Synopsis
Transformation of self-understanding, relationships, and spirituality is the guiding theme of this memoir. While following in the footsteps of the millions of pilgrims who have traveled the Camino pilgrimage route across northern Spain since the Middle Ages, my husband, two sons, aged 18 and 20, and I walked for thirty-eight long, hot days from St. Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compestela.
The family nature of this adventure is a unique feature of What Was I Thinking? It is a thoughtful, honest consideration of themes and interpersonal issues raised by mid-life realignment during an extended and challenging shared experience.
Illustrated with photographs, as was my last book, this work helps the reader to enter into the complex and compelling nature of pilgrimage.
The external and internal journey of each day is chronicled through relational interchanges and consideration of the spiritual and psychological themes that emerged. Local flavor and detail add interest. Short essays, prayers, and poems focusing on different facets of long-term pilgrimages are placed between each of the forty daily entries.
Written from an intensely personal perspective, this manuscript is designed to invite its readers to reflect deeply on their own lives, choices, and relationships.
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Author’s Platforms
Jill has published seven books and numerous articles on the labyrinth, a pathwayof prayer that can be understood as a mini-pilgrimage. She is a leading figure in the worldwide labyrinth movement. She serves as the Midwest regional
representative for The International Labyrinth Society and is a featured speaker at their annual meetings.
Jill’s extensive travel to pilgrimage sites in the United States, Europe (including twenty five pilgrimages to Chartres Cathedral), Africa, and Asia has provided a broad base of understanding of the subject. Jill leads group pilgrimages to
sacred sites as well. Two of her books (Praying the Labyrinth and Praying the Chartres Labyrinth ) focus on the pilgrimage experience.
Jill earned a Ph.D. in Women’s Studies and Christian Spiritualities. She is an active scholar and serves on doctoral committees of Ph.D. candidates as an adjunct professor.
Jill is co-founder of Faith, Hope and Love Global Ministries and travels extensively in Europe, Africa and Asia where she speaks, installs labyrinths, and leads events in both English and French.
Jill is also an ordained minister, professional photographer specializing in sacred site photography, and large-scale land artist. She maintains an active webpresence at www.jillgeoffrion.com and www.fhlglobal.org.
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Comparative Title Analysis
People who are interested in the themes of this book would be likely to buyworks on pilgrimage and on the Camino experience.
Camino books of significance:
Codd, Kevin A. (2008), To the Field of Stars : A Pilgrim's Journey to Santiago De Compostela (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Pub.).
A catholic priest’s candid account of walking the pilgrimage route.
Rupp, Joyce (2005), Walk in a Relaxed Manner. Life Lessons from the Camino (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books).
The walking to Santiago by a nun who had just turned 60 and was accompanied by a retired priest. This popular Catholic author describes many life lessons that became clear as she journeyed.
Hitt, Jack (1994), Off the Road . A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim Route into Spain (New York: Simon & Schuster).
A rather cynical, well-written memoir about the cast of characters who are
encountered on this pilgrimage.
Eagan, Kerry (2004), Fumbling: A Pilgrimage Tale of Love, Grief, and Spiritual Renewal on the Camino De Santiago (New York: Doubleday).
A Catholic divinity student from Harvard discovers the Camino and its gifts a year after the death of her father.
Moore, Tim (2004), Travels with My Donkey: One Man and His Ass on a Pilgrimage to Santiago (New York: St. Martin's Press).
Walking with a donkey has its challenging moments. Moore details them all!
MacLaine, Shirley (2000), The Camino : A Journey of the Spirit (New York: Pocket Books).
MacLaine’s book is known by almost everyone who has heard of the Camino. It has a strong new age flavor.
Coelho, Paulo (1995), The Pilgrimage: A Contemporary Quest for Ancient Wisdom (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco).
A Camino classic. Coelho’s novel that the publisher describes as “deliver[ing] a powerful brew of magic and insight."
Jill writes as a trained Protestant theologian. Her book offers readers the possibility of deeper reflection than one finds in the current Camino memoirs. While one book on the journey to Santiago has been written by a father and a
daughter, (Schell, Maria, and Donald Schell (2001), My Father, My Daughter: Pilgrims on the Road to Santiago . New York: Church Publishing Incorporated), none of the other books consider what it means to seek personal transformation
in the community of family.
The finest pilgrimage related books are listed below.
Numerous general works on pilgrimage have been published in recent years; those dealing with the subject in a thorough, thoughtful manner are far fewer. The three books listed below are those which would also be of interest to
readers of What Was I Thinking?
George, Christian Timothy (2006), Sacred Travels : Recovering the Ancient Practice of Pilgrimage (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press).
A recent work written from a Protestant perspective.
Cousineau, Phil (1998, 2000), The Art of Pilgrimage. The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred (Berkeley, CA: Conari Press).
A clear exploration of the nature of pilgrimage in many different traditions.
Clift, Jean Dalby, and Wallace B. Clift (1996), The Archetype of Pilgrimage. Outer Action with Inner Meaning (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press).
This classic uses a Jungian framework to explore both physical and spiritual aspects of pilgrimage. |
Table of Contents
I Dedication
II Table of Contents
1 Introduction
3 Day 1: St Jean Pied de Port-Roncevalles
8 Sometimes (Essay)
10 Day 2: Roncevalles to Larasona
13 Scallop Shell
15 Day 3: Larasona to Cizur Menor
19 Defining Pilgrimage
21 Day 4: Cizur Menor to Puenta La Reina
27 What Does It Mean To Be A Family?
28 Day 5: Puenta La Reina to Estella
34 Pacing
36 Day 6: Estella to Torres del Rio
42 Blister Care
43 Day 7: Torres del Rio to Longroño
49 Team Geoffrion Prayer
51 Day 8: Longroño: Rest Day!
57 Explanation Of The Team Geoffrion Symbol
59 Day 9: Longroño to Nájera
65 Receiving God’s Help Through Another’s Kindness
68 Day 10: Nájera to Santa Domingo de Calzada
76 Moving
77 Day 11: Santa Domingo de Calzada to Belorado
85 Pilgrim Manners
86 Day 12: Belorado to Agés
92 Things I Brought and Left Behind
93 Day 13: Agés to Burgos to Silos
102 What Do You Like To Think About?
103 Day 14: Rest Day: Silos to Burgos
107 Beauty’s Nourishment
108 Day 15: Burgos to Hornillos del Camino
116 Asking and Receiving
118 Day 16: Hornillos del Camino To Castrojeriz
128 Email Update #1
130 Day 17 Castrojeriz To Frómista
138 Visiting Pilgrimage Sites
139 Day 18: Frómista To Carrión de los Condes
149 Community Prayer
151 Day 19: Carrión de los Condes To Terradillos de Templarios
155 Walking Towards Forgiveness
157 Day 20: Terradillos de Templarios To Calzadilla de los Hermanillos
163 Time Alone
168 Day 21: Calzadilla de los Hermanillos To Mansilla des las Mulas
174 Physical Spirituality
181 Help! The Quintessential Pilgrim Prayer
187 Day 23: Rest Day #1, León
192 Taking A Pilgrimage Prayer Break
194 Day 24: Rest Day #2, León
200 Email Update #2
202 Day 25: León To Astorga
208 Things I Received, Picked Up, or Bought On the Camino
210 Day 26: Astorga To Foncebadón
216 Knowing the Unknown
218 Day 27: Foncebadón To Ponferrada
224 Give It Up
226 Day 28: Ponferrada To Villafranca
232 What Do I Believe?
237 Day 29: Villafranca To La Faba
244 The Sun
246 Day 30: La Fa
253 Day 31: Restday in Triacastela and Samos
256 St. James
258 Day 32: Triacastela To Sarria
262 Pilgrim Advice
264 Day 33: Sarria To Portomarín
267 Praying with Relics
270 Day 34: PortomarínTo Palas de Rei
273 Daily Prayer for Pilgrims
274 Day 35: Palas de Rei To Arzúa
279 Transitioning
280 Day 36: Arzúa To San Paio
284 Favorite Camino Moment
285 Day 37: San Paio To Santiago
292 Where Did I Go?
294 Days 38 & 39: Staying In Santiago
299 Email Update #3
302 Day 40: From Santiago To Finisterre
307 Pilgrimage Truths
309 List of Images Used
320 Bibliography
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