Phil Cousineau: Turning travel into pilgrimage

1 big thing

Axios

News

4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 12 September 2024

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Niala Boodhoo walked nearly 80 miles along the Camino de Santiago this summer, an ancient Christian pilgrimage that's been meaningful for millions. A growing number of Americans—including non-Christians—are taking up this and other pilgrimages, for all sorts of reasons. Author and travel leader Phil Cousineau says the tradition of walking to find meaning is as old as travel itself. He is the author of "The Art of Pilgrimage, The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred," first published 25 years ago. He asks travelers to slow down and connect with the places they visit. For the final episode of 1 big thing, we slow down, too, for a conversation with Cousineau about finding elements of the sacred in travel. Pilgrimage, he says, is for everyone. Guest: Phil Cousineau is a freelance writer, teacher, and travel leader and author of "The Art of Pilgrimage, The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred." His forthcoming book is Credits: 1 big thing is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, and Jay Cowit. Music is composed by Alex Sugiura and Jay Cowit. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can send questions and comments as a text or voice memo to Niala at 202-918-4893. Even though this is our last podcast episode, you can keep in touch with us! Sign up for Niala's substack. Subscribe to Axios' Essentials newsletters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Pilgrims have been making sacred journeys throughout history.
0:08.0	What can we as tourists today learn from them?
0:11.0	The Pilgrum is in traveling in gratitude,
0:14.4	traveling with a sense of awe and wonder
0:16.5	and recognizing that here's an opportunity
0:18.7	to come close to the divine.
0:20.9	That is a nuance of difference between the tourists and the pilgrim.
0:24.0	The value of turning travel into pilgrimage.
0:30.0	There isn't a place that cannot move your spirit and your soul.
0:35.0	I'm Nila Boodoo and from Axios this is one big thing.
0:40.0	So many of us have had the itch to move over the last couple of years as
0:47.6	the height of the COVID pandemic in lockdown has retreated into the rearview. To stretch our legs and our minds with travel.
0:58.0	And I've been one of them.
1:02.0	This summer during a sabbatical from Axios,
1:06.0	I walked nearly 80 miles along the Camino de Santiago from Biona,
1:10.0	Spain, ending at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
1:13.6	It's an ancient Christian pilgrimage
1:15.4	that's been meaningful for millions,
1:17.0	but anyone can do it.
1:18.9	And a growing number of Americans, including non-christians,
1:22.0	are taking up this pilgrimage for all sorts of reasons.
1:25.2	For me, in a year of transitions and change, this walk felt like a calling.
	...

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