A Sarnia resident will soon embark on the Camino De Santiago as part of a spiritual journey whilst raising money for the Inn of the Good Shepherd.
Manuel Spiller, 35, will arrive in Spain on May 16 and will begin an 800 kilometre trek the very next day.
The pilgrimage route is known for helping people find or invoke change in their personal lives.
Spiller has done a lot of research ahead of this trip and said the walk essentially falls into three stages: physical demand, spiritual realization, and social building with others on the same journey.
"As cliché as it sounds, it's mostly about figuring out who I am and how I got to where I am and what kind of things happened in my life to lead me here," he said. "In regular life, I don't really have the opportunities to think much about those things and really focus on them."
Spiller walked about 250 km of the trail in 2018 with his wife and children but the experience left something to be desired.
"Walking it with the kids was a very different experience than you would have alone because it becomes a lot more logistical where you have to worry about beds, where to stop, and how to carry things for four people, and it's more about looking after the kids than really focusing on yourself and focusing on the walk," he said. "I wanted the experience the people around me had as well, at some point."
Now, Spiller has time in his schedule for this one-month journey. He's expected to be in the finishing city by June 18.
Spiller said as someone who likes to make the most out of experiences, he wanted to partner with the Inn of the Good Shepherd to raise money for those experiencing poverty and/or homelessness.
He said the walk is by no means like being homeless because he will have a security net to fall back on but it does show a minimalistic and simplistic way of living.
"That kind of thinking got me to the Inn and how a lot of people live kind of minimalistic but not by choice," Spiller said.
Donations for "Camino for a Cause" can be made online.
For those who donated a minimum of $5, Spiller will read prayers or messages along the trail and place up to 10 toonie-sized pebbles with written messages at the Cruz de Ferro, also known as "the Iron Cross."
The Cruz de Ferro is said to be a spiritual spot to release one's thoughts and burdens.
Spiller will be sharing details about his journey on a weekly basis with the Inn of the Good Shepherd and those will be shared through the Inn's newsletters.