Signals and symptoms that you did Camino de Santiago
Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela deeply marks the people who do it. There are many situations that show that you made the Camino de Santiago. They are subtle features and details, but pilgrims are able to quickly recognize them.
Do you want to know what situations show that you have done the Camino de Santiago? Such actions or behaviour will quickly make other pilgrims identify you and ask you excitedly: “Did you do the Camino too?”
Signal Nº 1. Your way of travelling is different
One of the situations that shows that you did the Camino de Santiago is the way you travel. The Camino is a different journey that undoubtedly transforms considerably the concept of “travel” that many people have.
Do you want to experience it too? If you are interested in doing the Camino de Santiago from Sarria, we’ll help you make it happen. Tell us when you want to go, and we’ll get back to you.
Your case is always small
After your trip to Santiago, your luggage will be much lighter than before. Every time you prepare your luggage to travel, you will remember your experience very well on the Camino de Santiago.
Since that adventure, you’ve never filled your suitcase again with “If onlys”. You know very well what you need and know how to solve any inconvenience that may arise with regard to the material things.
Your bed, your paradise
In some of the accommodation on the Camino de Santiago, you learned how uncomfortable it can be to share a room with people who have different schedules. On many nights, the noises or snoring did not let you rest, despite your fatigue.
Some beds also played tricks on you. After so many kilometres, all you wanted to do was to rest, but your bed was the most uncomfortable thing in the world.
After doing the Camino de Santiago, especially if you have spent a lot of time on it, you will have learned that the best bed is your own. And you think about it a lot before you choose accommodation on your travels.
You know that you’ll do the Camino de Santiago again
Yes, you did it once, and that’s why you’re sure you’ll be back. Since you arrived in Santiago, you only think about when you’ll have time to get back on the road.
You make plans about which route to Santiago you are going to do this time, from where to start, and so on. You don’t know when, but come back, you will. You had great fun and you want to repeat the experience. That’s why all the pilgrims get hooked on the Camino de Santiago.
It doesn’t bother you to have no-one to go on holiday with
Before, when the holiday season was coming and you had no one to travel with, you thought about staying at home. Now you know how easy it is to make friends on the road. Going on the Camino de Santiago alone, is always a good plan.
You see trips in a different way
During your pilgrimage to Santiago, you discovered the wonder of slowly traversing the landscapes, rather than simply visiting them. Since then, whenever you see a landscape, going by car, you think about how beautiful it would be to travel.
Signal Nº 2. You have a different concept of distance
Without any doubt, the distances that are made on the Camino de Santiago are very large. Very few pilgrims had faced so many kilometres before.
After walking to Santiago, the perception of distance changes completely. Now we illustrate some situations that show that the distances you made on the Camino de Santiago affected you.
What is near and what is far
Before, someone told you that a certain place was 2 kilometres away and you felt it was very far away. Now “two kilometres away”, is just around the corner.
It is normal, on the way to Santiago when you have two kilometres to complete a stage, you think: “I’m there, stage completed!” What are 2 kilometres over 20 kilometres?
Kilometres don’t scare you
Before doing the Camino, five kilometres would sound like a day’s excursion. No way would it have occurred to you to do 5 km unless it was on a planned outing, for which you prepared as if you were to spend the whole day walking.
Now you hear five kilometres and you think, “Nothing, an hour’s walk! It would be good to stretch my legs.” You are no longer afraid of distances, you know that you are able to travel many miles a day. After completing stages of 25 or 30 kilometres on the Camino de Santiago, no distance fazes you.
You are an expert on times
Before doing the Camino de Santiago you had no idea how many kilometres can be done in an hour. However, now, every time someone mentions a distance, you comment on how long it would take to walk.
Signal Nº 3. You belong to something
When a friend introduces you to someone new it is often that you use your pilgrimage to Santiago as a connection if both of you have made the journey. “They also did the Camino de Santiago” are the magic words for the miracle to occur.
You don’t know why, but the simple fact that they did the Camino de Santiago makes you like them already. In some strange way you feel like that person has something in common with you.
The conversation will soon begin. They will talk about the route they did, the stages, what each of them learned on the Camino, etc. It’s even possible that if you’ve not done the Camino de Santiago for a long time, you’ll end up talking about Zapatones.
If the two of you have done the Camino Frances, which is very likely, since the busiest road, the conversation can go on for hours. There’s so much to say about that route!
Do you know why this is happening? If you don’t know, we’ll tell you. When you do the Camino de Santiago you become part of the fraternity of the Camino. No matter how long you spent on the route, or what route you made, you have a link to all the pilgrims of all time. It is one of the miracles of the pilgrimage.
Signal Nº 4. You’re a big fan of signs
The signage on the Camino de Santiago has transformed you into a much more observant person. Whoever didn’t know you before your adventure, may not realize it, but your usual friends sure did.
You’re a super fan of the yellow arrows
Another of the situations that show that you did the Camino de Santiago, is that shortly after returning home, you still have the feeling of seeing yellow arrows everywhere. At first, you miss walking down the street and not finding them.
In time, you go back to thinking that they are not in your daily routine. However, every time you visit a new city you think about how easy it would be to visit it by following the yellow arrows. It was fantastic to cross the cities as if you knew at all times where you were going, without having to use a map.
Every time you find a yellow arrow, it surprises you. For you, the yellow arrows belong to the Camino de Santiago. Also, you love to find them, every time you see one, good memories come to mind.
How long did it take you to see the yellow arrow on the tree? If you’ve never been to the Camino de Santiago this picture doesn’t tell you anything. But if you made the Camino de Santiago you know perfectly well that the image belongs to one of the pilgrim routes. The yellow arrows are unmistakable.
The GR markings
Before doing the Camino de Santiago, when you went hiking with your friends, you never notice the GR signs or any other. You don’t miss one now. All the hiking brands are familiar.
Look out, a detour!
More than once, on the Camino de Santiago, you skipped a detour and went straight on. That caused you to have to go back on your steps, increasing the number of kilometres on the stage. This kind of forgetfulness is paid back like this.
Now, every time you go hiking you pay special attention to the detours. If there is no type of signage, you stop for a few minutes to analyse the situation. No walking in vain!
Look… a scallop!
To locate the famous scallops, you’ve also become an expert. When someone wears it on their backpack, in a tattoo, a T-shirt, etc. You see them many kilometres away.
Probably, before you did the Camino de Santiago, you didn’t even know what that Shell was called, but now you love it.
Signal Nº 5. A part of your heart is far away
Another of the situations that show that you made the Camino de Santiago is that surely there is someone who you have great affection for, but lives far away. Probably, during the tour, you met someone who made a difference to you. Someone you haven’t seen again, but someone you remember often.
That Facebook friend
There is one person you met on the Camino de Santiago and with whom you shared many kilometres and confidences. Despite the little time spent together, you consider them a great friend.
You don’t hear very often from that person, but every time you see a publication on Facebook or they send you a WhatsApp, you are very happy. You always like to hear from your friend on the Camino de Santiago.
That flirt
Yes, that in the way of Santiago, despite the looks, flirting is the order of the day. On a route, travelled by so many people, the chances of meeting some interesting person are very high, even if you’re not looking for anything.
I bet on the way you found someone who caught your eye or someone who noticed you. Whatever happens between you, you will always remember that person who gave you the eye.
Do you recognize yourself in any of the above symptoms? Of course! If you have made the Camino de Santiago, you have identified with some of the situations.
Share with your friends on the Camino de Santiago this article, so you know if it happens to them too. Besides, you’ll have the perfect excuse to greet them. How long have you been talking? Take care! The friendships that are created on the Camino de Santiago are very valuable.
Before saying goodbye, we want to remind you that if you want to return to the Camino de Santiago, to do it for the second or third time, you can count on us to accompany you again Call us!
Oh! You haven’t done the Camino de Santiago yet! What are you waiting for? Check out these 10 reasons to make a pilgrimage to Santiago and begin to organize your pilgrimage with our guide on how to prepare for the Camino de Santiago.
Buen Camino!
