Trusting the Voice That Leads You Further

After walking 900 kilometers across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago, I arrived at the famed cathedral in Santiago de Compostela—tired, sun-worn, and surrounded by fellow pilgrims crying, cheering, and shedding the weight of the journey. 

But something inside me felt… unfinished. 

There was no celebratory exhale. No feeling of finality.  Just a quiet, unwavering voice that said:  “This isn’t it.” 

Listening to the Nudge 

That voice—your intuition, your inner compass—doesn’t always make sense on paper.  But when you learn to trust your gut, the path often reveals something far more powerful than what was on the original map. 

I didn’t buy a ticket home.  I didn’t stop walking. 

Instead, I laced up my boots again and followed that inner pull another 100 kilometers west—  through the misty hills of Galicia,  past eucalyptus groves and stone villages,  toward the sea. 

Toward Finisterre—the ancient "end of the world." 

The Real Ending (or the Real Beginning) 

It was there, standing on the cliffs above the Atlantic, where the land meets the ocean and the sky spills wide open, that I finally felt it: 

The arrival. 

It wasn’t marked by applause or ceremony.  It was quiet.  Grounded.  Sacred. 

That’s the thing about long-distance hiking—you begin to realize that the real milestones don’t come with signs or fanfare.  They come as internal shifts—moments of clarity, alignment, and awe. 

This wasn’t just the ending of a walk.  It was the beginning of a deeper trust in myself.  A trust in the journey.  A trust in the flow. 

Letting Go of the Map 

We live in a world that often celebrates certainty:  Follow the plan. Reach the goal. Stop at the destination. 

But personal growth doesn’t always work that way.  Sometimes, the most transformative moments happen when we let go of the plan and follow the pull instead. 

That extra 100km wasn’t on my itinerary.  But it’s the part I return to in my memory again and again. 

Because it reminded me that there is always something waiting beyond what we thought was the end. 

What the Trail Taught Me About Life 

Walking for weeks across a country with only a pack on your back changes you.  Not because of the distance, but because of what you leave behind and what you learn to listen to. 

Here’s what long-distance hiking continues to teach me: 

• Personal growth doesn’t happen all at once. It’s step by step. Kilometer by kilometer. 

• The most important trail markers aren’t always on the map—they’re the ones within. 

• The moment you feel “this isn’t it” is not a failure—it’s a calling. 

• When in doubt, trust your gut. That quiet voice often knows what your mind can’t see yet. 

Let June Be a Month of Flow 

This story feels right to share now because June is about flow—about allowing the current of your life to carry you, even if it takes you further than expected. 

Especially if it takes you further. 

If I had stopped at Santiago because that’s what the guidebook said to do, I would’ve missed one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. 

So this is your reminder:  Keep going when your heart says go.  Don’t be afraid to walk beyond the official ending.  Your real beginning might be waiting just beyond it. 

Want to Experience This Kind of Journey? Walk with Us. 

At The PlaidPath, we believe the trail is more than a route—it’s a reflection of your inner landscape. Our guided hiking tours across Vancouver Island offer the same sense of stillness, clarity, and awakening that I found on the Camino. 

This is wellness tourism for the soul.  This is slow travel with purpose.  This is a space to reconnect—with nature, with your body, and with the voice inside you that knows the way. 

Join us on The VAN to VIC Trek and discover your own version of arrival.  Explore the trail and take your next step at www.plaidpath.ca.