In summer of 2021, I walked 73 miles from Santiago de Compostella, Spain to Muxia and Fisterra on the Spanish coast. Though much shorter than my previous Caminos in 2013 and 2016, it was a poignant journey of transition and […]
“Every time I’m lost, I find myself.” ~ Sabrina Musumeci My plan is to walk 17km to Quintáns and stay at a 1-star hotel unironically called Plaza. 10.5 miles. At 17 miles, Muxia is too far for me to walk […]
This is the random stuff that goes through one’s mind when there’s no one around and nothing to do but walk: rain shadows, snail analogies, and human evolution. I’ve just left my cozy nest at Casa Pepa full of coffee […]
The hallway echoes in the early morning light with footsteps and clinking packs. The group of French pilgrims leave around 6am as promised. One at a time they go, stopping to use my “private” bathroom which I neglected to lock […]
I wake. I sit up in bed. I put my feet on the ground. OW! WHAT IS THIS PAIN?? OW OW OW! Oh my God, OW! This, dear reader is the day after walking 15 miles without training. My feet […]
Today is my first day of walking. Not my first day after training or slowly working up to long distances. No, no, it’s my literal first day of walking after a year of physical inactivity and pandemic anxiety. It’s a […]
“You don’t choose the Camino. The Camino chooses you.” It chooses you even when you had your sights set on Ireland, a multi-day hike near the sea and milky cups of tea with a friend in Galway. At the bottom […]
I’ve been asking some big questions lately. Maybe you have too. Why does it seem like the world is falling apart? How do I deal with the fear I feel — about the planet, our leaders, my health, the future? […]
“I’m up and down,” I told my Irish friend when she asked how I was doing. She reached cross the pond just to check in, so I shared: “The death toll here is beyond comprehension, and it colors everything I […]
This is Beatrice. I noticed her picking at the abandoned strings tied to a tomato cage we’d left upside down and forgotten. Last spring, she and her mate built a gossamer, sparking nest from found treasures still hanging from the […]
Numbers equal strength. Last month, my social media team and I created an ambitious, 15-point plan to double the number of AoCC subscribers. Our plan includes: a new website and website copy professional marketing branding and logo design social media […]
Pablo Villavicencio is married to an American citizen and has two young daughters. He has a pending green card application, no criminal history, and is a tax-paying member of his community in New York. He was delivering pizzas to an […]
Short version: In the wake of the special edition of last week’s AoC Checklist on immigration, we’re recommitting to centering and amplifying marginalized groups in our actions. Long version (1,100 words, 4-minute read): Given that the AoC Checklist has been […]
This week, one of the actions on the Americans of Conscience Checklist is to ask someone you respect how they persevere through difficult times. If you want to share their answers—or your own—I invite you to write a comment below. Here’s […]
We’re thanking 13 people this week in the Americans of Conscience Checklist. Why? It’s more than politeness. Science tells us that the act of expressing gratitude benefits our nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system. Conveying sincere thanks lowers our […]
