A year ago I was walking the ancient pilgrimage called the Camino de Santiago. I was in northern Spain with some of my closest friends and a gracious Spanish guide named Javi. The second or third day of the journey Javi urged me to take my shoes and socks off and walk part of the […]

I am learning that even when life feels dark I can be surprised by joy. One of my favorite poets expresses this so clearly: If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don't hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and […]

Some who know me well might say the statement, "Alice is a disciplined person" is an understatement. I get it. I like a schedule, a rhythm, a routine. Some might call me tightly wound. That's ok. But let me tell you what the Camino taught me. It's ok to be disciplined in the every day. […]

"Heaven and earth," the Celtic saying goes, "are only three feet apart, but in thin places that distance is even shorter." The Camino felt like a very thin place. The air heavy with the weight of centuries of pilgrims. The soil itself felt holy. I barely have words to explain it. But I do have […]

I went on the Camino with five friends from home. I walked the Camino with a group of 12 lovely humans, all of whom became my friends. Isn't this life? We start off with our own group, our people. Then the journey begins and people we never knew existed start walking next to us and […]

It was a cold, dreary Saturday morning in January when my dear friend texted me. "Hey girlie, I have a proposal for you ..." It was an invitation to travel to Spain with her and 4 of our dearest friends to walk the ancient and beautiful Camino de Santiago. Over 100 km of walking in […]