Every pilgrim has a moment of doubt on the Camino. My low point was about two weeks into my first Camino. The day before I had made an error in planning and had to walk 25 miles / 40 kilometers. I started the next day tired, mad at myself for being stupid, and in a bad mood. Then, for the first hour I had to stare at this hill waiting for me.
It was a hot July day in Spain. I was alone. I thought I would never get over that hill. I thought I would never finish my Camino. I felt stupid for trying. I felt sorry for myself. But I continued.
When I got halfway up the hill, I saw a marker to a pilgrim who had died on that spot. I stopped and thought about that pilgrim. That experience made me realize I was having a bad day, but I was having a bad day doing something I love. Many people would be happy to trade their challenges for mine. I stopped feeling sorry for myself.
When I got to the top of the hill, I saw this view. I took a picture. This picture changed my life.
When I wrote a blog about my Camino experience, I used this picture on the top. The blog went viral, due largely to the photo. It enabled me to get my book, The Camino Way (HarperCollins/AMACOM, 2017), published.
When the publisher asked me who I wanted to dedicate this book to, it was an easy choice. Jose G. Valiño never got to the top of that hill. He never saw that view. But he helped me get there and I wanted to thank him.