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Ten Years Later, a New Camino Calls

Reg Spittle 13 Comments

Ten years ago, Sue and I stood at O’Cebreiro, in the final phase of our journey on the Camino de Santiago.

Our arrival in Santiago was bittersweet. We welcomed the chance to rest our feet after a month on the trail, but didn’t want our greatest adventure to end.

For me, the journey was as much internal as it was a walk through Spain. My Merrill shoes protected my feet, but the Camino exposed battles my heart had fought my entire life.

When we returned home, my heart led me to the keyboard, where I told my story, which has found readers in ten countries. Many have written to me to say my book (Camino Sunrise: Walking With My Shadows) resonated, even helped them feel the hope I found on the Camino. I am so grateful that they shared their stories.

Sue and I have continued to walk, traveling on distance trails throughout Europe and on the John Muir Trail in the tallest mountains of California. I described our adventures during four treks in five countries in Trippin’ Through My 60s: When Adventure Calls, the Trails of Europe Answer.

Next week, Sue and I will put on the same red backpacks we wore in 2013 and walk another Camino that traverses a country. Another historic trail that pilgrims have walked for centuries. This time, we will walk in France. The path is known as the Way of St. James, the GR65, the Le Puy Route, or the Via Podiensis.

I will post occasional photos here and Sue will do much more on our website (carryoncouple.com) that has documented our adventures.

I have done what I can to prepare my body for its new challenge of walking nearly 500 miles. As usual, I am nervous about where my feet will take me. But I know one thing. My heart yearns to return to the trail.

Six Prescriptions to Improve Your Mental Health

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These books hold rich nuggets of wisdom for all of us. Click on the links for my brief reviews.


The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson. If you are bothered by Mark Manson’s profanity in this book, he would say you are giving a f*ck about the wrong thing. There is a better way, Manson writes. Care less, or don’t give a f*ck. Focus on what is real, what is now. Feel like sh*t today? That’s life. It’s OK to feel bad. Don’t hate yourself for it, he says.

Toxic Positivity, by Whitney Goodman. Your friend calls and invites you to join him for coffee. You sit opposite each other at the neighborhood coffee bar and he finally makes eye contact with you. “I got fired this morning,” he says. After a few moments, you say, “It could be worse. Now you will finally have more time to yourself.” Whitney Goodman would say such statements could build a wall between you and your friends. Why? They are examples of toxic positivity, like telling someone who just lost both legs in an accident to walk it off.

The Boy Between: A Mother and Son’s Journey From a World Gone Grey, by Amanda Prowse and Josiah Hartley. Depression tightens its grip on Josh Hartley when he goes away to England’s Southhampton University. He watches fellow students have the time of their lives, but for him, university life heightens the loneliness and despair he has experienced for years. English novelist Amanda Prowse describes her struggle to lift her son from the depths of depression.

The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. This tiny book packs powerful messages. Like walking a long-distance trek, it reminds me what is important and helps chase anxiety away. My mantra mirrors Ruiz’ words of wisdom: “Speak impeccably. Don’t take things personally. Never assume. Always do your best.”

Another Kind of Madness, by Stephen Hinshaw. Harvard freshman Stephen Hinshaw was back home in Columbus, Ohio for spring break. His father, prominent Ohio State philosopher Virgil Hinshaw Jr., called him into his study for a talk. Within minutes, the son’s life changed forever. For Stephen, the ensuing talks with his father answered questions he had kept buried for a lifetime. Why did Dad disappear all those times? Where did he go?

Anxiety Relief, by Russell Kennedy. Kennedy is a doctor, neuroscientist, developmental psychologist and a professional stand-up comedian, but his words on these pages are no joke. He writes that you can best heal anxiety by finding its source: your body, not your mind. When you find yourself in “alarm,” or worrying, go directly to your body, find where the alarm is. Kennedy proposes embracing the child in us. The child who was scarred. He describes a series of methods to connect with the places where our bodies feel the worry and heal the old wounds by being kind to ourselves.