Walking the Camino: A Mother-Son Journey Across Europe

Cameron McKeon has completed the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes twice with his mother, who has walked the network nine times. Their journeys totaled over 500 miles across Europe.

The first Camino occurred after McKeon's high school graduation. He described the initial experience as challenging and focused on reaching the destination. The second trip, following college graduation, allowed for deeper bonding and reflection.

Through walking hundreds of miles together, McKeon and his mother developed a stronger relationship based on mutual understanding and shared experiences.

For McKeon's mother, summer vacation represents an opportunity for long-distance hiking rather than typical leisure activities. She has made the Camino de Santiago an annual tradition, made possible by her schedule as a teacher.

The Camino de Santiago consists of a network of pilgrimage routes across France, Portugal, and Spain. Some routes extend over 500 miles in length. McKeon's mother became such a frequent participant that he began calling her a "Camino vet." She commemorated her experiences with a scallop shell tattoo.

For years, McKeon struggled to understand the appeal of walking more than 10 miles daily in blazing heat while carrying a 20-pound backpack. However, as his high school graduation approached, his mother invited him to join her next journey.

McKeon agreed to participate for two reasons: curiosity about the experience and the opportunity to visit Spain. He wanted to understand what motivated his mother to repeatedly undertake such demanding physical challenges.

The initial Camino journey took place after McKeon's high school graduation. He approached the walk with a goal-oriented mindset, focusing primarily on reaching each day's destination.

McKeon documented his feelings in a journal during the first day of walking through the Pyrenees Mountains. He wrote: "In one word, I would describe it as 'hell.'"

Despite the difficult start, they persevered for 30 consecutive days. The journey included:

• Walking through intense heat
• Managing reemerging blisters
• Following arrows and shells marking the route
• Sleeping in hostels with fellow travelers

Along the way, McKeon discovered local Spanish cuisine, including sangria and patatas bravas. They passed through Pamplona, where McKeon promised himself he would return for the Festival of San Fermin.

During the walk, McKeon often walked ahead of his mother, determined to reach the next town quickly. Their conversations were limited compared to the second journey. Upon completion, McKeon felt overwhelming gratitude and relief, along with a newfound appreciation for simple comforts like fresh socks and home-cooked meals.

Four years later, as McKeon approached his college graduation in June 2023, he asked his mother to walk another Camino with him. This second journey took them through the southwestern French countryside.

The experience proved markedly different from their first trek. They were welcomed at accommodations each afternoon by hosts who prepared dinner, including beef bourguignon in Saugues and duck confit in the Gascony province.

Each day began with McKeon and his mother walking side by side. They engaged in meaningful conversations about:

• His mother's educational goals (she is now working toward a master's degree)
• Books they had been reading
• McKeon's upbringing and comparison with his older sister
• Various personal reflections

Through an unspoken agreement, they would separate during the afternoon portion of the walk. McKeon realized this routine reflected their similar pacing—they both enjoyed social interaction but required significant time alone.

This mutual understanding made the walk both comforting and poignant. While the first Camino focused on reaching the finish line, the second proved more introspective and therapeutic.

The conversations during their second Camino included discussions about McKeon's mother's scallop shell tattoo. Having experienced the journey himself, McKeon no longer needed to ask why she got it—he understood.

McKeon admitted he wanted a similar tattoo. During the summer following their second journey, he got a shell tattoo on his right forearm.

The tattoo serves as a permanent reminder of their shared experience. McKeon views it as a symbol representing his mother as someone he can speak openly with and trust completely.

Both McKeon and his mother attribute the strengthening of their bond largely to their shared trips along the Camino de Santiago. The physical challenge of walking hundreds of miles created space for the relationship to deepen through both conversation and comfortable silence.