The joy of exploring new places in good company is my idea of a good time: winding country roads where you come to a crossroads and take in the lay of the land before deciding which way to go, sometimes on a whim and sometimes with intent. The region of Piemonte in the northwest corner of Italy is the perfect place for a wanderer, and one of my favourite pastimes over the past few years is finding Big Benches. 

My mom and dad emigrated from The Philippines to the United States in the late 1960s to work as as chemists/researchers at the University of California, San Diego. A few years later, I was born in La Jolla, California. I’ve been fortunate to travel to my parents’ native land with them three times, and on our last visit, we were treated to a cultural experience that had a deep impact on me. Re-watching a video of the event recently has brought up some strong memories and feelings about my ethnic patrimony.

To begin, thank you.
Giving back to share your heart and voice.
This space has comforted us while we redefine who we are,
Where we belong, 
and find our North again.
Now we can listen to our other inner voices.

Iona is a small island lying off the west coast of Scotland. Measuring just four miles in length and one mile at its widest point, this is a special place. A spiritual place. A liminal place where the veil between the spiritual and the material world is thin—a threshold.

In general, we all belong to more than one community. Yes, families are the starting point, but then, as we expand our personalities and interests, we join different ones that share common passions such as sports, hobbies, or a deep affection for one another. Undoubtedly, what creates the strongest and longest-lasting link is friendship.

Although the loss of income has been difficult, it is that connection with tour members—that sense of community—that I miss most. I miss not only building relationships with my tour members but  also helping them connect with each other and with locals. 

Many other communities and movements around the world have helped people to connect, to share common ideas, and to not feel alone. Think about how all achievements, technology, science, medicine, literature, religion, politics, and other important things would not be possible if it was not for that simple ability to communicate, think, and work together. One is nothing without the community, and the community is nothing without the one.

The Camino de Santiago is above all, a personal experience. No matter if you walk with your friends or with your partner, the rhythms of walking are different and there will be many miles where you bounce along with your thoughts. The Camino will change you for life. Do it for whatever reason inspires you, religious, spiritual, tourist, sports…regardless of how and why you start it, you will end it as a different person.

Most of us have lived under various levels of lockdown over the past year and because of this, the level at which we can participate in our various communities has been changed and so has how we participate (Zoom, anyone?). As an unemployed tour guide, I have had ample time to reflect on the different communities in my life and how they have evolved or simply morphed over the past year.

Europe Day is a bittersweet day for me. I am of the generation that had the opportunity to study and work in Europe. I had the freedom to go where I pleased for as long as I pleased, which—unless they already live there and have applied for settled status—UK citizens will no longer have. 

Human beings are social characters that need interaction to stimulate emotions, to energize thought processes, to bring experiences to life; and boy, have I loved the various communities I have been part of across the world!

One of our goals is to include you in our community, to make GC a welcoming space for people with a passion for cultures and travel. No matter what the future holds, this has made all the work worth the effort. I hope we have given you the same sense of fellowship that we all feel.

Here in the Basque country, the sense of community is very strong. We say we do things in the auzolan way. It doesn't have an exact translation, but it kind of means that everybody who can help in the community, does. We construct houses, clean the forest, fix the church’s ceiling or take care of our elderly in the auzolan way. You volunteer to do whatever you do best.

I don’t know about you, but for me, the last 12 months has been a rollercoaster of highs, lows and just jogging along on life’s journey. It has been exhausting, exhilarating and exceptional, but not necessarily in equal doses.

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