“The Walk of Wisdom does something to you” (pilgrim Mieke Kleinleugenmors about her blissful feeling)

It is exactly four weeks ago today that I started my Walk of Wisdom with a happy head. I had already smelled it earlier this year during a silent walk and now I went ‘for real’. The plan was to report back to the Stevenskerk on May 11th. And it worked.

To my great surprise, my best friend was waiting for me on the Waalkade that Friday. At her side, I stumbled the last few meters to the Stevens Church. The unprecedented heat during the first days of hiking and the long distance that last day had wrecked me a bit.

But much more important was the blissful feeling in my head that I had experienced something very special. I was on the road alone for six days and not for a moment had I felt ‘alone’. The days were filled with seemingly minuscule things – an observation in nature, a pleasant conversation, a relativizing insight – that together grew into a precious jewel.

How often did it happen that after a nice holiday I ended up back in the daily grind in no time? Before you knew it, the stress was already dominating your life, you were back on the speeding train. There seemed to be no escaping that. But that process didn’t happen after the Walk of Wisdom. It feels like I’ve been reset; have been put on a new track. And that trail winds over roads that turn out to be surprisingly passable. As a result, calmness prevails.

The process already presented itself during the preparations. I wore the pilgrim’s lace in the starter pack on my wrist right away. For example, the plan for the Walk of Wisdom was always visibly present. I told friends and acquaintances about it and in the meantime I started to filter things in my life. Cautiously, I started to shift the focus to things that really matter to me. During the Walk of Wisdom , that process was strengthened.

And of course that wasn’t that difficult at all. During those walking days, you are – offline – relieved of all the daily hypes that flood today’s people. Life is laughably simple. Finding the right route, keeping the water supply up to date during the heat, looking for a place to sleep, keeping an eye on your physical condition: it doesn’t get much more complicated than that. How wonderful is that!

Little gems

Now, four weeks later, it’s still those little gems – not a day went by without it – that come to mind. The friendly owner of the lunch café in Grave who insisted on filling my water bottle herself: ‘You can do that in the toilet, but I’ll throw in some ice cubes for you’. The vivacious 85-year-old from Nijmegen on the terrace near the Hatertse Vennen who said goodbye in his own way – with a kiss on the hand – because he had enjoyed our conversation about the importance of exercise so much. The touching story of the almost 80-year-old farmer who invited me to come and sit next to him on the feed bale. I was able to rest a bit and have a chat with him. Pointing to the proliferating weeds and the mess everywhere, he confided to me: ‘I can’t keep up with it all anymore, my wife has been in a nursing home in Grave for two years. I can’t walk very well anymore, but I do cycle to her twice a day. Now with that heat at adjusted times, early in the morning and in the evening, otherwise I won’t make it.’ Continuing on my path, I count my blessings and look forward to the next stop.

Very surprising was the acquaintance on Ascension Day with Barbara, Saskia and Henk from Nijmegen. That day I walked from Ravenstein to Bergharen and on the Leur-Bergharen route we met each other several times. That sounds crazy, but sometimes a person goes wrong and then you have to go back. That way, you sometimes have to overtake someone who first passed you by. Barbara walked the Walk of Wisdom with her service dog Zwiebo who accompanies her because of her epilepsy. But Zwiebo is getting too old for his job, will soon have to retire. That’s why Barbara wanted to do something special with her loyal friend one more time and she chose to walk the Walk of Wisdom. Separately, neighbours Saskia and Henk responded to an appeal by Barbara in a local newspaper: ‘Who is willing to take on the challenge of the Walk of Wisdom with me?’ And so it went.

Barbara’s story moved me so much that I offered her a lucky angel. I had it in my pocket for special encounters. If that wasn’t this! Barbara continued the journey with my lucky angel on the pilgrim’s lace around her neck. With the story of this special trio in my head, I walked on to my sleeping address. I was so full of it that I couldn’t resist sharing it with my hostess from the Friends of the Bicycle Address. ‘But those people with the dog also come to spend the night with us’, was her reaction. That was hilarious, of course. In the evening the four of us (and Zwiebo of course) went out for dinner in Bergharen. On our bikes – our guest address made four available – we rode to the eatery. How nice that was. Because with feet begging to be left alone after a long day of walking, such a bike ride is a relief.

Super place

The stories in my head are strung together. I haven’t even mentioned my super spot in the Hatertse Vennen yet. How beautiful it is when people are willing to share their wealth in nature with you! And what about the extraordinary, impressive overnight location in Ravenstein? And everywhere I discovered new stories and often they were told to me. Again and again I was impressed and the realization grew that – whether you are rich or poor – life leaves no one untouched.

During my six days, I didn’t miss a single day of internet. And now, weeks later, my old addiction to ‘Peacock’ late at night has still been overcome. At that time, I am now inspired by a good book. The Walk of Wisdom has taught me to rediscover the things that really bring me something and to guide my life.
The Walk of Walk of Wisdom has also made me realize once again how rich my life is. Even, or perhaps especially, because of my simple apartment (with a magnificent view of the river, that is) four high. With warm people around me, meaningful activities and a body that is still in top shape, I gratefully count my blessings. That may sound pious, but that’s what I feel.

Mieke Kleinleugenmors