Steeping in the Camino Cauldron - Ryan Hinton

     I first read Dr. Redick's Steeping in the Camino Cauldron in preparation for our second essay assignment. I thought it was pretty interesting because of his point about people seeking a journey due to feelings of alienation. I actually ended up using that quote in both my second essay and my final term paper. When we first started talking about the Camino de Santiago, I didn't really understand the whole idea of the community that was formed. Dr. Redick mentioned many times the culture that was developed on these types of hikes and walks, not just on the Camino but across all of the different hikes that he has done. I kept finding myself wondering, what is so special about this culture that is developed? But the more and more I listened to Dr. Redick talk about his experiences and the connections that he made on the trails, I found myself more and more drawn in. While I haven't done many hikes right now and haven't experienced this kind of culture, I feel a pull and a desire to start going on hikes. Me and some of my friends are planning to do Old Rag in Northern Virginia over winter break and I hope to participate in Dr. Redick's domestic study away on the Appalachian Trail over the summer. Who knows, maybe even one day if Dr. Redick does a study abroad to Spain and the Camino de Santiago while I am still at CNU, I will go on that, in fact that's what I really hope happens before I graduate. Regardless, listening to Dr. Redick talk about these moments and these experiences he has had has made me want to experience them too. 

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