01/10/2025 - I’d do it all over if I knew it would bring me here.

I just booked myself a nice hotel room for two nights starting Saturday. It’ll mark two full weeks of non-stop walking, just like when I stopped in Burgos. I already need the break, but I can push a bit more until then. It’s in a beautiful old stone house that’s been renovated, and I went for a Junior Suite. What can I say... you can take the girl out of luxury, but not the luxury out of the girl.

As you can imagine, that alone puts me in a great mood. On top of it, I’m sitting on the terrace of my albergue with a small beer, a bowl of olives, and minimal techno in my ears. There’s a soft breeze, the light is gentle, and I had a nap earlier that made me functional again. Life feels pretty chill right now.

Today was calm from start to finish. I woke up at 6:30am, well-rested after falling asleep at 9:30pm like a grandma. I left around 7; the next café was an hour away, which made me appreciate the sunrise even more. When I finally stopped for breakfast, I met Santiago. We ate together, chatted a bit, and then went our separate ways again.

When I think about my walk today, there were no big realizations, no transformative moments, thank God. It’s been a lot lately, and I need some mental and emotional rest. I simply focused on my steps, stayed present, kept a light heart, and walked.

At one point, I stopped at a donativo spot, a self-service buffet of fresh food, with spirals of rocks on the ground, mattresses to lounge on, and a peaceful, creative atmosphere. I stayed there for a while before heading out for the final stretch of my 25 km.

The albergue I’m in now is one of the best so far: clean, spacious, with lovely outdoor space and a fantastic lunch. Not too many people either, which feels like a blessing. I think I’ll sleep great tonight, ready for another day ahead, even if it’s starting to feel endless.

On Sunday, it’ll officially be four weeks since I started the Camino, and I can’t wrap my head around it. Four weeks of walking almost a semi-marathon every day, sleeping in dorms full of pilgrims, living far from anything that resembles a normal life, and spending most of that time deep inside my own mind. It’s absolutely crazy. And incredible.

As for what I feel now, the days are starting to blend together. The end is near, and the realization that this journey will actually end soon is starting to sink in. On one hand, I’m so happy, it’s been hard, truly hard, to sustain something like this. But on the other, I can sense how deeply it has transformed me in ways I don’t yet understand. I know the next phase will be about integration, grounding everything I’ve learned so it doesn’t just remain an experience, but becomes who I am now.

And yes, I’m exhausted. Even if I slept better last night, it’s the kind of fatigue that builds up slowly, the one that makes you forget what your natural state even feels like. It’s a bit scary. I’ll need a full week of sleeping in just to recover. And I cannot fucking wait. The sweetness of comfort is going to hit differently after this. I want a bath, a massage, a cocoon, people to take care of me like a baby. To be fed, stretched, kissed, and tucked into a bed made of clouds, with lavender oil rubbed on my forehead.

Honestly, I don’t even know what else to tell you today, I feel empty. But not in a bad way. This experience has emptied me out in the best possible sense. It has closed so many open tabs in my mind that I feel spacious now. Clear. Open. And yes, exhausted again. But I’d do it all over if I knew it would bring me here. That I’d dare to show up the way I have, on the path, on these pages, in every encounter. I’ve seen myself, and been seen, like never before. And I loved what I saw.

I saw a woman with a pure heart, brave, strong, and resilient. A woman who has been hurt countless times, but whose scars became new skin, expanding her heart’s capacity to feel and give love. A woman made of contradictions, passions, and impulses. A woman who vibrates through the seasons of every day. Smart, but deep. Grounded, but wild. A woman who turns her fears into fuel.

I love this woman.

With love, Loune.