new member

[Nick Blaha]

Hello,
My name is Nick Blaha, and I have just subscribed. I am a college student
in ventura county, CA, USA, and will be going on the camino this
july/august. It's been interesting reading up on all the information on
the pilgrimage and I'm really excited... however, it's all pretty
overwhelming and I think I need something more in dialogue form. I'm
hoping this list will help in that regard.

They ask for personal information ... well I guess my intentions on the
camino might help with that. I'm Roman catholic so I am intending to make
the pilgrimage as it was done in the old days, by pious penitents seeking
communion with God through trial and solitude. I guess I am interested in
the self-sufficient aspects of the camino as well, as I enjoy camping and
backpacking. I'm hoping to sleep outside most of the time, weather
permitting. I'm also a bit concerned about the issue of numbers of
pilgrims, though I'm hoping I wont' run into that as much if I avoid the
albergues (is that a fair assumption?). Because I only have about a month,
maybe less, I am wondering if a route other than the camino frances would
suit me better, such as the camino del norte along the coast ... though I
am not sure where that meets up with the camino frances, and whether it
would be worth doing.

So I have been doing a lot of reading, FAQs and whatnot, but have a lot of
particular questions that I hope you all might be able to answer. I wont
start with them right now, but wait as conversations progress ....

thanks,
Nick blaha.