The Camino Calls Podcast

Camino Conversations: What If Your Next Trip Changed You? A Live Talk About the Camino

What if your next trip could change you? What happens when ticking sights off a checklist stops being enough — when you start craving something deeper from your travels but can’t quite name what it is? In this episode, I reflects on the shift from checklist tourism to transformational travel: the idea that the most unforgettable trips aren’t measured by the landmarks you see, but by the people you meet and the way they quietly change you. At the heart of it is the Camino de Santiago — a 1,200-year-old pilgrimage that draws walkers from 183 countries, open to every faith, age, and ability. Along the way, I share the stories that have stayed with me: a chance conversation on a train, the retired couple who took me in when I first moved to Asheville, the stranger who taught me that accepting a gift is itself a gift, and the numerous Caminos I’ve now walked—alone and with others. I dig into the lessons the trail keeps teaching — gratitude, slowing down, simplifying, and the surprising art of talking to strangers — and why the Camino doesn’t always give you what you want, but it gives you what you need. Love of Hiking Isn’t Required. . . I hated gyms. I had rarely hiked. I didn’t know how to use hiking poles. I didn’t own dry-wicking clothes. Yet something told me a 500-mile walk across Spain was a good idea. Enjoy Part 1 of my Camino story. More Camino Conversations To see other Camino Conversations videos (including interviews with those who have done various routes), click here [https://www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com/t/camino-conversations] for the archive. Join us live here on Substack every Wednesday at 11am. 🥾Ready to start planning your Camino? Rebecca WestonCamino Planning & Preparation Guide (for People 45+)Rebecca@TheCaminoCalls.com Your Camino adventure should feel exciting, not stressful — here are some ways I can help you get ready: * Watch Camino Conversations [https://thecaminocalls.substack.com/p/camino-conversations-archive-and?r=270mi7] for practical tips and advice from my guests who have done the Camino (or more than one!). * 🗓️ Camino Planning Session [https://tidycal.com/caminocalls/caminoconsultation] (60 min): Get answers to your top questions and a notes doc created during our call. * 📞 Full Camino Experience [https://tidycal.com/caminocalls/fullcaminoexperience]: 6 coaching calls with detailed notes to plan your trip with confidence and ease. * 🥾 Walk With Rebecca [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t4N_d_X4KDwpNx-PPWC1BrmIRkjis8Ah/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109216489056764477536&rtpof=true&sd=true]: 7-day hybrid Camino walks — 3 days guided, 4 days independent, private rooms, preparation classes, and optional check-ins. Click here [https://thecaminocalls.kit.com/1698f40b0c] to be the first to be notified about my next trip.Rebecca Weston is an American who walked her first Camino in 2012. About me: I’ve walked more than a dozen Caminos since my first in 2012. I’ve spent many days volunteering along the trail, and if I’m not walking one now, I’m planning the next—and would love nothing more than to help you plan yours, too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com [https://www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Camino Conversations: What to Pack for the Camino de Santiago

Thank you Pamela Marshall [https://substack.com/profile/357177455-pamela-marshall], Terry Larson [https://substack.com/profile/35457289-terry-larson], Katherine [https://substack.com/profile/111066254-katherine], and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. In this episode of Camino Conversations, Rebecca Weston — owner of The Camino Calls and a 15-time Camino veteran — walks you through exactly how to pack for the Camino de Santiago when you’re 45+ and sending your luggage ahead. She tackles the questions that fill every Camino forum: which shoes actually work, how to handle rain and brutal heat waves, and how to avoid the rookie mistake of “fear-packing.” Along the way, she shares real stories from the trail plus tips on laundry, foot care, electronics, and the small comforts worth their weight. Whether it’s your first Camino or your tenth, you’ll come away with a clear-eyed, no-nonsense packing philosophy that prioritizes lightness, flexibility, and trust in the trail. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.       •     00:00 — Intro & who this episode is for (45+, sending luggage ahead)       •     01:21 — Core packing philosophy: “Don’t let your fears load your pack”       •     02:13 — Why you still pack light even when sending luggage       •     04:38 — Luggage size & weight limits; sending a bag ahead to Santiago       •     06:41 — Shoes: hiking shoes vs. boots, why Hokas work for her       •     09:21 — Second pair of shoes & sandals       •     10:32 — Breaking in shoes & training mileage recommendations       •     11:22 — Socks: wool, dry-wicking, toe socks, last-minute gear changes       •     14:20 — Training on uneven surfaces (not just paved roads)       •     15:36 — Town shoes & why heels are a bad idea       •     16:02 — Clothing: hiking pants (the zip-off kind), skirts for heat       •     18:43 — Sundress vs. hiking clothes for the evening       •     19:13 — Dry-wicking shirts & buying gear secondhand       •     20:06 — Layering strategy (short sleeve + long sleeve + rain jacket)       •     22:00 — More on toe socks       •     22:41 — Rain gear: jacket vs. pants vs. ponchos       •     24:49 — Sun gear: sun hats and sunscreen       •     27:29 — Umbrellas (yes, for sun!) & cooling towels for heat waves       •     30:07 — Guidebooks (Brierley, French guides) vs. Camino apps       •     31:55 — Journals & writing on the Camino       •     33:33 — Medical: prescriptions, first aid kits, emergency contact cards       •     35:57 — Spanish pharmacies & language expectations       •     36:57 — Laundry: washing in the sink, the towel-roll trick, drying time       •     40:07 — Electronics: phones, iPads, chargers, EU plug adapters       •     41:57 — Passports & important documents       •     43:04 — Cash, credit cards & ATMs       •     44:17 — Foot care: Moleskin, Compeed & treating hot spots       •     47:13 — Toilet paper in your pocket       •     48:37 — Pajamas & non-hiking clothes       •     50:19 — Water bottles & Camelbacks; drinking from fountains       •     52:25 — Kula Cloth recommendation       •     53:02 — Clothespins — do you actually need them?       •     54:14 — Toiletries, scissors, credit card notifications       •     55:04 — Earplugs & eye masks (and Spanish noise levels)       •     56:32 — Hiking/trekking poles: usage, getting them through airport security, buying them in Spain       •     59:29 — Binder clips, safety pins, snacks, headlamps, backup eyeglasses, swimsuits       •     1:01:17 — Closing recap & goodbyes More Camino Conversations To see other Camino Conversations videos (including interviews with those who have done various routes), click here [https://www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com/t/camino-conversations] for the archive. Join us live here on Substack every Wednesday at 11am. 🥾Ready to start planning your Camino? Rebecca WestonCamino Planning & Preparation Guide (for People 45+)Rebecca@TheCaminoCalls.com Your Camino adventure should feel exciting, not stressful — here are some ways I can help you get ready: * Watch Camino Conversations [https://thecaminocalls.substack.com/p/camino-conversations-archive-and?r=270mi7] for practical tips and advice from my guests who have done the Camino (or more than one!). * 🗓️ Camino Planning Session [https://tidycal.com/caminocalls/caminoconsultation] (60 min): Get answers to your top questions and a notes doc created during our call. * 📞 Full Camino Experience [https://tidycal.com/caminocalls/fullcaminoexperience]: 6 coaching calls with detailed notes to plan your trip with confidence and ease. * 🥾 Walk With Rebecca [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t4N_d_X4KDwpNx-PPWC1BrmIRkjis8Ah/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109216489056764477536&rtpof=true&sd=true]: 7-day hybrid Camino walks — 3 days guided, 4 days independent, private rooms, preparation classes, and optional check-ins. Click here [https://thecaminocalls.kit.com/1698f40b0c] to be the first to be notified about my next trip.Rebecca Weston is an American who walked her first Camino in 2012. About me: I’ve walked more than a dozen Caminos since my first in 2012. I’ve spent many days volunteering along the trail, and if I’m not walking one now, I’m planning the next—and would love nothing more than to help you plan yours, too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com [https://www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Camino Conversations: A Journey with The Sober Creative

Josh calls sobriety “the pilgrimage inside,” and the parallels to the Camino are striking — the brave choice to begin something unknown, the humility to ask for help, the discipline of daily steps, the shedding of what no longer serves you, and the quiet transformation that happens along the way. Thank you Phil Powis ❤️⚡️ [https://substack.com/profile/181219008-phil-powis], Rachel Connor [https://substack.com/profile/43692040-rachel-connor], Inge van de Graaf [https://substack.com/profile/324346859-inge-van-de-graaf], Amanda Goddard [https://substack.com/profile/16617066-amanda-goddard], and many others for tuning into my live video with Josh Woll [https://substack.com/profile/121213711-josh-woll]! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com [https://www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Camino Conversations: Rebecca’s First 500 mile Camino across Spain

I hated gyms. I had rarely hiked. I didn’t know how to use hiking poles. I didn’t own dry-wicking clothes. Yet something told me a 500-mile walk across Spain was a good idea. Enjoy Part 1 of my Camino story. 🥾Ready to start planning your Camino? Rebecca WestonCamino Planning & Preparation Guide (for People 45+)Rebecca@TheCaminoCalls.com Your Camino adventure should feel exciting, not stressful — here are some ways I can help you get ready: * Watch Camino Conversations [https://thecaminocalls.substack.com/p/camino-conversations-archive-and?r=270mi7] for practical tips and advice from my guests who have done the Camino (or more than one!). * 🗓️ Camino Planning Session [https://tidycal.com/caminocalls/caminoconsultation] (60 min): Get answers to your top questions and a notes doc created during our call. * 📞 Full Camino Experience [https://tidycal.com/caminocalls/fullcaminoexperience]: 6 coaching calls with detailed notes to plan your trip with confidence and ease. * 🥾 Walk With Rebecca [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t4N_d_X4KDwpNx-PPWC1BrmIRkjis8Ah/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109216489056764477536&rtpof=true&sd=true]: 7-day hybrid Camino walks — 3 days guided, 4 days independent, private rooms, preparation classes, and optional check-ins. Click here [https://thecaminocalls.kit.com/1698f40b0c] to be the first to be notified about my next trip.Rebecca Weston is an American who walked her first Camino in 2012. About me: I’ve walked more than a dozen Caminos since my first in 2012. I’ve spent many days volunteering along the trail, and if I’m not walking one now, I’m planning the next—and would love nothing more than to help you plan yours, too. Originally from the US, I most recently spent 4.5 years living in Spain. Next stop? Who knows. That’s the fun part. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com [https://www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Camino Conversations: Pam Marshall, at 64, walked 200 miles on the Camino Portuguese

You can follow Pam @thefrugaltraveler on Substack. Get more Camino inspiration and information at inspiration.thecaminocalls.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com [https://www.inspiration.thecaminocalls.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]