by John Comando
When I decided to walk the Camino de Santiago alone at age 71, it was on a whim. A year and a half earlier, I had had a hip replacement, but felt that I had become complacent in a comfortable retirement, and needed to shake up my life. And that’s what I did.
I knew walking a Camino wouldn’t be easy or pain-free. Then, on my third day of walking, an injury on the trail threatened my ability to finish my adventure. It would be more difficult and demanding than I ever imagined, forcing me to reach beyond physical pain and endurance, battle self-doubts, and draw from a spirit within me to finish the walk all the way to Santiago de Compostela. Along the way, I discover unexpected feelings and surprising emotions.
When I was in an early stage of writing, a friend commented “I felt like I was walking with you, walking by your side.” That comment inspired the book’s title and a promise to the reader to maintain that feeling throughout the journey.
Read this travel memoir and you’ll be there with me…walking by my side.