By Lu Sobredo It's not too late to fill your backpack and get ready to go on the Camino de Santiago in Spain this year, 2017.  I recently wrote a Two-Part Series essay about our family Camino experience in 2010, and the solo Camino my husband took in 2013. Walking the Camino: Pilgrimage on My Terms (Parts 1 & 2). Part II of the essay is full of practical lessons learned useful for anyone new to the Camino, I decided to repost on its own. I hope that you can benefit from the ups and downs of mostly a meaningful experience of going on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Happy hiking! As an introduction to Part II of the essay, I included the ending paragraph from Part I: What did the Camino mean to me? Whether the Camino was a catalyst or affirmation of personal growth, I'm not entirely sure. Important were lessons learned from the journey. Lessons of living in the moment, transcending perceived limitations and fears, trusting in the kindness of others

by Lu Sobredo Our family travels have included the large cities of Spain. Experiences have been nothing short of magnificent. Unexpectedly, some of the most unforgettable moments transpired while walking parts of the Camino pilgrimage across Spain in the summer of 2010. It was truly a blessing in more ways than one. The Camino was a spiritual journey for me. Moreover, it also introduced my family to small towns that we otherwise would not have sought out on our own. The Camino experience is described in my essay:  Walking the Camino de Santiago: Pilgrimage in My Own Terms (Parts 1 & 2).   We decided to break up our hike of the Camino into manageable stages. We did so with the intention to take side jaunts between long treks across Spain. The family trek in 2010 and the solo Camino pilgrimage by my husband in 2016 took us to interesting rural enclaves and small towns. Some of the small towns on the trail were worthy of mention as must-see-places in Spain. Our growing cu