'THE CAMINO GAVE ME THE PUSH I NEEDED'
Sarah Walker, 49, lives in Twickenham with her daughter Tilly, 15, and their dog Cosmo.
After a 15-year marriage and a tumultuous three-year separation, my divorce was final in April 2023. Desperate for an escape, I decided to embark on a transformative journey: a 35-day, 800km hike along the Camino de Santiago, from Saint Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago in Spain. I needed to walk off all the thoughts that were swirling around my head.
Ten days in, I succumbed to debilitating flu-like symptoms. Through sweat and tears, I pressed on. The day I started to feel better was the day I met Cass, 46, from Melbourne, and Rachel, 36, from Colorado, fellow pilgrims who became my angels. They didn't know each other but had started walking around the same day I had.
It just took us two weeks to book into the same hostel on the same night and get talking. As we walked together, I learnt that Cass had four children and was a keen ceramicist. Rachel was married and worked as a baker. We were all so different, but we bonded with every step we took.
The pilgrimage was tough - but meeting Cass and Rachel marked the beginning of my reconstruction. The Camino gave me the push I needed to finally launch my landlord training consultancy, Lessons in Lettings, an idea that I had been mulling over for a long time. It provided me with solitude when I needed it, and companionship when I was ready.
Our camaraderie led to a commitment to walk together annually, starting with the Porto route of the Camino in June. I can't wait to take on many more challenges with my amazing new friends.
'I WANTED SOMETHING TO DO FOR MYSELF'
Heather Miller, 50, lives in Streatley, Berkshire with her husband James, 54, and their children, Jay, 14, and Toby, 12.
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