Fritz Nordengren

Documentary Storyteller and Photojournalist

Camino De Santiago

Every Step is a Gift

2021 UPDATE

WHAT IS THE CAMINO?

After meeting the honeymoon couple and having the photo taken, I tucked the glasses away in the other cargo pocket of my pants. Since I couldn’t truly see much, I was guiding my walk by what I heard in the distance and what I could make out when I got close to see it. I had a guidebook with a pictogram map of the route and a few landmarks noted, along with a sheet of paper with first-day directions given to me by a volunteer in the French office for pilgrims. There are two places on the route that have very specific instructions and accompanying photos. The guidebook said the high point of today’s walk would be 1,450 meters, or roughly 4,750 feet. The photos I’ve seen taken on clear days show an expansive view of Spain and France. I showed those photos to my wife before I left. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In this modern world, however, traveling across the world for eight weeks does take planning and preparation. For me, that preparation took over a year. I had animals and livestock on the farm to finish growing out, to move, and to make arrangements for their care. I had to find the best time in both my writing and my teaching schedule to be away for two months. My decision to walk the Way and my departure were nearly fourteen months apart. In contrast, on the fourth day of my walk, I met a young Canadian. His preparation was a bit shorter: he learned about the Camino on a Monday, went to the sporting goods store to buy a pack and gear on Tuesday, and was on a transatlantic flight on Wednesday. 

In short, this is two stories. In my forty days of walking, I sought each day to learn something, to find meaning in what I experienced, and to find experience in the meaning. The result is these letters to my children, one for each day of my walk. The second story is of my decision to become an adult candidate in the Catholic faith. 

Before I left, the most common question I heard about my decision was, “Why are you doing this?” When I returned, the most common question was, “What was it like?” 

To be honest, sharing these letters in this book is an answer to those questions. When I left, I was not Catholic, fifty-three years old, distant from each of my children, and separated from my wife. I was carrying weight that cannot be measured on a scale. My pack was twenty pounds; my burden was much more.