The end of the road is much more taxing than I had imagined, mainly due to the sudden influx of pilgrims starting from O’Cebreiro. Being amongst so many people, I wish I could find a holiness in that, but instead I feel increasingly like I am participating in something distinctly secular. As much as I value relationships, I am overwhelmed by having been around so many people for a month and a half. This last stretch is a test in seeing the sacred in others’ journeys, partially to remember what it feels like to be immersed in my purpose for walking.

At dinner last night, a class of thirty teenaged boys sat at a reserved table behind mine, and I remember the  temptation to resent their somewhat noisy presence,  which was quickly taken over by appreciation for their commitments. It was their first night, and after a touching speech by their teacher on the pilgrim’s commitment to love and faith, they all went around and shared something they were grateful for. This practice is something I am familiar with from dance groups;  to see a group of young men, who in my experience frequently suffer from insecurities around emotional processing, share so openly reminded me of how potent this road is, despite its inevitable touristy aspects.

During the walk, when I am able to be alone, is where I can most healthily process these social experiences and begin to move my thoughts further out into space, beyond my stresses. The land of Galicia makes me feel held in a classic fairytale piece that somehow veers away from its morbid ending by the time I find a bed and go to sleep every day. I’ll be drifting off to the sound of rain and howling winds, and be so grateful for not having to sleep outside; I find comfort in the power these mountains have for being the first that the Atlantic winds come across.

To accept and celebrate interruptions to my thoughts both by other pilgrims and by the beauty of my environment, is what I hope to achieve by the time I reach Finisterre. For now, my constant prayer is faith in myself that I can make it to Santiago within the next four days.