How One Simple Yes Led Us to the Camino

By Grace Jirak

Read Camino de Santiago stories, reflections, and practical pilgrimage advice from Varsity Caminos.

Two weeks before the trip, someone dropped out.

My boyfriend turned to me and asked if I wanted to take the spot and go to Spain to walk the Camino.

That meant walking around 15 miles a day. In another country. On a trip I had not trained for and had barely researched.

For some reason, I said yes.

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The Trip I Did Not Expect

I called my parents, expecting them to be hesitant, but they were completely on board and told me to go for it.

I had a job lined up for that summer, so I asked if I could start later. I thought that might be the thing that stopped it from happening.

But it worked out.

One by one, all the red lights started turning green.

That is how I ended up on my first Camino.

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I did not really know what I was getting into, but the Camino ended up being one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.

It was my first time out of the country, and walking each day gave me a way to experience Spain that I never would have had as a normal tourist.

We walked through little towns, stopped for coffee, met people along the way, and slowly started to understand the rhythm of the Camino.

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Our little group was my boyfriend, his sister, his cousin, and my future fatherinlaw.

One of my favorite moments was when we ended up in a random town in Spain during a local festival.

All the locals were gathered in the streets, and people were running in front of bulls.

Naturally, my boyfriend, always the adventurer, decided to take part.

I think he was just trying to impress me.

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Two years after that trip, Blaise and I got married.

And when we were discerning what we wanted to do with our lives, the Camino kept coming back.

We wanted to help other people experience the same peace, joy, and space to breathe that the Camino had given us.

We wanted to share something that had made such a profound impact on our lives.

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That is why we created Varsity Caminos.

We wanted to give young adults the chance to step away from the craziness of deadlines, noise, and constant pressure.

We wanted to create space for:

Prayer
Community
Real conversations
Time away from normal life
Space to listen to God’s voice

The Camino gave us that. Now we want to help other people experience it too.

I went on my first Camino because a spot opened up.

But looking back, I can see how much God used that simple yes.

So if I have learned anything, it is this:

When you get the chance to walk the Camino, it is very important that you say yes.

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