Lorraine is semi-retired and living on beautiful Vancouver Island with her husband and their beloved dog, Stormy. She enjoys hiking (especially while organizing Rambles with the Duncan Sole Circle) and playing pickleball. She is also proud to head up our Rambler Care Crew at Sole Sister Ramblers.
Our Spain Camino Sole Sister Travel Adventure was one of those experiences that settles into you slowly — not because of any single moment, but because of the way all the moments wove together. Fifteen women from the US, U.K., Canada, and Australia arrived with open hearts and a shared desire for something meaningful.
Just before this trip, I had spent ten incredible days on the Sole Sister Portuguese Camino. That group of women became like a sweet little family — the kind of instant, effortless connection that feels rare in adulthood. We laughed constantly, shared meals and stories, and created memories that still make me smile. When they all flew home, I felt an unexpected wave of homesickness — missing them, missing home, and feeling the quiet of being on my own again.
Stepping into the Spain Camino right afterward opened something different in me — something more inward, more reflective, more personal. The Portuguese Camino was joyful and fun; the Spain Camino was soulful.
On this second journey, I walked most days with Louise — someone I had known casually years ago when I lived on Salt Spring Island, but who became a dear friend over the course of this week. We naturally fell into step together, sharing stories, quiet stretches, and the kind of conversations that only seem to happen when you’re moving forward side by side.
What I loved most was the natural flow within our group. Some women walked with longtime friends. Others found themselves deep in conversation with someone they had only met days earlier. There was so much kindness — sharing bandages, checking in on one another, slowing down when needed, and laughing… always laughing. No one ever walked alone unless they chose to.
We moved through rolling green hills, quiet forests, farmland in every shade of emerald, and small villages that felt paused in time. Some days were soaked in rain, others softened by clouds, and others warmed by sunshine — but the weather never defined the experience. Ponchos, grit, and good spirits carried us through every kilometre.
And woven through all of that was something quieter happening inside me.
Why I Needed This Camino
This trip wasn’t just about Spain or walking the Camino. It was about testing myself.
Over the years, I’ve become quieter — not in a sad way, just… softer. Life shifted me after my marriage ended, reshaping me in ways I didn’t expect. My boys grew up and moved into their own beautiful lives — exactly as they should — but it left my world quieter than I ever imagined. Two major changes arrived close together, and I tried to carry it all with grace. I tried to stay strong. I tried to hide the harder parts from most people.
But the truth is, I retreated quietly. I became more cautious. I felt social anxiety in places where I never used to. I softened my enthusiasm, my spontaneity, my willingness to leap into new things.
My nickname was once Trixie — the fun, outgoing, less‑cautious version of me — and somewhere along the way she slipped onto a shelf.
But I wanted to push myself again. I wanted to be brave. I wanted to travel alone internationally — but in a way that still felt safe, supported, and right for where I am in life.
A Camino with Sole Sisters felt like the perfect balance: time alone, time with others, and no hiding. Each morning you wake up and greet the same women you ended the night with the day before. You walk, you talk, you share stories, you share silence. You show up exactly as you are.
I heard someone recently say they weren’t trying to reinvent themselves in this new chapter of life, but rather to "reveal" a part of themselves that had been put away. That stayed with me. Sole Sisters has been doing that for me since the early days — helping me reconnect with women, with community, and with myself.
And while the Portuguese Camino filled me with joy, laughter, and connection, the Spain Camino invited me inward. The quieter towns. The simplicity of life. It made me think about time, pace, and what really matters.
The Camino Has a Way of Opening You Up
Most days, Louise and I walked together — arriving early enough to check in, share a glass of wine, and sometimes split a pizza. We talked about life, love, loss, aging, joy, and everything in between. And in the quiet stretches, I walked with my thoughts.
I listened to the birds, the crunch of boots on gravel, the sound of pilgrims breathing beside me. I smelled eucalyptus and wild roses. I felt the steadiness of my own steps and the lightness of being exactly where I needed to be.
And somewhere along the way, I found a little bit of Trixie again.
Not the younger, later‑to‑bed version — but the part of me that takes chances, laughs easily, trusts people, and knows herself a little better now. The part that’s okay with being quiet too. The part that is finally beginning to understand that she is enough, exactly as she is.
Walking into Santiago with Louise was unexpectedly emotional. Hearing the bagpiper under the archway as we stepped into the square hit me like a wave. We looked at each other, both in tears, both changed.
If You’re Thinking About a Camino…
If you’re looking for a chance to push yourself physically, but feel supported every step of the way… If you’re ready to see how a journey like this can shift how you see yourself… If you’re at a point in life where you’re done apologizing and ready to embrace all the parts of who you are…
A Camino with Sole Sisters Ramblers is a beautiful place to begin.
The accommodations are comfortable. The conversations are warm and connective. You start as strangers and become something much closer. And the experience — the walking, the simplicity, the companionship — stays with you long after you return home.
I came home feeling more like myself — Lorraine and Trixie, both true, both welcome. And if you’re ready to discover a part of yourself that’s been waiting quietly on a shelf, this adventure might just be the place where she steps forward again.
It truly is a beautiful thing
READ MORE > Her Story, Rambler Cafe Blog
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