Ever since I was young, I have been fascinated by El Camino de Santiago. I was never particularly religious, but something about it always called me. All I knew was that it was a historic pilgrimage, yet I never really understood what about it made people want to walk hundreds of kilometers across Spain. Even while I was walking it, I wasn't completely sure what I was supposed to take from it. Now that some time has passed, I have started to understand it a little better.

I started in Oviedo and trekked 315 km through villages and mountains over 13 days to Santiago de Compostela. The days were simple—walking, eating, and talking—but they rarely felt repetitive. Every stage brought a different terrain, a different town, and different problems. One thing, though, was constant: an albergue full of strangers on the same path.

Over the days, those strangers became friends as we broke bread and shared stories. The Camino was hardly an individual journey, but everybody seemed to have a different reason for walking it. Some walked for religious reasons, others to get away from something, and others hoping to find something. I never had much of an answer. I just wanted to.

Looking back, maybe not having an answer was the point; it made me live in the present. The Camino stripped life down to something simple. There was nowhere else I needed to be and very little to think about beyond walking to the next town, finding something to eat, and figuring out where to sleep. I think a part of me yearned for a slower-paced life. Coming back to earth, I realize I only need a few things in life—community, good food, and time outdoors. It has been easy to fall back into the pace of everyday life, but I try to remember what it felt like to slow down.

Eventually, though, my memories will become a jumble, and the details will slowly fade. All that will be left is what I learned and these pictures—just a few of my favorites from the trip.