Advice for the Journey

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After a semester of reading about pilgrimage, the literature of walking, and travel writing, the students in the companion course to X395 (L373) send you off with the following advice:

  • Wear comfortable clothing and don't overpack!
  • You can't begin to imagine what you are about to experience - be open to new things, observe your thoughts as well as the path.
  • Move in the direction of the prettiest of things and observe them deeply. 
  • Have an open mind and heart
  • Be prepared for the bad; it's not as glamourous as some movies make it seem.  
  • Be careful with the people you encounter, but also be open to learning from them.
  • Be aware of the internal journey that's happening at the same time.
  • Pay attention to your external surroundings, but also keep track of the internal journey.
  • Expect the unexpected, but do not go on a journey with too much in mind.
  • Be open to changing your thoughts and ideas and do not expect to return home as exactly the same person you left (or to return to exactly the same home you left)
  • Don't try to make too many assumptions of what you will see and experience. 
  • If you think an expeience is inauthentic at first, let it marinate in your mind for a while and try to examine it later.  
  • Please hydrate yourself!
  • Take care to consider your expectations, and do not seek but find!
  • Keep a journal
  • Practice patience with yourself (and others)
  • Experience and embrace the hardships
  • Take care of your feet! Keep them dry, change your socks often, and learn how to properly bandage and care for blisters!
  • Let your mind wander as you walk. Take note of all of the small things.  Be open and accepting to yourself, the land, and others.
  • Try to spend some time doing inward reflection and connecting with nature - you'd be surprised about what you notice!
  • Remember to bring good shoes, because pilgrimage is not easy!
  • Seek out smart and amicable companions.
  • On a long journey on foot, only pack the very essential. The weight of every object counts. 
  • Walking is not just about lifting your feet and moving across space, it is a way of being in the world. 
  • Think about all of the people who walk long distances not for leisure but for their livelihood. 

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