Fate on the Camino : Embracing Uncertainty on the Journey

Embracing Uncertainty and the Unexpected on Camino

The Camino Portuguese is a pilgrimage that teaches us a great deal about fate—the unseen force that weaves its way through our lives, often in unexpected ways. For many pilgrims, including ourselves, one of the most challenging aspects of setting out on the Camino is accepting the role that fate, circumstances, and the unexpected play in shaping the path ahead.

Accepting the Role of Fate

 

At the start of each Camino, we often seek control. We long to manage our lives amid the chaos of modern society and the growing presence of automation. We think that by taking a step in the right direction, following the map, and planning each day meticulously, reserving all of our accommodations, and arranging luggage transport, we can limit challenges and ensure a successful pilgrimage. But the more Caminos we walk, the more we realize that control is an illusion. While we can control which route we intend to walk and our mindset when setting out, we cannot control everything.  As with life, time spent on the Way of St. James often opens us all up to the unexpected. 

 

After walking 10 Caminos across Europe, covering over 5000 km, and trekking more than 18,000 km across Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic on the Bruce Trail and Trans Canada Trail, we've come to deeply respect the role of fate and how it intertwines with our journey. The new people we meet, the unexpected moments that transform our days, and the random events that shape our journeys are often beyond our control.  

 

Yet despite each of these being sources of uncertainty, it is these encounters and moments that ultimately form the threads that connect us to the deeper meaning of the Camino.  Realizing this simple reality is especially important as there is no typical day on the Camino.  Pilgrimage is not one long trip, but instead is very much a collection of “random” moments, chance encounters, and short day hikes – each of which offers new experiences.

 

These experiences in turn offer us vast possibilities for change – if we remain open to them.

 

Fate and the Pilgrim's Journey

 

One of the most striking things about the Camino is how fate subtly shapes the experience. It’s those chance encounters—a fellow pilgrim you meet in a café or a brief conversation with someone at an Albergue—that often end up having the most profound impact on your journey. These moments can completely transform how you view the world and yourself.

 

The possibility that these encounters could have been missed—if you'd taken a different route, started your day earlier or later, or stopped at a different café—is both unsettling and awe-inspiring. The realization that fate could alter the entire course of your pilgrimage is humbling. What if I had made different choices?  What if you had stayed at a different albergue? What if you had met someone else? How would your experience have been different?

 

Unplugged from the distractions of life at home and media online these thoughts about the twists of fate can take you down mental paths that many don’t consider or recognize. They lead you to wonder about the infinite possibilities that might have unfolded if circumstances had shifted, even slightly. Yet, it is important to remember that these uncertainties are part of the pilgrimage experience. Recognizing that most of us only have limited control over what happens and that instead of trying to prepare against every eventuality or pre-arrange every moment our lives would be better if we were simply more open and adaptable to the shifting currents of the world.

 

Embracing the Unexpected

 

The key to navigating these uncertainties is openness. Regardless of your beliefs, staying open to the unexpected is crucial. The Camino has a way of teaching us that we cannot predict what will come next, but if we remain receptive, the journey will offer lessons. Sometimes, these lessons may not be immediately apparent, but with time, their wisdom becomes clear.

 

Meeting with and listening to the stories of fellow pilgrims is one of the richest experiences on the Camino. These stories—of struggle, hope, loss, and perseverance—reveal deep truths about the human condition. You’ll hear tales of those who have lost their homes, their struggles to belong and succeed, and of both their hopes and fears. Yet, amid all of this, there is the possibility for hope, grace, mercy, kindness, and love to emerge along the way.

 

Changing Habits on Camino

 

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again

and expecting different results.”

 

Setting out on pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago challenges many of the deep-seated instincts and behaviours that define modern life. Unlike today's typical fast-paced, goal-oriented approach to travel, the Camino is not the quickest or most direct route. There’s no specific target to reach in terms of performance, and no economic incentive to justify the journey. Apart from health benefits, there’s no immediate, tangible gain.

Yet, many of us choose to walk the Camino precisely because it offers an escape from the systems and pressures of contemporary life. The journey invites us to disconnect from the constant hustle and embrace a slower, more meaningful path. Walking the Camino is an opportunity to step outside our ingrained habits, be open to new experiences, and challenge the routines that dominate our modern existence. It's about creating space for something deeper and more reflective in a world that often values speed, productivity, and online “likes” above all else.

 

Don’t get me wrong this process is not easy.  Habits are ingrained and often repeated unconsciously.  Habits and routines become what we rely upon after a long day of walking, when we are tired, and when we are exhausted.   It is always hard to talk with a stranger, communicate in another language, or get up the energy to hand wash laundry and find food when we are tired.    In these circumstances, we fall back on online resources or rely on excuses like “just tonight”, “just cause”, and “just for a minute”. So we order our food, eat lots, go drinking, or binge-watch a show that we are streaming.   These are habits that we do at home and so when tired we turn to the familiar once again.  

 

Unfortunately for many, it is our habits that have led to us being discontent, anxious, and lonely.  It is these routines that have led us to walk on the Camino in the hope of locating something different and finding what we feel is missing.

 

In the end, it is only each of us as individuals who can actively choose to disconnect from the same habits that have led us to walk on the Camino and reconnect with the world around us. This of course requires a conscious effort not to focus on over-planning, not to login and be online at every opportunity on the Camino, and to be open to embracing the unknown.   This effort is necessary because it is so easy to come out onto the Way of St. James and simply bring our habits from home with us and repeat them, at which point we are likely undermining our own goals. 

 

More simply put, we need to adopt a new and open approach to get different results. 

 

Finding Meaning Beyond Control

 

In the end, the Camino teaches us that fate, the unknown, and the unexpected are not something to fear but are instead things to be embraced. We were once told by a monk at a monastery along the Camino de Santiago that, “pilgrims often make the mistake of believing that by going on pilgrimage they can regain control.  However, you do not come on a pilgrimage to get control.  You come on pilgrimage to let things go and learn to live with those things which are beyond your control.” 

The moments we cannot control often lead us to the most profound experiences. Through chance encounters and unexpected turns, we find our way. We meet people who change us, visit places that transform our understanding, and embrace moments that shift our perspectives on life.  It is also how we find ourselves by pushing beyond the usual routines and challenging our comfort zones.

 

So, when you walk the Camino, remember that it is the unpredictable nature of the journey that makes it so transformative. Trust in the process, let go of the need to control everything and remain open to the lessons that fate will bring your way. You may not always understand the purpose behind each twist and turn, but if you stay open to new possibilities, the Camino will reveal its wisdom in its own time.