On the Road: Travel and the Camino

Camino Chronicles · September 25, 2026What I Wish I Knew Before Booking Hotels on the Camino de SantiagoPlanning the Camino de Santiago in 2026 or Holy Year 2027? Learn the hotel booking mistakes I made, including route location, hills, breakfast, luggage transfer, Camino stamps, laundry, WiFi, food, taxis, and using AI to plan Camino lodging. Hey You · September 24, 2026Feeling Stuck? Start With One Small YesFeeling stuck in life? After the Camino de Santiago, I realized adventure doesn't have to mean flying to Spain. Sometimes getting outside your comfort zone starts right at home. Hey You · September 13, 2026I Made It to SantiagoAfter biking and walking across Spain to Santiago de Compostela, Jennifer Board reflects on faith, grief, trusting herself, listening to her body, finding her voice, and what the Camino de Santiago taught her at 44. Hey You · September 6, 2026278 Miles, and Two RocksAfter biking 278 miles on the Camino del Norte, Jenn reflects on chronic illness, fear, estrangement grief, self-trust, surrender and beginning the walking Camino from Sarria. Hey You · September 3, 2026222 Miles Behind MeAt 44, Jenn reflects on overcoming fear while cycling the Camino de Santiago, celebrating 222 miles ridden and realizing how much confidence can grow one pedal at a time. Hey You · September 2, 2026Look Where You Already AreOn Day 15 of biking the Camino del Norte, Jenn wakes up to see the cover of Silent to Spoken and realizes how far she has come in finding her voice, choosing herself, and starting over at 44. Hey You · September 1, 2026Care from the Camino: I Went AnywayAfter 45 miles and 2,678 feet of climbing on the Camino del Norte, Jenn reflects on fear, chronic illness, finding her voice, listening to her body, and learning to love herself. Hey You · August 29, 2026He Went AnywayA personal Camino reflection from Laredo, Spain, about physical exhaustion, sitting beneath the cross, gratitude, and remembering what Jesus carried for us. Hey You · August 25, 2026The Power of ChoiceA Camino reflection on grief, faith, and the power of choice in midlife—learning to pause, face change, and welcome what comes next. Hey You · August 22, 2026Finding My Voice on the Camino at 44From fear and self-doubt to finding her voice, Jenn reflects on cycling the Camino, taking up space, and choosing the next brave step at 44. The Way · August 17, 2026How to Trust God When You Cannot See the Road AheadHow do you trust God when you cannot see what comes next? A personal Camino reflection on Proverbs 3:5-6, Peter stepping out of the boat, releasing control, and taking the next step in faith. Letter Seventeen of eighteen. The Way · August 16, 2026How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone in MidlifeThe day before I fly, the fears I am actually carrying are an overhead bin and an airport security line. On small, uncomfortable steps, Exodus 4, and moving while still feeling unqualified. Letter Sixteen of eighteen. Camino Chronicles · August 11, 2026How to Train for the Camino de Santiago: Body, Mind and HeartHow to train for the Camino de Santiago with a whole-person plan: walking distance, back-to-back days, pace, sleep, recovery, feet, strength, hills, fueling, mental resilience, quiet, flexibility, and preparing your heart. Camino Chronicles · August 11, 2026Camino de Santiago FAQ: Best Time, How Long, Blisters and Trail KitCommon Camino de Santiago questions answered: the best time of year to walk, how many days it takes, how to treat blisters on the trail, and what to pack in your Camino first-aid kit, from a midlife pilgrim. Camino Chronicles · August 11, 2026Is the Camino de Santiago Safe for Solo Female Travelers? Traveling Alone with AnxietyIs the Camino de Santiago safe for solo female travelers? A first-time solo international traveler shares practical safety planning, travel-anxiety tools, social-anxiety tips, and how she is preparing to walk the Camino in midlife. Camino Chronicles · August 11, 2026Best Camino de Santiago Apps, Websites and Resources (2026 Guide)The best Camino de Santiago apps and websites in one place: route planning, accommodation booking, the official credential, navigation apps, weather, safety and emergency numbers, and pilgrim communities. The Way · August 10, 2026What Does The Camino Provides Really Mean?Medieval pilgrims made a will and left with a bowl. On daily bread, tomorrow's worry, why overpreparing is often a nervous system doing its job, and a seven day writing challenge. Letter Ten of eighteen. Backstage Convo · August 9, 2026Is It Safe to Walk the Camino de Santiago in 2026?A current, honest look at walking the Camino de Santiago in 2026: Spain's record wildfires and heat, why the coast is cooler but Galicia fire risk is real, record pilgrim crowds, and exactly where to check live alerts. Camino Chronicles · August 9, 2026How to Prepare for the Camino de Santiago: Every Question Answered (Midlife Pilgrim's Guide)Every question you keep asking about preparing for the Camino de Santiago, answered one honest letter at a time by a midlife pilgrim: routes, cost, training, packing, blisters, bathrooms, safety, and preparing your heart. Camino Chronicles · August 9, 2026Which Camino Route Should I Choose? 5 Routes Compared, Easiest to HardestThe 5 main Camino de Santiago routes compared, easiest to hardest: how busy, how hard, the terrain, the vibe, the services, and the landmarks, including the Cruz de Ferro stone tradition from The Way. Camino Chronicles · August 9, 2026Camino de Santiago Packing List: Backpack Fit, Weight and Luggage TransferA practical Camino de Santiago packing guide: choosing the right backpack, what actually goes in your pack, testing fit and weight, and using luggage transfer when your body needs a lighter day. Camino Chronicles · August 9, 2026Camino de Santiago Cost 2026-2027: 3 Budgets and Hidden CostsHow much does the Camino de Santiago really cost? Compare a traditional, mixed, and 31-day hotel-based Camino, plus hidden expenses, 2027 Holy Year planning, rewards tips, and real numbers. The Way · August 7, 2026Who Painted the Camino's Yellow Arrows?One priest, a small car, and leftover road paint. The true story of the Camino's yellow arrows, Proverbs 3, and the Thursday in October when three marks showed up in one day. Letter Seven of eighteen. Hey You · August 6, 2026Starting Over Together in Midlife: A New Camino SeriesA new Camino series for anyone starting over in midlife. You don't have to walk across Spain — these daily reflections are about letting go, growing your faith, and finding your voice. The Way · August 5, 2026What Does the Scallop Shell Mean?Every ridge on a scallop shell begins somewhere different and ends at the same point. The history of the pilgrim shell, John 4, and the week I found out I had been naming my own well wrong. Letter Five of eighteen. Hey You · August 3, 2026The First Step Was Never the Camino. It Was Leaving My Nets Behind.On the eve of walking the Camino, what I am laying down: the grief of estrangement from my daughter, the need to be chosen, the waiting for apologies, and the first faithful step toward who God made me to be. The Way · August 3, 2026Which Camino Route Should You Choose?A stranger told me my Camino would not count unless I suffered. The six routes, what the Cathedral actually requires, and the things you do not get to choose at all. Letter Three of eighteen. The Way · August 2, 2026Who Was St. James?Millions walk to Santiago and most know nothing about the man. The story of St. James, what it means to leave your nets, and the birthday I flew home with balloons. Letter Two of eighteen. The Way · August 1, 2026Why Do Pilgrims Walk?For a thousand years people have walked to Santiago carrying something. Camino history, Hebrews 11, and the honest question underneath every pilgrimage. Letter One of eighteen. Backstage Convo · July 16, 20264 Steps to Planning Your Camino de SantiagoThe four steps that helped me plan my Camino de Santiago, from how many days to take, to the route rules, training, and the nervous-system prep most guides skip, plus honest answers to the questions I get asked most. Hey You · July 15, 2026A Postcard from 30,000 Feet — I Don't Want to Be BraveA tender postcard from 30,000 feet on the flight home. Marley moving out, the Camino ahead, and letting the sadness move through instead of hiding it behind a highlight reel. Hey You · July 13, 2026A Postcard from Paris: What Bastille Day Reminded Me About Loving People WellWatching Bastille Day fireworks from a Paris balcony, I thought about how we have forgotten to celebrate our differences, and what my travels taught me about kindness, compassion, and loving people well. Hey You · July 12, 2026A Postcard from Paris: What 20,000 Steps a Day Taught Me About Aging GracefullyWhat walking twenty thousand steps a day across Europe taught me about aging gracefully in midlife, listening to my body, pacing myself, and the blister and jet lag tricks that saved me. Hey You · July 11, 2026A Postcard from Paris: What Traveling Taught Me About My Nervous SystemA Paris reflection on how travel did not heal my nervous system, it revealed it. On hypervigilance, surrender, faith, and the daily practice of P.A.U.S.E. Hey You · July 10, 2026A Postcard from the Rome Airport: What an Airport Full of Solo Travelers Got Me ThinkingRandom thoughts from the Rome airport on whether I would ever travel solo, the benefits of solo travel in midlife, and how confidence and a settled nervous system follow you home. Hey You · July 9, 2026A Postcard from Rome: What I Packed vs. What I Actually NeededWhat I overpacked for Europe, what I was grateful for, and the one thing I wish I had packed more of. An honest midlife packing reflection from Rome, before I board a train to Paris. Hey You · July 4, 2026Empty Nest and the Holidays: What Homesickness Taught Me About HealingAn honest Fourth of July reflection from Rome on empty nest grief, feeling homesick on holidays, and learning you can miss home and still be fully present. Backstage Convo · July 2, 20265 Things I Wouldn't Travel Abroad Without in MidlifeFive honest midlife travel essentials from a woman in Rome who packed for every 'what if' and learned what actually mattered — UV umbrella, portable charger, journal, foot sling, and washcloths. Hey You · July 1, 2026A Postcard from Rome: 6 Things Traveling in Midlife Taught Me About MyselfSix honest things traveling through Greece and Italy in midlife taught me about myself, from needing less to trusting that interruptions might be invitations. Hey You · June 30, 2026Homesickness While Traveling: What I Miss About Home in MidlifeA postcard from Milos, Greece. A midlife pen-pal note on homesickness, missing my spouse and kitchen and dogs, and how to carry pieces of home with you on the road. Backstage Convo · June 25, 2026We Made It. How to Beat Jet Lag on an Overnight Flight in MidlifeThree midlife non-negotiables for beating jet lag on an overnight flight, plus the tray-table tricks that helped me land in Athens ready to go. A Discovery Diaries note from Jenn Board.