post-camino

[Galen Wilkerson]

Hi,

Ok, so I walked from St. Jean-PDP to Finisterra starting late August.  (If
I met you and you'd like to contact me, go for it!  I'm the
famous "American-Guy-who-speaks-French-German-and-Spanish".)

Well, it's all well and good to be such a guy, but what do I do for work? :)

Now I'm back in the USA, and even staying at my mother's house, in rural
Pennsylvania.  I have degrees in International Relations and Computer
Science (interested in Computer Vision research), but I can't seem to find
any job that I would be interested in or that is interested in me.  I had
trouble "escaping" the camino after the post-climactic return to Santiago
de Comp., hitchiking and walking along the coast backwards to Bilbao,
returning to Hendaye and St. J P-d-P to get things I had left, visiting
friends in Oloron-Ste. Marie, which happened to be on the "other camino"
crossing the Pyrennees, and finally, when I thought I had really escaped
the camino, seeing a sign that said "st. Jacques de compostele 1165 km"
when walking along the Canal de Midi near Toulouse!!

So, in Toulouse and now, I spend days and hours in front of the computer,
sending and re-sending my CV.  I even had interviews in a few places in
France and Spain.  Guess the result of all this???  NADA!

Ah well, every no is a possible yes to something better.

I'd be interested in hearing any feedback about all this, constructive,
unconstructive, humorous, or otherwise.  If you are in the same boat, maybe
we can just branch off from the existing economy and form our own, and just
give each other jobs.  :)

ciao,
Galen

-----
"Ode to the Post-camino"

I walked and walked and walked some more,
I managed not to get a sore.

I walked and walked and walked again,
Oh yeah I made a lot of friends.

I walked and walked and walked and walked.
But when I had to stop I balked.

- "anonymous"