The Camino Way in Spain with Mrs Norley & Mrs Priest

The Camino Way, Spain

I had the privilege of being part of the College tour to Spain in 2017, to walk approximately 200km of the Camino Way. As someone who has seldom travelled outside of Australia, this was a big deal and an experience I will never forget. Walking the Camino is a journey of self-discovery and I learnt many things along the way, including the following:

• Your backpack only feels heavy when you first put it on.
• Remember to stop and look around. My head was down for some of the walk, focusing on my balance and where to place my feet on the rocky ground. But whenever I stopped and looked around, I saw the spectacular landscape surrounding me, including snow covered mountains. When your head is down, you don't always see the beauty that's around you. It’s a bit like life, I guess.
• People along the Camino love Australians!
• The sound of a Spanish local playing his guitar and singing Red Hot Chilli Peppers when you're halfway up a mountain, is strangely soothing.
• Hills are always going to hurt!
• There ARE snakes in Spain. It may have only been little but it was definitely a snake!
• It's important to find a comfortable place on the conveyor belt that is the Camino path. Sometimes it gets really busy and then it can be a challenge to keep your own pace. It's great to chat to others along the way, but sometimes solo time is needed - it brings a real feeling of peace.
• The best hot chocolate in the world can be found in Samos - it was divine!
• People of all ages walk the Camino. We saw a number of children walking with their parents and met up with a group of high school girls trekking as part of their transition year. I also talked with a lady from Ireland who was walking with her 80 year old mother.
• I now understand why people press pause on the busyness of life to walk the Camino path. While it's exhausting and challenging, it's also extremely beautiful, peaceful and energizing.

At HSC, we use the "You Can Do It" program to teach students important life skills. I needed to use the "You Can Do It" characters throughout this trip:

1. Connie Confidence: I really had to talk myself into having the courage to get on a plane, fly halfway around the world and then trust in yellow arrows to guide my way along the track. 
2. Oscar Organisation: I had to organise my backpack each morning with everything needed for the day, including water, wet weather gear, walking poles and a first aid kit.
3. Gabby Get-Along: I learnt to communicate with people whose language I didn’t speak. Sometimes this meant pointing to things, using hand signals or pulling out Google Translate.
4. Pete Persistence: When I was exhausted and my muscles ached, I learnt to put one foot in front of the other and just keep on walking.
5. Ricky Resilience: When I felt down, I had to find a way to bounce back. I often listened to worship music on my phone when I was tired of walking.

Mrs Angela Norley
Year 1 Teacher HSC

A video of Mrs Priest's experience on the Camino...