Many people begin the Camino de Santiago with a question in their heart or a shift in their life. For some, it’s the loss of a loved one. For others, an unexpected retirement or a sudden change that leaves them searching for meaning. What feels like a sunset, an ending, often becomes the very thing that leads to a sunrise.

That’s the essence of Lost and Found Along the Way, a journey captured by Deacon Willie, who is walking the Camino and sharing God’s insights, moments of reflection, and personal epiphanies through his YouTube channel. His hope is to offer a window into the transformation that naturally unfolds on this 200-mile pilgrimage from León to the Cathedral of Santiago.

A Life in Transition

When asked about what brought him to the Camino, Willie explains that retirement was approaching, and with it came the need for a meaningful transition.

“I felt I needed something as a goal,” he shared, “not just to step out of retirement, but to reconnect with those things that make us human.”

After decades of demanding work, including six intense years of running a startup where the job never really stopped, his mind was compacted by years of responsibility, strategy, and stress. What he needed wasn’t another business project, but rather time. Time to breathe, to reflect, and to rediscover what it means to simply be.

Why the Camino?

Like many modern pilgrims, his introduction to the Camino came through stories, books, and even the film The Way. While he knew it was a long walk filled with history and culture, the deeper reason revealed itself only once he began walking.

“I didn’t know for sure,” he admitted. “But I knew I needed a long period of time to process my transition. And the Camino offered that.”

From Work Mode to Pilgrim’s Pace

The shift from high-pressure work life to the slower rhythm of pilgrimage wasn’t immediate.

That first day, with its daunting 1,400-meter climb, felt like another mountain to conquer, a task to check off. “I trained for that. I knew I had to get day one done,” he said. But something changed after that.

Once he had pushed through that first hurdle, the work-driven mindset began to fade. The Camino became less about conquering and more about experiencing. “For 37 more days,” Willie reflected, “it was about learning how to be human again.”

Lost, Found, and Renewed

Walking the Camino isn’t just about miles. It’s about soul-space, the chance to release, to reflect, and to listen.

As Deacon Willie continues to share his journey through Lost and Found Along the Way, his story reminds us that even in the sunset of one season, God often prepares us for the sunrise of another.

For anyone standing at the edge of transition, the Camino offers more than a path across Spain, it offers a path back to yourself.