<p class="ql-block">On the morning of 1 October, I said goodbye to the Pilgrim's Way and headed home. Sitting on the big comfortable sofa in the VIP lounge of the airport (a credit card perk), sipping a fine red wine and reminiscing about the past 35 days, it was as if I had just returned from a trip to another world.</p><p class="ql-block">Throughout the day and the day after, I kept receiving photos of my pilgrim friends arriving the Santiago Cathedral. When I saw the photo of Lydia at front of the Cathedral with the words “I did it”, I had tears in my eyes and I was even happier than when I arrived at the Cathedral. I salute each and every one of my teammates who made it to the finish line. I'd like to add that although I didn't enter Santiago with my teammates, I received a lot of congratulations on WhatsApp and WeChat the day I arrived.</p><p class="ql-block"> Of the 15 pilgrims who passed through Borda, 3 planned to walk a section of the way. One we never saw again, 4 interrupted their journey due to illness or family need, and the remaining 7 completed the pilgrimage. Through the video, I also saw the moment when the daughter found the treasure her mother had left on the Pilgrim's Way 10 years ago.</p><p class="ql-block">I saw the photo of the 83-year-old pilgrim 20 kilometres from the finish line. I think he must have walked to the finish.</p><p class="ql-block">I know that pilgrims I have met from Beijing, Taiwan, Hong Kong, American states, Canada, European countries and Oceania have all made it to the finish line,</p><p class="ql-block">On the pilgrimage I passed through different landscapes and saw a lot of scenery, but what I remember most are the faces and smiles of my fellow pilgrims. What I saw was beautiful. Those days we just walked, ate and slept, carrying only one or two changes of clothes in addition to what we were wearing, living a minimalist life, but everyone was happy and no one felt like suffering.</p><p class="ql-block">At home we have many material things, but are we satisfied? Are we happy? Do we have many worries?</p><p class="ql-block">Many things are not as complicated and scary as you think when they really happen. Before I went on the Camino I had a lot of worries. I was afraid of living in an albergues dormitory, I was afraid of the rain, I was afraid of insect bites. But after experiencing these things on the road, I feel it's not a big deal. If I did not live in albergues, I would lose a lot of opportunities to meet people on the road. When it rains, a poncho can keep me dry most of the time. On the road, my body gets better and better, my feet get steadier and steadier, and I have more confidence in myself. I know that I can travel alone and that I can go a long way.</p>