Aho completes Camino de Santiago

SANTIAGO, Spain - Tiffani Aho's life changed forever while watching television in May.

For Aho, it was a normal Sunday at home in Hurley as she was watching her favorite show, "Oprah." Then, Aho said Oprah's guest was talking about the Camino de Santiago.

"Within 5 minutes, I knew I was going to do it," she said.

From that day forward, Aho said she couldn't stop researching the Camino.

"I joined a Facebook page. I learned how to prepare. The more I researched, I learned what an experience it would be," she said.

Aho learned the Camino de Santiago, Spanish for "The Way of St. James," is a large network of ancient pilgrimage routes crisscrossing Europe and merging at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, where, according to tradition, the saint's remains were buried.

With her 35-pound backpack packed, she was ready to begin her journey.

In order to get to the beginning of the trail, Aho traveled from Chicago to Toronto, to Paris, to Biarritz and then to St. Jean-Pied-Du-Port, France.

There, Aho began her 500 mile journey on June 6 across Spain.

Aho said she didn't use a map, because there were none. Instead, she relied on "signs."

"The entire route was marked with arrows, sea shells, poles that resemble street signs and many others," she said. "A pilgrim has to keep his or her eyes peeled at all times. Some signs were very visible, others were not."

From the start of her 35-day journey, Aho faced a monumental challenge, the Pyrenees Mountains. For days, Aho made her way to top.

"Once I hit the top, I was above the clouds," she said. "It was gorgeous. Everything was green."

Climbing to the top was just the start of her life-changing journey. Over the coming days and weeks, Aho hiked up and down the foot hills of the Pyrenees, roamed small villages with beautiful landmarks and churches, walked side-by-side with wildlife and met new people.

On the route, Aho was walking by herself for hours, but on the way, she was surrounded by beautiful scenery and often lost track of time.

"There, none of that really matters, which was quite nice," Aho said. "There were hordes of sheep that shepherds let walk in front of me. There were horses along my path that ran free."

When she did come across people, they would tell her "buen camino," meaning "good walk."

"Two words that I adore," she said.

Using those words, Aho formed common bonds with friends she called her Camino family. As a group, they walked mile after mile, stayed in pilgrim hostels and dined in small villages along the way.

For breakfast, Aho said they drank coffee and ate Spanish tortillas and croissants. In the afternoon, for lunch, they went to cafes. Later, in the evening, they had dinner at hostels.

"Many hostels had a pilgrim's meal the owner cooked," she said. "Then, we ate together. That's how I met a lot of people."

Aho visited several beautiful churches and religious landmarks to pray.

"Every village and city had a beautiful church that was hundreds of years old," she said. "Friends asked me to pray for them and I prayed for relatives."

Aho stopped at the Cruz De Ferro (Iron Cross) - a tall cross surrounded by stones.

"Around the cross are hundreds of stones brought by pilgrims," Aho said. "The pilgrims bring a stone representing something in their life that they don't want to take with them on their pilgrimage."

When times got tough, Aho said her Camino family and complete strangers helped one another.

"They treat everyone with respect," she said. "Everybody encourages everybody else."

Aho arrived in Santiago de Compestella on July 11.

"A journey for the soul. My life will never be the same," she said.

Her 35-day journey behind her, Aho visited the Santiago Cathedral. Inside, she was awed by the Botafumeiro.

"The huge ball swung (back and fourth)," she said. "It took five priests pulling heavy rope to work it. The choir was singing in the background. I am blessed to witness it."

Back at home, Aho still remembers her Camino like it was yesterday.

"I can't get the Camino out of my head," she said. "On the last day, I thought 'Never again.' But how quickly our mind forgets. Will I do it again? Only with a lighter pack."