Extra: what is a pilgrimage?

Now that I'm one day away from Santiago, i thought I'd share some reflections on pilgrimages. The Camino is nominally a religious pilgrimage - but what exactly is a pilgrimage anyway?

According to somewhere on the internet helped by AI, a pilgrimage is a purposeful, often physical journey to a sacred place, undertaken for religious or spiritual transformation, devotion, or reflection. Pilgrims travel to seek healing, fulfill vows, or gain deeper spiritual understanding. They are often motivated by the desire to atone for sins, express thanks, or find answers to life's questions

Mmmmm, so why am I on this journey?
- Purposeful: yep I guess
- Physical: definitely
- Sacred place: well, the legendary tomb of St James in Santiago is sacred to some, but I can't pretend it is for me
- Religious or spiritual transformation: don't think I'm expecting that, but I guess you never know
- Devotion: nope
- Reflection: ah, yep I can tick that box
- Seek healing: nope, but wouldn't that be awesome (the healing that is, not the seeking)
- Fulfill vows: nope
- Gain deeper spiritual understanding: nope
- Desire to atone for sins: nope; atonement and sins are weird concepts aren't they?
- Express thanks: I can kind-of understand that, but not really my purpose
- Find answers to life's questions: well that would be handy, although I don't feel that I lack answers to any of life's questions that keep me awake at night

For me, it is definitely more than just a fun long walk. I have found it a bit difficult to articulate a "why", particularly when trying to type on a little phone screen. Let's say for spiritual reasons, as long as that term is loosly applied, which I think it usually is. It is an extended time away from normal life; at a location that couldn't be physically further from normal life; an opportunity to forget about work and other time pressures; a time for reflection about life, the universe, and everything; a place to interact with pilgrims from all over the world who are on the same physical journey; and a chance to connect with the history and culture of both the location and the millions of pilgrims who have gone before

Does that help provide answers to those who've asked me or wondered why a non-Catholic kiwi would abandon family for 7 weeks and spend a fortune on airfares, to walk a pilgrimage route to a destination whose original claim to fame probably contains more legend than history?






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