This early March morning, I am sitting in the comfortable, cozy Carmelite Convent of San Juan in Medina del Campo. It is a brisk, windy 1C outside so we will wait for the rising sun to warm the Way up before continuing on the Camino Levante aptly called “The Camino of Solitude” as we have seen not a single other pilgrim in 25 days. Between sips of Coke and bites of my chocolate donuts I rub and stretch my hamstring which has been bothering me the past few days. A memory pops up of “The Camino Junkie Test” and I laugh thinking we need to add doing a winter Camino.

In case you wonder about your own passion on this Saturday, here is a test to determine whether you are a junkie:
JUST FOR FUN. A TEST TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE A CAMINO JUNKIE:
-Answer 8 yes you are a borderline Junkie.
-Answer 10 yes you are a junkie.
-Answer 13 yes you are hopeless.
1. You start planning your next Camino before the current one is done.
2. You look for yellow arrows whenever and wherever you walk. When you see one it brings joy.
3. You have read or watched 10+ books or movies on The Camino and never get bored with them.
4. You find yourself dreaming about the Camino each and every day you are away from her.
5. You wake up at home looking for your backpack.
6. You are connected to 3+ Camino social web sites.
7. You feel a strong urge to reach out and stay connected with your Camino buddies. Perhaps friends and people from home think you have an obsession with the Camino.
8. You find yourself drinking more vino tinto and looking for good Tortilla de Patata and or Tarta de Santiago Recipes.

9. You do or at least consider the unthinkable; getting a tattoo for the first time and it is Camino related.

10. The movie “The Way” with Martin Sheen has become your favorite film. Perhaps you even watch it every Saturday night religiously.
11. Instead of taking a beach holiday in winter you dream of or choose to walk A Camino de Santiago.
12. You do or dream of walking to Santiago from your home or ancestral home.
13. You do or dream of living of renting or purchasing a home or albergue on The Camino.

Answering all 13 yes, I am a hopeless junkie. How about you?
Buen Camino!


I am just a junkie- not quite hopeless yet.