through an exotic postcard. While the vast majority of the Camino transects gorgeous countrysides and quaint pueblos, I marched through plenty of unsightly landscapes, as I’ll often mention throughout the journal. I simply didn’t take the time to photograph those parts of the journey. I apologize to anyone interested in the less photo-worthy views I saw along the way. At the end of nearly every entry is a section called “Pride and Gratitude.” In 2016, on my therapists request, I began a “pride and gratitude” journal in which every day I must write down three things which I did that made me feel proud, and three things that happened for which I’m grateful. These six sentences form an integral part of my mental health toolbox, and I still log them every day almost without exception, and likely will for the rest of my life.
A Final Word So there you have it. The ins and outs of how this journal came into existence, and all the reasons for which I wrote it, and eventually decided to publish it. May this record of my time on The Camino de Santiago serve all who read it in some way. May it bring comfort to those who are lost, scared, uncertain, downtrodden or struggling with their own demons xxviii