Guest Speaker: Christiana Soumakis: Emily Tucker

     Christiana Soumakis began by comparing a Labyrinth to a Maze. A labyrinth leads you from the entrance to a single point in the center. It has one singular path. It is not a puzzle to solve, but an experience/journey to follow. A maze, however, has multiple paths and dead ends, and it is designed to confuse and lead you astray. Christiana compared our life's journey to a labyrinth. It is not meant to confuse or lead us astray, but guide us to meaning in our life at the center of the labyrinth.

    Christiana grew up in special education and was diagnosed with ADD. Her mother at the time, didn't "believe" it to be a real thing, making her childhood growing up all the more challenging and confusing. Deep down she always knew she was smart, but no one else saw her that way. She was constantly told she needed to try harder, work harder, and do better. This left her feeling helpless in not knowing how to express what was happening, because she couldn't be what everyone else expected or wanted her to be. Due to this background, she is very understanding of other people's struggles and relates to the hardships others go through; however, she is often much harsher and tougher on herself, feeling as though she must constantly prove to herself that she is capable. 

    She has walked the Camino de Santiago three times, but each time she learned and experienced things differently. The first time she was trying to prove to herself that it was possible and was very tough on herself, forcing herself to walk as far as she could often at the expense of her mental health. This first walk was life changing for her, nonetheless. She did something that no one ever thought she would've been able to do. While she learned so much on this journey, Christiana also mentioned how she learned just as much right after the camino when she had to reintegrate. She felt as though she lost everything that was the camino, knowing that she would never have those exact experiences again. Nevertheless, she walked the camino two other times that only furthered her inner growth and strength. I particularly liked when she said, "It doesn't get easier; you just get stronger."

    Christiana mentioned a children's book called Summer of the Swans. In the book, the main character, Sara, imagines that everyone is on their own staircase of life. Each staircase is unique and different for every person, and each step is a step of growth and maturity in that person's life. Sara sees her older sister being many steps ahead of her, but her brother Charlie as being behind. However, she realizes that her brother Charlie's stairs are smaller and gentler, but that doesn't mean he is behind, he just has a different staircase. Likewise, everyone grows at their own pace, faces different challenges, and go on their own journeys in life.