I said no for months. Then something changed.
Dear Pilgrims,
Last August, one of the pilgrims pulled me aside after a day walk I’d been guiding around Bad Saarow in Brandenburg.
“Alex, I have an idea. You can say no. But what about a whole pilgrim weekend?”
I said no immediately.
I loved the idea. But a whole weekend means registrations, bookings, two days of being fully present, not just for the route and the breaks and the weather, but for the people. Their moods, their exhaustion, their moments.
That takes a lot from me. And back then, I didn’t have enough for it yet.
Now I’ve done this 36 times, guiding small and large groups.
Not all of the walks were easy. But at some point I noticed: the preparation takes less time. The leading takes less energy. I’ve got better at handling whatever comes – and something always comes. A crisis, a change in weather, someone who can’t keep up.
I’ve become calmer about it. Not because I have everything under control. But because I’ve learned to let go.
The last three months confirmed that once more.
We set out in January on ice, in February through snow, in March with twenty-five people at once which briefly sent me into a quiet panic. But the group found its own rhythm.
I had no breakthrough, no great turning point. I just kept going. And somewhere in that, almost imperceptibly, something fell into place.
I’m going to say yes to that pilgrim from August.
In June, we’re heading to the Brocken. Two days, forty kilometres, the highest peak in northern Germany. It’s the first time I’ve offered something like this. I’m looking forward to it. I’m also a little nervous.
But the real question I’m carrying is this: can I hold the space over two days? Honestly, without shortcuts? That’s what this is really about. Not the summit.
If you’d like to come along, you’ll find all the details on my website.
What’s something you once said no to – and perhaps still think about?
Buen Camino,
Alexander
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