The Camino: How a Pilgrimage Can Change Your Life Pt 2 Ep 141 | Guest: Kirsten Rudberg

In this episode of the Evolving Humans podcast, host Julia Marie interviews Kirsten Rudberg, a creative, author, and pantheist who shares her transformative experience walking the Camino.

Kirsten discusses the physical and spiritual journey of the Camino, describing it as a feast for the eyes and food for the soul.

She shares her insights and lessons from the pilgrimage, emphasizing the beauty of the world and the importance of stepping out of ordinary life to observe and witness it.

Rudberg also discusses her spiritual journey, describing herself as open, curious, hopeful, cantankerous, excited, and committed.

She shares her greatest spiritual lesson, which is the realization that she knows nothing, and her concept of higher wisdom as endless, eternal patience.

Rudberg ends the conversation by encouraging hope and inclusivity in the world, despite the competing voices and challenges.

She invites listeners to connect with her through her podcast and website.

Many thanks to Pixabay's Juan Sanchez touch and sound 113676-420 for the music bed for this episode.

RESOURCES:

Kirsten Rudberg's Website

Thank you for listening to Evolving Humans!

For consultations or classes, please visit my website: www.JuliaMarie.us

Evolving Humans with Julia Marie is now on YouTube, and will offer more than the podcast episodes there, so give us a "SUBSCRIBE"!

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You can find my book, Signals from My Soul: A Spiritual Memoir of Awakening here:

https://tinyurl.com/Book-Signals-from-My-Soul

Transcript

This transcript was created using ai, and therefore may contain some errors.
Julia Marie (00:00):
I've always wanted to talk with someone who's walked the Camino in part two of my conversation with Kirsten Rudberg, I get that chance. Welcome to Evolving Humans, the podcast for Awakening Souls. I'm your host, Julia Marie. Settle in and get ready for another spirited conversation. Kirsten Rudberg joins us
today. She's a creative and an author with an animated series on YouTube called Murder of Two, about two crows who sit on a line and observe humanity. She is a pantheist and believes that magic and miracles are real and potent. She received her master's in Divinity in 2020 and hosts the popular podcast Bite-sized
Blessings. She has an inspiring story, and I can't wait for you to hear it. Welcome to Evolving Humans.
Kirsten,
Kirsten Rudberg (01:14):
Thank you so much for having me on. I'm really excited to continue our conversation.
Julia Marie (01:19):
First of all, for those that aren't familiar with it, can you talk about the Camino, where it is, how many miles, how long it normally takes, and then I want to know how did you find yourself walking the Camino?
Kirsten Rudberg (01:34):
Yeah, so the Camino is an ancient pilgrimage route in Europe, and I think at last count there were 15 different routes to St. James in Santiago. I mean, you could walk the Barcelona coastal route, you could walk from Italy, you could walk from Switzerland. So it's all these roots that pilgrims would take of the
Catholic church to demonstrate their faith for their God. And a thousand years ago, this wasn't really a safe bed. It didn't mean that when you walked, you were going to get there alive. So kind of dangerous.
You were taking your life in your own hands. But now, of course, I mean we have all these different routes. It's much safer and they have different routes. Like the Lapu route, which is the one that tens of thousands of people do a year is known as the party route because you can go and have a glass of wine,
one mile, go another mile and drink a coffee, and it's a really incredible way to meet lots and lots of people.
(02:37):
But if you're looking for contemplative and more relaxing, more or less type of hike or walk, you can do the one that I did where I started from arl, which is not how you say it. In France, I learned that because everybody asked where I started. Nobody could understand me, and I'd have to point on a map and I
would say, oh, so that's how you actually say it. So I started from there and I picked the route because it was known for the solitude, very, very lonely, but also it's physically arduous. And I thought, I'm not even religious. I'm doing this because Spirit told me to do this. I'm going to do it with integrity and with the
intention of actually getting something from the experience because I'm being called to do it. So I don't want to do the party route. And the Camino's kind of been discovered in the time since I did it, and it's kind of become a thing.
(03:42):
But yes, so how I walked it, a dear, dear friend, my dear friend that I met my first job out of college, nobody would hire me. I got put as a temp at this strange little business in Skokie, Illinois. And after three months, they said, oh, this VP wants to hire you for potential full-time position. And I thought, oh my goodness, exciting. And this was the first time this has ever happened to me. I didn't know her. I walked into the room and the second our eyes met each other, this feeling of being home came over me and I thought, oh my God, there you are. I've been looking for you or my whole life, what I don't believe in this, what is happening? And so my dear friend Linda, and we became the best of friends. I did work for
her, but we just shared a friendship that was amazing.
(04:36):
And after she retired, she got this really rare form of Parkinson's where she was diagnosed and died within five years. And she luck me a little money in her will, which I wasn't expecting at all. She lived in Florida at the time. And so I was mourning the loss of her. I mean, my heart was broken and my partner at
the time, and I went to a feast day outside of Oregon at Our Lady of Guadalupe, a monastery. And the woman sitting next to me at this monastery was the carbon copy of Linda from her hair to her jewelry, everything. It was eerie. I remember thinking, I'm a little weirded out because she reminds me of Linda so
much. And so I walked out after we were eating, and I end up talking to this woman and she's a Presbyterian pastor, and she said, oh yeah, I think next spring I'm going to walk the Camino.
(05:27):
And I thought, what's that? I don't even know what that is. And my partner who is Catholic, said, oh, it's this walk. And he starts explaining it to me. So Christmas, he gave me some kind of Camino guides, guides to walking the Camino. And I thought, oh, that's interesting. I mean, it's interesting. I mean, I guess it's a lot of work, but I'm not going to do, I mean, I don't know why you gave me these, but cool, thanks. And then a few months later, a dear friend said, oh my gosh, I watched the best movie. I'm going to send it to you. And this was in the day of DVDs. DVDs. So I open the package and it's this movie called The Way with Martin Short and Emilio Estevez, and it's about the Camino. And I thought, oh,
that's odd. I watch it. And I thought, oh, I like that.
(06:13):
I mean, it's nice. It's a nice movie. It's sweet. It's nice. Thanks. Thank you for thinking of me. Thanks. I really appreciate it. And then a few months after that, I was at the acupuncture acupuncturist and he said, oh gosh, my mom walked the Camino and she broke her ankle after 300 miles and blah, blah, blah. And
I'm like, how does everybody know about this except me? What is going on? And then a few months after that, okay, listen, this is how ridiculous I am. A dear friend that lived on the Oregon coast called me and said, Hey, I'm cleaning up my mom's study from decades of paperwork. She had been moved into an Alzheimer's care unit. And she said, I came across this pamphlet that I think you should have. I'm just feeling this feeling that I'm supposed to mail it to you. And I was like, what?
(07:05):
Okay, that's weird. But sure. So I get the envelope and I open it, and it's a travel guide for the Camino from the 1960s, 1960s. And so whenever I'm resistant or not wanting to hear what's going on, I pull a tarot card and I pulled a tarot card and it said, you've not been listening to the messages we've been sending you. And I flopped down on my bed, and I looked up at the sky as one does, and I said, you've
got to be beep, beep, beep, beep, kidding me, because I have a full-time job. I don't do this. What are you talking about? I'm not religious, by the way, and this is the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. And so I weighed it back and forth, what does this look like, leaving my home, leaving my job, all this stuff.
And so after a couple of weeks, I thought, I guess I'm going to do this.
(08:03):
And then the second I made that decision, every single obstacle that I was there was gone. Someone said, oh, I'll stay in your house and look after your animals. Someone else said, oh, I'll do this for you. I'll do that for you. I'll do this for you. And it was like the easiest thing. So I drove across the us, left my car in
Miami, took a ship to Barcelona, and then took three trains to Southern France. And I started walking, and I ended up doing about 500 miles, ended up on the side of a cliff in Spain. And they say not to walk in June or July, just because it gets so hot. I was like, oh, I'll be fine. It's the coast. What are they talking
about? They don't know. And I ended up getting so dehydrated. I hadn't gone to the bathroom for several days, and I was crawling up the side of this cliff in this wooded area with my backpack, and I just had the moment, I call it, the moment where you're broken open, you're just shattered.
(09:08):
And I howled out into the wilderness. I mean, I was like, is anyone else around? I really hope no one heard that. That was totally humiliating and embarrassing. But yeah, it broke me open. And then after I was done howling, I thought, oh my gosh, I totally, okay, I'm done. This is what I came here for. I just
had this really distinct knowing that I had done what I was supposed to do. And so then I went and I laid in a hotel for a week trying to rehydrate, and then I took a ferry to England and visited Cornwall for three weeks, which was magnificent. And then I took the Queen Mary back to the States. So yeah.
Julia Marie (09:56):
So just out of curiosity, what does a typical day, if any day on the Camino could be typical? What does a day on the Camino look like?
Kirsten Rudberg (10:09):
That's such a good question because I walked mostly through France, so I'm just going to say typical day looks like eating 20 chocolate croissants. No, that's not true, but it is sort of true. You're just surrounded by incredible pastries, incredible food. And what you do do is you go to these things in the morning and
stuff them in your pack. So you have food while you're walking all day. And I said, it's the best diet in the universe because I lost 20 pounds while eating baguettes and sandwiches and French pastries. It's the best diet ever. Now, all that being said, it is arduous. And when I walked, Franz had the worst weather they'd
had 90 years. So it snowed and hailed on me in May. I mean, it rained almost the entire time I did the Camino, which was another reason most people quit. So I was alone for a lot of it.
(11:01):
I didn't speak the French language, but basically you want to talk about ease. You get up, you brush your teeth, you have some breakfast put on your pack, and you walk and you have your guidebook. You make sure that you don't get lost, you get to where you are meeting. And I always had little angels that sometimes helped me find a place to stay. I mean, I was so lucky. Someone would always step in and
make sure that I was safe. And so at night, rinse, repeat, brush your teeth, eat some dinner, go to bed. And it's such a contemplative and incredible way of life because everything is removed from you, all the cares and concerns, everything except the journey and the walking. I did bring a music player so I could listen
to some music every once in a while. And to be honest, when it was raining and gloomy all the time, I would come upon these really tiny villages in the middle of France, and the one thing that was always open was the church.
(11:57):
And so I would walk into this ancient church, which most of the time is pretty small, and it would be lit by candles. That would be it. And you could hear the storm outside or the rain. And I would spend half an hour in there just trying to get my bearings because there's only so much cold and wet a person can take.
And I would look at the gorgeous art and read the history, and I would just rest. So there are moments of just really gorgeous, beautiful communion and solitude with the divine and all these other spaces plus nature. I mean, I haven't even talked about how amazing it is to climb a hill slash mountain that you think
isn't going to be that bad. And then when you get to the top, you're like, thank goodness that's over. And then you have the most incredible view of your entire life or the fields of flowers that I sat in or seeing a very old church on the next hillside that's framed by trees. I mean, it was such a feast for the eyes, and
there was so much beauty that I can't even do it justice. I can't do it justice,
Julia Marie (13:05):
Feast for the eyes and food for the soul. It sounds like it feels like that whole time, yes, you lost a lot of weight, but it feels to me like you were fed in some really important ways. You got provisions for your longer journey from walking that Camino. What were some of the lessons or the insights that you
received from the Camino?
Kirsten Rudberg (13:35):
Well, one of them was
(13:39):
That I should listen to spirit and not be so stubborn. I mean, I am a little bit of a jerk. I'm just going to say that right out front, a jerk. And honestly, I did not know what to expect with this Camino, but I ended up having this movie version of the Camino. It wasn't even right. What I experienced, and I've explained it as
kind of time out of time, there was a sense that I was in some sort of hallowed gorgeous other world, other worldly space where I felt taken care of, witnessed seen and held. And so when I came back to the states, I to step out of that state, and that was also super distressing, but I learned I can do hard things, that
I should listen to spirit, that strangers really do want to help, they do want to help. And I had multiple instances of that, but also that this world is a beautiful space and place.
(14:42):
It really is. And I had to step out of my ordinary life to walk this journey, which put me in a place where I could observe and witness and become part of the landscape. I was just another pilgrim walking where probably hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have gone before, and I had no idea why I was doing it,
unlike all those other pilgrims. But I was following a path that was already made holy, and I was captured up. I was caught up in that holiness, and I got to witness it almost every single day, even when it was raining. Even when it was raining,
Julia Marie (15:24):
Makes a person just want to pause for a moment and breathe that in. So why, if at all, would you recommend a pilgrimage like this for other people?
Kirsten Rudberg (15:39):
Oh, gosh. I have also reflected on this, and I think there are different pilgrimages for different people.
And so it doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to walk the Camino. That's not what it means. But I've understood since those days of walking that maybe you're called to move to another city and upend your life and create yourself a new, maybe you're called to start a job that scares you. It's like a pilgrimage
of the heart. So what is going to kind of change you and shift your worldview and put you maybe in a potentially uncomfortable position, one that feels really edgy, like you're a little scared, but ultimately put you back on right path? And I think about that all the time. I think about right path all the time. Those are
the words I use right path, because I do think each of us is expected to show up for different events in our lives.
(16:42):
I believe in both free will and fate. So if you show up for those events, you find your right path. That's a pilgrimage as well. It's a sojourn and it's a journey from ordinary life where you're showing up for the ancestors for that great spirit, for whatever wild energy illuminates this universe. And I think the more
you do that, the more you listen and you show up, the more those energies, those little creatures behind the scenes, they want to work with you. They know that you'll be a co-conspirator with them, which is super exciting. Who doesn't want to bring more beauty in the world or show up for other people or lift
other people up or live an authentic life? Who doesn't want to do that? I'm sure there are some people out there, but not me. So I hope that answered any part of your question.
Julia Marie (17:37):
Yes, and that's a conspiracy theory that I am happy to be a part of, frankly. I mean, I've been a part of that conspiracy theory for almost 30 years. So let's just put it out there. Let's conspire to create more beauty in the world.
Kirsten Rudberg (17:53):
Two thumbs up.
Julia Marie (17:54):
Well, you've been very generous with your time and your wisdom today. And before we tell the people how they can find you, I have five final questions I'd like to ask all my guests. So are you ready for that?
Kirsten Rudberg (18:09):
Indubitably,
Julia Marie (18:11):
Three words to describe yourself.
Kirsten Rudberg (18:15):
Open, curious, and hopeful.
Julia Marie (18:20):
How about three words to describe your spiritual journey?
Kirsten Rudberg (18:25):
Cantankerous, excited and committed.
Julia Marie (18:34):
What's been your greatest spiritual lesson?
Kirsten Rudberg (18:37):
That I know nothing. I know nothing, and I'm quite happy with that. But it has been I should get a humility award like most humble, because I've really had to understand and truly comprehend that I know nothing. Yeah.
Julia Marie (19:01):
Well, and also of myself. I am nothing. So there's that too. Well, so what's your concept of higher wisdom at a universe or God, whatever you want to call that?
Kirsten Rudberg (19:14):
Patience. Endless eternal patience. Because I can just imagine as they're witnessing us or watching all the shenanigans we get up to here, they're just shaking their heads and thinking, oh dear, oh dear. But at the
same time, they have their fingers crossed behind their backs thinking they're going to get it right. We just need to give them time.
Julia Marie (19:42):
Maybe this time,
Kirsten Rudberg (19:44):
Maybe this time, yes.
Julia Marie (19:47):
So what's your final message that you might have for the evolving humans community?
Kirsten Rudberg (19:53):
Oh gosh. I think I'd love to bring in inclusivity and welcoming everyone to the table. But I think what I'm going to say is hope, just because our world is so, I don't know, I don't want to say hopeless, but fraught right now. And so filled with competing voices, shouting to make themselves heard, and maybe not
saying the nicest things and insulting other humans or people feeling like they have the last word on something. And that can really deflate a soul. It can really make someone feel down about what's going on in the world. And so what I would like to offer is hope that there are so many more splendid and
radiant and beautiful humans out there that want to make this world a more gorgeous place. We just have to find them and all band together.
Julia Marie (20:47):
Well, and I always like to remind myself it's always darkest before the dawn. Now please tell the people
how they can connect with you.
Kirsten Rudberg (20:57):
Oh, sure. So I have a podcast called Bite-sized Blessings, and it's BYTE. And all of that is to say that my website is bite-sized blessings.com, just so that everyone gets the spelling. But on my website, you can find out about my podcast. You can find out about my animated series. There's a link to YouTube. You
can also discover my books because rewriting the Peter Rabbit book series, and there's alsos of other fun stuff that can introduce you to who I am as a human being on that website.
Julia Marie (21:29):
Well, once again, thank you so much for being a part of this animated conversation today. I enjoyed myself very much.
Kirsten Rudberg (21:39):
Me too. I just loved every minute, so thank you for having me on.
Julia Marie (21:44):
Well, that's our time for today to every person listening now, thank you for continuing to support this podcast. If you found value in this episode, please share it with two other people so that together we can bring more light to this world. If you want to leave me a message now, you can. If you click the link in
the show notes, you can leave me a text. And now here's a quote for you to ponder as you go about your day: Walk slow. Don't rush. The place you have to reach is yourself. Jose Ortega