The Atheist Pilgrim

"You can walk the Camino, or you can join the Camino." During the summer of 2022, I decided to escape the noise and chaos of our modern society and walk the 800 km pilgrimage, known as the Camino Frances, from southern France across northwestern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. As an adventurer and historian, the Camino Frances was perfect for me. I walked alone as a pilgrim who was an introvert, who battled PTSD, and who disliked people in general. However, this solo pilgrim was in for some major surprises. While not religious or spiritual at all, I discovered along The Way that there is still hope for our modern world, and that humanity needs a pilgrimage to rediscover itself. The Camino provides.