Suddenly the Way of St. James!

In December 2023, struggling with a job slump, I decided to work for three months at a small, cozy mountain hotel in the heart of the Alps. The hotel was located at an altitude of over 2,000 meters, surrounded by majestic 3,000-meter peaks. We were a small team where everyone did everything – from washing up in the kitchen to shoveling snow to morning and evening service.

There, I met a colleague who inspired me greatly. She had been traveling for eight years, supported herself with seasonal jobs, and had already walked the Camino de Santiago twice. Once the Camino Portugués, which many recommend as a beginner's route, and another route, just through Spain.

When she told me she'd walked the entire way alone with a hammock, I was astounded. What a tough woman, I thought – and immediately, the thought grew in me: I want to do that too! I'd never decided on a travel destination so quickly. A travel destination completely different from what I'd known.

After the end of the season in Switzerland, everything was ready, except the hammock:

a pair of shoes, a backpack and me.