There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning. ~Louis L’Amour

Coming home after a pilgrimage, retreat, or any other formative experience is often an unusually open and vulnerable time. A second threshold needs to be crossed after traveling afar, a mindful pause taken before stepping back into my life. If I rush this process, or don’t allow time and space for it, I may miss the subtle shifts and transformations that occurred while away. Just as I took care in packing my bags before embarking on my adventure, I needed to give attention to unpacking, not only my luggage but also my experiences and encounters while away. Once home it seemed silly to take this time yet I knew making space for re-entry would be worthwhile. Luckily, I planned ahead and scheduled a few days in the mountains to decompress and let my experiences sink in. Like a bookend to the journey, this “threshold space” gave a sense of completion to my travels and a glimmer of how the pilgrimage might become a new thread woven into my life.

One of my days was spent walking for several hours and I immediately felt connected to the Camino again. I suppose walking was my attempt to have the pilgrimage continue, even if I was now across the Atlantic Ocean on a different continent and in a different country. I also spent time journaling, looking through photos, but mostly remembering the openness I felt while walking and listening for the lessons I wanted to hold onto. Traveling often plants seeds of inspiration in my heart and mind and walking through Portugal and Spain was no exception. I desperately wanted these new seeds to take hold, but I knew it would take some tending on my part. It’s so easy to have a memorable event take center stage for awhile only to fade away over time, tucked into the recesses of my mind like a dusty old photo album stacked on a shelf.

My Camino walk, however, seemed to be the beginning of something new, a creative energy that felt both grounding and expansive. The questions I asked my self while “unpacking” my extended walk were these, “What did I receive from my travels? What did I let go of? How has it changed me? What have I learned about myself that I didn’t know before? How am I invited to grow?” I continue to ask myself these questions and others too, Writing about my experiences and taking long walks are other ways I tend the seed of change planted in my being. I don’t always have answers to the questions, and sometimes the answers change over time, but just considering them keeps the pilgrimage alive for me. Without the second threshold, a transition space, I’m not sure I’d even ask the questions.

Question: What new seeds of change are you tending?