When Donna Williamson decided to embark on a 41-day, 800-km walk across Spain, she had trouble describing her motivation.
Now that she has completed the famed Camino de Santiago, an ancient, faith-inspired pilgrimage, the words are flowing much easier.
“I truly believe we develop a tendency to become too comfortable in our present situations,” says Williamson, a secretary and lifelong Flin Flonner.
“There are endless opportunities and [are we] afraid to push ourselves to unthinkable limits? I am so terrified to forfeit these chances.”
Williamson, 51, walked “the Camino” from June 11 to July 21. She started in France, in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains, before crossing over to Spain on day two.
Armed with a backpack and walking stick, she retraced the steps of pilgrims who would walk in search of miracles – or elusive answers to life’s questions.
Bubbly and conversational, Williamson arrived for the walk by herself but quickly found she was far from alone.
“There’s about 200,000 people [who] walk in a year,” she notes.
Walking an average of 25 km a day and sleeping in hostels, Williamson made new friends along the well-marked path.
“I said to this kid, ‘What are you doing on the Camino?’” she recalls. “He goes, ‘I don’t have a job. My dad said, “Go do the Camino and figure your life out.”’ And that’s what I heard a lot.”
During one stretch, Williamson walked with a man who spoke only Spanish.
“I never feel a language barrier, and that’s really funny because…I’m sure he swore at me for four kilometres,” she says with a laugh.
Unlike many of her fellow adventurers, Williamson did not feel the need to “find herself.” Nor was she strongly inspired by faith, though she has always believed in God and considers herself spiritual.
“I knew that whenever you do something like that, when you challenge yourself, you will always receive gifts,” she explains.
While Williamson was trekking across Spain, back home in Flin Flon and area her friends followed her expedition on her blog.
“On this journey I have been given gifts in so many forms,” Williamson wrote almost four weeks into the excursion. “I cannot even say the reason I am here. Many have these great reasons and hope to gain a magnificent epiphany.”
Late in her travels, Williamson received the surprise of a lifetime when husband Bucky, completely unannounced, met up with her to walk the final 200 km.
“I thought I was seeing things because I had walked really far that day,” she says with a laugh.
Together the long-time couple concluded the adventure before flying back to Flin Flon to reflect on the pilgrimage.
“Something like this is very powerful and it’s like a once-in-a-lifetime [experience],” says Donna.
