"Hecho polvo" is a wonderful Spanish colloquialism which translates as "exhausted", but literally means "turned to dust".  I arrived here in Santiago on June 27, hecho polvo.  But the exhilaration, satisfaction, and sense of accomplishment which accompanied the arrival quickly overwhelmed the exhaustion.  In the square in front of the Cathedral of Santiago, there was a spontaneous outburst of joy and excitement from myself and my walking companion Carlos, with whom I shared the last five days of the Camino.  We embraced, we shouted with delight, we took each other's picture in front of the Cathedral and got someone to take pictures of both of us together.

Then the more serious moment occured as we entered the Cathedral to pray, to receive the "embrace of the Apostle", and to offer our thanks to God for bringing us safely to the end of our journey.  It was a remarkably emotional moment, full of so many different feelings: elation, gratitude, relief, joy, pride, satisfaction, a profound awareness of my dependence on God's grace, all of which found expression in tears.

Later that afternoon we went to receive the official document, the Compostela, which acknowledges the completion of the Camino.  It is a document I will treasure for the rest of my life because it symbolizes all that I have experienced over these past four weeks.  In that time I walked 559 km, slept in alberques with as many as 90 others in the same space, ate like a king for almost nothing, endured a few blisters and lots of sore muscles and joints, climbed countless hills and mountains, and met some of the most wonderful people in the world.  And, while I would have preferred not to have fallen in a river, or slid in the mud, or trudged through rain (thankfully only one day), or pulled muscles, or lost the use of electronics, or whatever else, in truth I wouldn't trade any of it.  It is all part of the Camino experience. The feeling of accomplishment and grace more than compensates for all of that.

It will take me a long time a digest the full experience and really grasp all that it has meant for me.  But for now the strongest feeling is one of intense gratitude to God for his grace, his guidance, his protection, and his patient instruction throughout the month.  I have learned a great deal, mostly about myself.  I have learned that I do not have to be strong to be loved.  I have learned that in the midst of pain there can be intense joy, which comes mostly from sharing with others.  I have learned that accepting pain, challenge, and discomfort leads to consolation and peace when these are applied as reparation for sin.

I have also felt intense gratitude for all the support, love, and encouragement that I have received from so many people during this undertaking.  Posting daily on Facebook allowed me to share the experience with many, many people, who responded with great support and many prayers.  

This is my last blog post from the Camino.  I sincerely thank all of you for your prayerful accompaniment during this time.  May God bless each of you abundantly.