The Diary of an Inauthentic Pilgrim: Travels on the Camino

In 1982 Jennifer Meyers set out from Ireland on her black Puch bicycle to find and follow ancient pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. After disembarking from the ferry in France, she visited Mont St. Michel, Paris and Chartres. From Chartres she continued cycling through the Loire Valley, Angouleme, and Bazas to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. After crossing the Pyrenees, she continued on the Camino Frances portion of El Camino de Santiago to Santiago de Compostela. During a time when there were no yellow arrows nor infrastructure to assist the pilgrim, and with very little knowledge about where she was going, she discovered a rule for her life- just do what you are called to do and it all works out in the end.

In 2009 Jennifer longed to return to the Camino in Spain but it was not possible to do so. Instead she made a pilgrimage of the heart in her own backyard. By reviewing her pilgrimage travelogue and mementos she was able to bring a new vitality to her daily life as a mother and animal caretaker. The backyard pilgrimage became a journey of forgiveness and continued for several years as Jennifer learned the joys of living with a pilgrim's mindset in daily life. This is the story of both pilgrimages and how the physical experience of following the Camino enlivened, sustained, and, yes, even provided correction for thirty-five years.