Solitude
Quiet
Physical exertion
A starting point and an ending point somewhere distant
Seeking an improved inner self
Looking for purification and absolution
When I retired, we had already taken a trip or two with Elderhostel/Road Scholar. At retirement, we wanted to be away long enough to make a difference to ourselves and mark a new period in our lives. We drove and visited relatives, took an Elderhostel trip into Mexico, stayed in a nice hotel in southern California and stayed in a University of Southern California field camp that did research on marine life before heading home. In 1976, I biked with others on a UW-Stevens Point trip through Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany. Lynn traveled with other women interested in children's literature to meet English authors of children's books. As a Boy Scout, I had walked some of the Appalachian Trail with my troop on several George Washington birthdays.
I have never tried a pilgrimage like the Camino de Santiago. We just finished reading aloud Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simsion. I read the three Rosie Project books by Simsion and liked them. Starting here and walking many days to there, seeking better understanding of oneself, of life, of my own life limitations and strength can be an appealing experience for anyone. There are pilgrimages conducted in all religions, often to visit a place important in the life of a religious person. You may remember that Chaucer's Canterbury Tales are told by members of a pilgrimage group while they walk.
