UNC Camino de Santiago

Dear Friends and Fellow Pilgrims,

Warm greetings to all of you—our past participants, supportive friends and family who followed along our journey. We, Professors Roxana and Mario, the faces behind Camino UNC write to you from Santiago de Compostela, our home this fall semester during our sabbaticals. Despite recent rain here, the city is aglow with festive holiday cheer. Wrapping up 2023, we have just completed our 5th Camino this year, covering over a thousand miles on our journey through the historic paths of the peninsula. This research time also allowed us to publish two works based on our Camino project with students, a source of gratitude for which we're truly thankful.

With immense gratitude and a touch of sorrow, after five transformative years leading the Camino de Santiago trip, we have decided to conclude our Camino program with UNC Study Abroad. Each step taken with these students is etched into our being, creating cherished memories that we revisit often. Yet, we know that the Camino teaches us that every ending is also a new beginning. Inspired by our experiences on the path, we embark on a new project—a heartfelt extension of our collective Camino. A space for connection, growth, and shared meaning.

As the sun sets on our UNC program, profound gratitude to students, and their families for entrusting your young pilgrims into our care and guidance. Now, in the spirit of the Camino, we invite all hearts stirred by pilgrimage to join us on a new journey (including parents 😉). We introduce to you: Drawn to the Camino, a fully insured walking tour provider. We hope to take on where Camino UNC left off— opening the Camino experience for folks beyond academia and beyond North Carolina. If you’d like to support us, share our name with fellow wanderers who might have always wanted to do this— we hope to keep turning dreams into plans. With deepest gratitude and hope for the many miles ahead, Ultreia and Buen Camino.

Profs. Roxana and Mario

www.drawntothecamino.com

Ruta dos Faros, 200km.

The Lighthouse Way: Walking Spain's 'other' camino Few know about the vastly more-meditative, nearby Camino dos Faros, or Lighthouse Way, along the wild and deserted Finisterre coast that's known as "the end of the earth".

“Not all who wander are lost.”—Tolkien

Here is a note on the aesthetics of paths and what they tell us about ourselves as we walk them.

‘You are not lost’: the infinite attraction of paths and meandering trails Paths are not for people who need to be first, who need to be trail-blazers, but they offer the symbolic idea that there is a way in life

“Paths are primary; their form built into our brain and part of our origin myth. Consequently, we rarely think about their origins; how they formed and where they came from. We don’t think of them as historic features, and tend not to consider the stories embedded in them. But when we do think about it, a hidden history is revealed, and something of the experience of our predecessors comes alive to us.”

Footpaths to the past: ‘We must keep our ancient tracks alive by walking them’ The UK’s paths and holloways should be protected for their environmental appeal and historic worth – but they also need to be maintained by using them

This year marked the 50th pilgrim we’ve facilitated arriving to Santiago 😮. Acknowledgements to Marissa Lupkas for getting us started in what is now a program tradition—the selfie on the morning of our march into Santiago. Here are all four years together 🙂

Today, our hearts are brimming with joy and gratitude as we sit reflecting upon this incredible journey. We walked 500 miles, not merely as a group of students / professors, but as a tight-knit community bound by laughter, tears, and the unwavering spirit of adventure.

Remember those first steps we took out of St. Jean, filled with anticipation and perhaps a touch of trepidation? Yet, with every passing KM, we discovered the true essence of the way—a transformative journey that challenged us, nurtured us, and revealed the strength we never knew we possessed.

We embraced the early morning chill, admiring the sky in hues of pink and gold, as we set off each day with a renewed sense of purpose. The rhythm of our footsteps became a symphony, harmonizing with the whispers of ancient trees and the echoes of pilgrims who have walked this sacred space before us.

Together, we took on mountains that seemed insurmountable and weathered storms that threatened to dampen our spirits. We leaned on one another, offering words of encouragement and lending a helping hand when the road became steep, blisters became a worry or fatigue set in. It was in these moments that we witnessed the power of unity and the beauty of human connection through uniform movement.

The Camino gifted us countless treasures along the way. We were welcomed with open arms by the locals, their culture, and their warm hospitality. We marveled at architectural wonders, soaked in the peacefulness of medieval towns, and reveled in the simple pleasures of breaking bread together each night.

But it was within ourselves that the most profound transformations occurred. We discovered resilience amidst adversity, courage in the face of uncertainty, and a renewed appreciation for the beauty that exists in each passing moment. We shed our worries and insecurities, allowing the Camino to wash over us, leaving us with love, gratitude, and a profound sense of inner peace.

As we arrived to Praza Obradoiro, our hearts brimming with accomplishment, we became part of a timeless tradition—a tapestry woven with the stories of pilgrims from all walks of life. Our footsteps now blend with theirs, forever leaving an indelible mark on the path.

So, what does one say on the last post as the door closes on our journey together? We know words are not always quite right—we whisper them as each one falls limp in our arms in exhaustion and relief. These spirits have entrusted themselves with us, our mission, and work. The hope being that while some of us may not have been called to do the Camino as hundreds of thousands of others are each year, we were hopefully able to experience the aesthetic transformation that we helped facilitate— to open a window into themselves and their understanding of the world in which they live, and to give each one of them a space to grow. It always seems like a tall order but each time we are amazed. We wish all of you could feel this moment—tears, laughter, joy, sadness, all rolled into one.

Tonight we look up at this new summer sky, filled with memories and newfound wisdom, and celebrate this extraordinary journey we undertook together. Cheers to the Camino, to the bonds we forged, and to the endless possibilities that await us as we carry this experience into the tapestry of our lives. Buen Camino, PeregrinXs.

With love and everlasting camaraderie,

Professors Mario + Roxana

Now that we’re beyond the Meseta, Galicia's song lures us into a mystical realm, where mist weaves through its Celtic groves, and where chestnut trees, holloways and ancient stones stand as guardians. As we prepare for the ascent towards the Camino’s celestial peak, our existence transcends the realm of thoughts, descending into the deep chambers of the heart. Our bodies, now harmonized and finely tuned instruments, resonate with nature's symphony. And the once restless mind emerges from its labyrinth of contemplation, finding solace in this new tranquil space for reflection.

Today marks the moment we depart from the journey into our body, to that into our heart, mind and spirit. Did we push too far? Did we underestimate how hard this path would be? As our bodies buckle from the weight of our predicament, we see the depth of our power in the eyes of each other, the wisdom of our inner voices and the strength to keep going. Perhaps one day we will have the courage to share with you what discovering this new connection with each other feels like— to be with our tribe, to be with those that care for us deeply, to be with all those that share the title of pilgrim. We greet our new self, wrap it in tenderness as we take our first steps into the vast plains of life before us. Welcome to the Meseta, Peregrinxs.

The first three days of the journey reveals the edges: the edges of pain and exhaustion, the edges of comfort, and the edges of excitement for a journey commenced. This section tempers our passions—usually in the shape of a blister or two. But with a rest day in Pamplona now behind us, the sun rises once again.

What you feel when crossing the Pyrenees is real. We leave our old identity behind and embrace that of a millennia old tradition: the pilgrim. Another group of Heels setting off from St. Jean Pied de Port in the morning, ready to uncover the stories that lie deep beneath the surface. Ultreia et Suseia.

Our ritual offering of the Camino shell to our departing pilgrims and the reading of the traditional pilgrim commitment, marks a rite of passage in their upcoming journey. As nerves start to set in, our willingness to let pilgrimage unfold also is being stretched. Today, our 2023 group were initiated as pilgrims to the Camino, setting the stage for what is ahead. Huge smiles as they placed their shells around their necks and took the first steps.

The journey forward always needs us to look back. It has been a while since we have been able to share time together with our Camino family. Join us this Thursday to see examples of the sketchbook work of our 2022 pilgrims, reminisce with old friends or hear stories about the journey. All are welcome! Thu Jan 19 at Hanes Art Center from 5-6pm and pilgrim reception downtown after. If any 2018 or 2019 pilgrims are still near campus, we would love to see you!