Cover Photo: photo courtesy of the author
photo courtesy of the author

Finding Faith Beyond God on the Camino de Santiago

For me, loss of faith was hollowing. Can you believe in miracles without believing in God?

Relief

something

photo courtesy of the author

The loss of faith was hollowing. For me, the Camino was an escape after a painful year—a journey away from trauma, not toward anything. Or so I thought.

The Way

photo of the author on the Camino

A few more miles to go. Doesn’t seem to be letting up. Where are all the trees?

photo courtesy of the author

photo courtesy of the author

miracledivineSo many answers are still hidden in those dark pockets that are, for now, untouched and undiscovered. A lack of religious faith doesn’t make these moments, these rare gifts, any less beautiful. Months after returning home, I would look back on my experience on the Camino and feel warm and well cared for. Even loved.

Andrea lives in Washington, DC by way of Seoul, New York, Boston, and West Virginia. Her writing has been published or is forthcoming in Third Coast, The Baltimore Review, Day One, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Electric Literature, and other publications. Her novel-in-progress was selected as a semi-finalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship. She holds an MFA in fiction from West Virginia University.