader who has walked two of routes of the Camino de Santiago. His most recent walk, in summer 2023, was to raise funds for his non-profit organization, Kaleidoscope Child Foundation. Listen in to find out what lessons David took away from his first pilgrimage and how those lessons kept deepening on his second walk. Here is the albergue on the Caminho Português that David shared about: Albergue De Peregrinos Casa Da Fernanda, Vitorino dos Piães, Portugal, +351914589521 Connect with David:  >> Kaleidoscope Child Foundation: donations gratefully accepted  >> Instagram: @thedavideault  >> Books on Amazon: Where Regret Cannot Find Me, and The Grass is Greener Right Here   READY TO MAKE YOUR CAMINO DREAM A REALITY? I can help! Find out how at https://thecaminoexperience.com/ Get on my email list to receive my Top 10 Camino Tips (that don't usually show up on the top 10 lists) plus weekly tips and Camino-themed musings: https://pages.thecaminoexperience.com/tips     #youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast