I had different plans for later this summer of walking over the Alps in Germany and Austria headed toward Italy. Walking the first third of a roughly 30 day walk from Munich to Venice on a path known as the Dream Way. But the Camino was calling me. So instead of flying into one of my favorite cities in Germany, I’ll be flying into one of my favorite cities in Portugal, Lisbon. From there I’ll take a train up to another favorite city and start my walk from Porto.

If that sounds familiar to you, that’s because it’s exactly what I did just over a year ago with 6 other friends or family members. Just scroll through the history of this blog and you’ll see pictures from the adventure I’m planning to embark on again.

I thought about doing the Camino Primitivo from Northern Spain but with only having 11 walking days available, I didn’t want to cut that route short or try to cram 12+ days of walking into 11 days. With 11 days available this time, I can also add one extra day of walking to the Portuguese route, which will allow me to change up where I stay along the way. Heck, I might even consider staying on the coastal route longer.

I loved walking the Portuguese Camino last year. So many charming villages along the way and beautiful countryside. I also loved splitting up the walking between two countries and getting to experience the differences those countries offered.

I’ll be taking off in late August and finishing in Santiago in early September. I’m hoping this 11 day walk helps strengthen my heart again. It’s been hard to watch the division here at home and human rights atrocities due to the recent political climate. What I love about the Camino is how it brings people from different backgrounds together. We all have a common goal and there’s a spirit of helping each other reach that goal. I wish everyone could experience this and learn from it.

While in a way I’m always training for my next Camino, tomorrow officially starts my training with a long urban walk around Seattle. As my dad said, “just put one foot in front of the other.”