“Pilgrimage” – the word seems out of place in today’s world. Maybe your mind flashes to a Monty Python sketch or you have uneasy memories of reading “Pilgrim’s Progress” in high school. But millions of people across the world still go on pilgrimages – for example, the sturdy souls who hike the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in northern Spain.
Louisville resident Cheri Powell made the trek with her husband in 2005. Powell returned to the U.S. a changed woman and wrote a book, “Seven Tips to Make the Most of the Camino de Santiago,” to help others prepare for this and other challenges. The book was honored in 2011 with a Reader’s Favorite Award.
Never one to veer from adventure, Powell describes herself as a “boomerang resident” of Louisville. After graduating from University of Louisville, she moved to Lexington, then signed up for a two-year stint with the Peace Corps in southern Africa before returning to Louisville. On the move ever since, Powell has lived in Guatemala, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Belize and Mexico, returning periodically to live in Louisville. She currently makes her home in the Upper Highlands.
Powell describes a pilgrimage as a sacred journey, one that can even take place in the mind alone. But it usually involves a physical journey. “It was life changing, but I didn’t realize that while I was walking,” she says of her Camino de Santiago trek. “I took one day at a time and met the challenges of each day. It’s only through reflection that I can see how I’m different. It’s subtle.”
Special moments included a service of Gregorian chants by Benedictine monks in a small, centuries-old church, where Camino pilgrims from around the world participated in the ceremony by reading passages in their native tongues.
“The impetus for writing the book was the many conversations I had with other pilgrims, and observations along the trail that did not match up with the research I had done before starting the journey,” she says. “Once my thoughts started flowing, the information I wanted to talk about seemed to organize itself.”
Powell’s book is unlike any other about the Camino. It is not a travelogue or guide, but rather a preparation manual that gives practical advice on different aspects of undertaking the journey of a lifetime. Her advice is practical, down to earth, and based on experience.
Powell recently released two new books that contain photos and inspirational quotations: “Camino de Santiago Book of Days – Flowers of the Camino” and “Camino de Santiago Book of Days – Pathways of the Camino.” Her books are available locally at Rainbow Blossom in St. Matthews, and at www.amazon.com.
Beginning in February, Powell will be teaching a class at Bellarmine University about preparing for pilgrimages. She has also started a side business to help other writers publish, offering editing and publishing services with print-on-demand technology. More information can be found at www.cheripowell.com.
Susan E. Lindsey is a freelance writer, a professional book editor and publicist, and owner of Savvy Communication LLC. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.