Q: If you could describe your trip using just one of the five senses, what would it be and why?
Pointer: “I am going to go with touch. Definitely touch, because walking those many miles really takes a toll on your feet.”
Finck: “I’ll go with smell. I’m very into fragrance, and I can smell the drying wheat fields, for example, and it will always bring me back. Also, the smell of the incense, old churches, and petrichor will always make me think of the Camino.”
Q: What was the coolest part of the trip?
Pointer: “We stayed at a random hotel which was a bed and breakfast. It had only been open for five days. The first part of the house had been built in the 12th century. It had a wine cellar in the basement, and all these antiques, so it was just an unexpected, fun thing.”
Finck “I would say the history is interesting, and everything that dates back hundreds of years. We would walk across bridges from the Roman Empire, which was fascinating, just being at ancient landmarks and historical areas.”
Q: What moments during your trip did you feel the most connected?
Pointer: “For me, the best part was meeting so many different people. Pilgrims come from all over the world, Americans, Canadians, and of course, many Spaniards. There were also a ton of people from Korea. We met quite a few and got to talk to people from everywhere. It was amazing to meet everyone. It felt like being part of a slice of humanity.”
Q: What was the most important thing you took away from this experience?
Pointer: “It reminded me that humans are kind. People take care of each other on the route. People get themselves lost, and they might need to have a taxi called for them. So, even though you’ve never met these people before, and you might not even speak one word of the same language, you all try to take care of each other. It was a really lovely way to be reminded that people are good.”
Q: How did you grow and change from your experience in Spain?
Pointer: “Well, I definitely got physically stronger, and I also feel more comfortable, just being in my head, and being who I really am. You are so tired, you don’t have the energy to do anything other than be the real you”
Finck: “My communication skills improved, because when you travel with a friend, you are always together. We were together for a whole month, and there’s just a lot of logistical things you have to do in stressful situations. We learned how to communicate with each other.”
