First, about me.......
Hi, I'm Bill Hnath, and we're connected somehow. Perhaps we're family, friends, co-workers, or have crossed paths somewhere along the way on this journey called life. Or perhaps you don't know me at all, but we're connected through a mutual acquaintance or a shared experience.
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Here is a picture of me with the most important people in my life: my wife, Sara; my son, Zach (& Annie); my daughter, Emily (& Jake) w/ grandson Calvin. Sara and I have recently retired after raising the kids and long careers; and we're in the middle of transitioning to this newly-retired lifestyle.
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So, I thought it would be a good time to take a long hike and think about it for awhile........
Next, how it all started.......
It was the combination of 3 things that inspired me to hike the Camino: hearing of a friend's journey on the Camino, my retirement, and a newly-found love of hiking.
About 18 months ago, an old family friend posted on Facebook about his recent retirement and his plan to hike across Spain. He was raising money for charity so I donated and followed his journey. The part that hit home closest for me was his visit to the highest spot along the Camino route, called Cruz de Ferro, where the custom is to leave a stone on the pile to 'lay down your burden', or honor people or events. My friend laid a "George & Dorothy" stone in remembrance of my mom & dad. Needless to say, I was moved, and very intrigued about this thing called the Camino de Santiago, so I started learning more.
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During this same time, I was a few short months from my own retirement and thinking hard about how to fill all this new free time!?
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I love the outdoors and started to explore more of it through hiking. Once retired, I had the time to find all kinds of great hikes - it's incredible the outdoor resources we have in the twin cities and across Minnesota. I was hooked and wanted to experience more!
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After a lot of research, soul searching, and simply finding the right time to do it, I decided I was going to hike the Camino! I 'committed' on December 14th, 2022, and booked an April 4th, 2023 flight to Paris.
From that point forward, it seems I've been doing nothing but thinking about and preparing for my Camino hike - lots of hiking to get in shape, research, finalizing gear & equipment needs, booking travel, etc. It's March 29th as I write this, so I'm ONE-WEEK away from starting my journey. I'm a little anxious, but I'm ready and looking forward to the experience!
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I will admit that I'm not a person that typically likes to be in the spotlight or put myself out there on social media. So doing a website/blog like this is a little out of character for me; but I'm super excited to share my journey, and I invite you to follow.
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"Buen Camino!" (the common greeting for pilgrims on the Camino)
So, exactly what am I doing?
It sounds a bit crazy, but I'm doing a 600-mile hike, or pilgrimage, known as the Camino de Santiago. For some background, millions of people have hiked The Camino since the 9th century AD. The Camino first started as a Catholic pilgrimage to visit the remains of St. James, one of Jesus' twelve apostles. While many people continue to hike The Camino as a religious pilgrimage , many others also do it for their very own, personal reasons.
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The Camino has various routes across Europe, and I'll be hiking the route known as the "French Way", which starts in the southern French town of St. Jean Pied-de-Port. From there, I'll hike westward across northern Spain, over and through mountain ranges, plains and every other terrain in between, to the town of Santiago de Compostela, where St James' remains are buried. I'll extend my hike further westward, to the Atlantic Ocean coastal towns of Fistierre and Muxia. All together, I'll hike almost 900 kilometers, or 560 miles.
My Camino journey starts on April 4th, when I fly to Paris, then travel to the southern French town of St Jean Pied-de-Port, where I plan to start my hike on April 8th. For the next 51 days, I'll hike westward and stay overnight in 44 different towns across northern Spain, with my hike officially ending in the town of Muxia on May 28th. Along the way, I'll stop at a few of the larger towns & cities for extra rest & to explore. After Muxia, I'll travel to Madrid to explore for a few more days. I'll fly back home on May 31st. All in all, my journey will last 58 days!
And finally...why again?
I've recently reached a few important milestones. Sara and I have worked hard to build a life together and raise our two kids to send them off on their own life's journey. We've since become empty-nesters and recently retired after long careers. We're now at the stage of decompressing and adjusting to this newly retired lifestyle.
For me, hiking The Camino is not really about the official pilgrimage to visit St James' remains; but rather my own personal journey to:
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Conquer the Physical & Mental Challenge - A 600-mile hike over 58 days is going to be crazy tough on both the body & mind, but I'm ready for it!
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Contemplate & Reflect - Building a life, raising kids and grinding out a career is hard work. Hiking the Camino will allow me time to decompress and simply think; to reflect on where I've been & where I'm going; the impact I've made and impact I want to make going forward. To answer the question of "what I want to do when I grow up?"​
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Enjoy the Journey - While I'm doing The Camino 'solo', many others will be doing the same thing. Along the way, I'll connect with hundreds of people from around the world; stay in hostels and dormitories; and I'll be part of a community of people who are experiencing The Camino in their own, unique personal way like me. And while I'm sure there will be struggles, I'm going to enjoy every moment & experience along the way!​
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Raise Money for Good - While the Camino will be a very personal journey for me, I also want it to be about helping others. I'm grateful to have lived a fulfilling and happy life; and I'd like to give back and help others in need. Thus, I hope to raise money for good causes that have special meaning to me, and I invite you to help also.
