Finding Meaning Along The Camino and Other Journeys - Carter Jobe

In reading Finding Meaning while Steeping in the Camino Cauldron by Kip Redick, I was captivated by both the idea of transformative spiritual journeys and the example of the Camino de Santiago as one.

This work discusses the topic of liminality, and how one can become absorbed in a transitional phase. Redick asserts that this feeling is often felt along the Camino. Pilgrims become so detached from their daily lives as they walk this trail that they are open to change, and perhaps this is the reason why travelers see such spiritual change along their journey.

I've never traveled along a trail like the Camino before, but I can say that in my personal experiences I have felt this feeling of liminality on a much smaller scale. When I go on a vacation or trip, I find the concept of time to be disorienting. On one hand, the days are flying by, but on the other hand, the week seems like an eternity in retrospect. 

I've also encountered this feeling of detachment from normal life. Two summers ago, I was on vacation for about 3 weeks straight over 3 separate trips. I got completely out of my routine, and every day the ocean grew to be more normal to me. 

These strange adjustments can be found on any journey that will drastically change your way of life, and I cannot even comprehend how going on a trip like walking along the Camino would make me feel.

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