DURING THE LAST MONTH OF SEASON 13, DREW INTERVIEWED VARIOUS “CAMINO GURUS” ON HIS RADIO SHOW IN PREPARATION FOR HIS JOURNEY. NOW THAT HE’S BACK, HE WANTS YOU TO MEET SOME OF THE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE HE MET ALONG “THE WAY”!
(We want YOU Emilio Estevez!)
March 25, 2017
CAMINO CONFESSIONS: Lisa Welchel – Blair from Facts Of Life, Certified Life Coach, 2016 Camino Pilgrim
www.contigolifecoach.com
www.lisawhelchel.com
“I am grateful to have played many roles in my lifetime (and some of them on screen). I discovered acting at the age of eight and proceeded to perform in musical theater for the next four years. At the age of twelve, I was chosen from a nationwide talent search for new Mouseketeers and moved to California to be on ‘The New Mickey Mouse Club.’ After taping 186 episodes, I spent the next couple of years filming a variety of movies (that went straight to video,) telefilms, and guest appearances on television shows. I spent the majority of the eighties as ‘Blair’ on ‘The Facts of Life.’ We filmed the last episode in March of ‘88. I got married in July of ‘88. Then had a child in ‘90, ‘91 and ‘92. (Obviously, Mrs. Garrett taught me the facts of life well). At that point, I left showbiz to be a stay-at-home wife and mother and that has been my favorite role yet.”
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March 11, 2017
CAMINO CONFESSIONS: Outi Hakkarainen
One of the many journeys Drew heard while he was walking 1000 KM’s on The Camino de Santiago in a vow of silence, was from a Finnish woman named Outi. One night at dinner, she shared her story of growing up with a mother who told Outi that she was worthless. That she would never grow up to be anything – to mean anything, to anyone. However, her older brother was spoiled with money and cars and loads of encouragement. This despite the fact that her brother was incredibly selfish and cruel. So cruel, that when Outi was 8 years old, he shot her in the eye with an air pistol, causing her to lose almost all of her vision in that eye. But Outi rose up out of those ashes of lies and became a nurse. Taking care of others was something she had learned to do at the age of 5 when her mother decided that she was old enough to take care of her 2 year old sister. Then, when this beautifully courageous woman began to have children of her own, she laid down her career and invested everything she could into their lives. Yet, even today, Outi has a hard time wondering why Drew would even bother to ask her to share her story on the radio. “Why would anyone want to hear my story? I’m nobody special.”
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February 25, 2017
CAMINO CONFESSIONS: Justin Skeesuck & Patrick Gray from I’ll Push You: A Heartfelt Film about 500 Miles, Two Best Friends & One Wheelchair
www.illpushyou.com
It All Started With Three Little Words. In the spring of 2012, Justin Skeesuck asked his best friend of nearly 40 years, Patrick Gray, to tackle the epic 500-mile pilgrimage across Northern Spain called the Camino de Santiago. The challenge? Justin lives life in a wheelchair. When asked, Patrick’s response was simple and direct, he said, “I’ll push you.” Two years later, they started their journey and had absolutely no idea how they would make the 500 miles from France to the Cathedral in Santiago; over several mountain ranges like the Pyrenees, through rivers, and across the vast “desert of Spain” called the Meseta… they just knew they had to get there. Justin and Patrick had to rely on the help and strength of friends, acquaintances and even complete strangers in order to navigate the many challenges they faced on their 34-day journey. Since returning from Spain, they have used their heartfelt storytelling to share the comical details of their journey… the joys, the struggles, the beautiful relationships, and the lessons they learned in faith, hope, love and friendship. Their goal with the film is for others to walk away recognizing each life is not defined by its limitations, but is defined by what is accomplished in spite of those limitations.
*Born just over 36 hours apart, Justin & Patrick are life-long friends with a rich, deep relationship that spans beyond 40 years. They travel together, live life together through its ups and downs, and most importantly, will do anything for each other. Over the past 20+ years, a progressive neuromuscular disease has slowly taken away Justin’s ability to use his arms and legs. From each morning until night, Justin requires daily assistance in every aspect of life such as eating, getting dressed, bathing and even using the restroom. Though immensely challenging, Justin continues to live life to the fullest and maintains a positive attitude through it all!
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February 18, 2017
CAMINO CONFESSIONS: Nico Kornhass
One of the most fascinating people Drew met during his 1000 KM pilgrimage on The Camino de Santiago was a German man named Nico. The first time he saw him, Drew thought Nico was drunk. So he did what Drew does best. He judged Nico and avoided him. Then this drunk man started talking with Drew and during the conversation, Drew discovered that the drunk man he judged wasn’t actually drunk. Nico has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). They said goodbye and Nico went on his way. Bothered by his unfair judgment, Drew chased Nico down on The Way and both of them walked the rest of the day together. Turns out that this Camino legend (who had to ask Drew to help do up his pants because his hands weren’t working properly) used to be a world champion kickboxer. Turns out Nico was a walking lesson plan for Drew.
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February 11, 2017
CAMINO CONFESSIONS: Nate & Faith Walter — Founders of The Pilgrim House Santiago
www.thesweetroad.com
www.pilgrimhousesantiago.com
The Camino can be more than just a walk. It can truly be a pilgrimage of the heart and soul. The Pilgrim House Welcome Center is a place for pilgrims to find respite from their walk and take time to reflect… reflect on their Camino, reflect on their life, reflect on what may lie ahead. They offer a safe place to explore and engage the deeper questions concerning the love and mystery of God, life, and our resilient frailty. This time of reflection is sacred and the Welcome Center’s purpose is to foster space (physical, mental, and spiritual) for this time. Nate & Faith, being pilgrims themselves, know that sometimes pilgrims just need a place in tune with the Camino spirit; a place where others, too, are exploring and wrestling with their thoughts and emotions. If you are seeking, searching, or just needing a moment of respite, you are welcome at The Pilgrim House. “Let us offer you a cup of coffee and a listening ear, or maybe just laundry and quiet place to be alone. Whatever your needs, our doors are open.”
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February 4, 2017
CAMINO CONFESSIONS: Lydia B. Smith — Director & Producer of Walking The Camino: Six Ways To Santiago
www.caminodocumentary.org
500 miles on foot. Bunk-beds. Blisters. Stunning landscapes. World-class snorers. Hot searing sun, freezing cold rain. Kindness from strangers. Debilitating injury. Unexpected romance. No toilet paper when you really need it. Profound grief and deep doubt. Hunger. Laughing with new friends. Total exhaustion. You are guaranteed to experience all of this when walking the ancient pilgrim path, the Camino de Santiago. Across Spain, this sacred path stretches westward to the city of Santiago de Compostela where the bones of the apostle St. James are said to be buried. The Camino is world-renowned; UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site and the Council of Europe declared it the first European Cultural Itinerary. Millions of people from all over the world have traveled this trail for over 1,000 years – in 2010 alone, over 270,000 people attempted the arduous trek – each one a seeker of something. In the Middle Ages, pilgrims sought forgiveness of their sins and admission to heaven. The Camino remains, for many, a quest of faith. Others begin with no spiritual impetus in mind, but nevertheless are drawn to examine their personal beliefs and life purpose. And others are in it simply for the intense physical challenge. Whatever their motivation, no one can predict just how their path will unfold, who they will meet, what personal demons or angels they will face, or what transformations they will undergo by the trail’s end. Walking the Camino is an up-close look at one of humanity’s most time-honored traditions. By following pilgrims from all walks of life as they attempt to cross an entire country on foot with only a backpack, a pair of boots and an open mind, we witness the Camino’s magnetic and miraculous power to change lives. Driven by an inexplicable calling and a grand sense of adventure, each pilgrim throws themselves heart-and-soul into their physical trek to Santiago and, most importantly, their personal journey to themselves.
*Drew ran into Lydia on The Camino and ended up becoming good pals as they walked together for a few days.
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January 28, 2017
CAMINO CONFESSIONS: John Brierley — Author of A Pilgrim’s Guide to Camino de Santiago
www.caminoguides.com
During Drew’s pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, he carried only one piece of reading material the entire way – John Brierley’s A Pilgrim’s Guide to Camino de Santiago. John is a former chartered surveyor and his Camino guides are world renowned as THE guides to take with you. The Camino is without question, John Brierley’s passion. “My calling to write the guidebooks came while walking in the silence of my own heart along the Camino. That is when I heard the still small voice within. I was left in no doubt that my life was to take a different direction! I am always happy to talk about all things Camino related. The Camino translates simply as the way and when capitalised refers to the Way of life which, after all is said and done, is a spiritual journey and doesn’t end in Santiago.”
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January 21, 2017
CAMINO CONFESSIONS
As most of you know, Drew recently walked over 1000 KM’s on an ancient pilgrimage called The Camino de Santiago (from France across Spain to the Atlantic) and spent three months in a vow of silence. Since he’s been back, Drew has been finding it hard to explain this enormously enlightening experience. So he’s decided to call up some of the pilgrims he met with along The Way (from Germany, Israel, Switzerland, Ireland & Spain) in order to help him figure out
WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED!
Pilgrim’s Part Line — Part 1 – The Oldies
Pilgrim’s Part Line — Part 2 – The Kids
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July 30, 2016
Andrew McCarthy – Director, Actor (St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty In Pink, Weekend At Bernie’s) Author of The Longest Way Home: One Man’s Quest for the Courage to Settle Down
www.andrewmccarthy.com
Andrew McCarthy is a director, an award winning travel writer, and—of course—an actor. He made his professional début at 19 in Class, and has appeared in dozens of films, including such iconic movies as Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, Less Then Zero, and cult favorites Weekend At Bernie’s and Mannequin. He has starred on Broadway and on television, most recently appearing in The Family, on ABC. McCarthy is also a highly regarded television director; having helmed Orange is the New Black, The Blacklist, Grace and Frankie, and many others. Simultaneously, McCarthy is an award winning travel writer. He is an editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler, and has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Travel+Leisure, AFAR, Men’s Journal, Bon Appetit, and many others. He has received six Lowell Thomas awards, and been named Travel Journalist of the Year by The Society of American Travel Writers. His travel memoir, THE LONGEST WAY HOME, became a New York Times Best Seller, and the Financial Times of London named it one of the Best Books of the year. His debut novel, JUST FLY AWAY, will be published in the spring of 2017.
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Robert Ward — Author of All The Good Pilgrims: Tales of the Camino de Santiago
www.robertward.ca
From his first journey along the Camino de Santiago, Robert Ward fell in love with the landscape, history, art and romance of this old pilgrimage path. Above all, he fell in love with the people of the Camino, both the welcoming Spaniards and the steadfast pilgrims who come from all over the world to discover what it means to travel five hundred miles, one step at a time. In All the Good Pilgrims, Ward returns for a fifth trip along the Camino, sharing the way with a Canterbury Tales cast of characters – a wizard from Brazil, a Bavarian Buddha, a repentant French legionnaire, a hard-drinking Quixote in a wheelchair, Our Lady of the Bundle Buggy, Spice Pilgrims and Templars, and Saint James himself in the guise of a sturdy Dutchman. Ward thinks he knows what he’s getting into, but each day brings new lessons, encounters, questions, gifts and challenges, reminding him once again that it isn’t the pilgrim who walks the Camino – it’s the Camino that walks the pilgrim. *Robert Ward is a writer and traveller with a special interest in pilgrimages. He is also the author of Virgin Trails, an agnostic’s guide to the history and worship of the Virgin Mary. Robert’s freelance travel articles have appeared in newspapers including The Globe and Mail, The LA Times and The Chicago Tribune.
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July 23, 2016
Mony and Alberto
Authors of Walking For Peace: An Inner Journey
www.walkingforpeace.com
Mony Dojeiji (Canada) and Alberto Agraso (Spain) are award-winning authors, artists and pilgrims who have chosen to dedicate their life’s journey to the inner transformation, to awakening the sacred within and sharing its gifts with the world. They each walked the 800-kilometre Camino in northern Spain (where they met and fell in love) and later that same year, another 5000 kilometres from Rome to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage for peace that lasted 13 months and took them through 13 countries. “Our experiences form the basis of our belief that change begins within, and that action grounded in a consciousness of love is the most powerful elixir to heal all that is wounded in our world.”
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July 16, 2016
Sue Kenney
Barefoot Pilgrim, Author of My Camino & Confessions of a Pilgrim
www.suekenney.ca
Sue is a world class keynote speaker and expert pilgrim who has walked the Camino many times. Her first journey in 2001 was from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago, the English Route, the Portuguese Route and has walked to Finisterra and Muxia. She has led 12 groups, and has directed a documentary film about the Camino called Las Peregrinas and has written 2 books. She is renowned for her work as a storyteller, speaker, author, coach and workshop facilitator who uses the Camino as a metaphor for a life journey. Her best-selling book My Camino is development as a feature film and she co-wrote the screenplay. Her second book walking the Portuguese route is called Confessions of a Pilgrim. Sue has been recognized in Spain as someone who has had an effect on the increase of pilgrims from North America who are walking the Camino. She is also the inventor/designer of a new style of barefoot footwear called Barebottom Shoes that was pitched to the hit CBC TV show Dragons’ Den.
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July 9, 2016
Dr. George Greenia
Founder of the Institute for Pilgrimage Studies; Professor Emeritus of Hispanic Studies, Honorary Knight of Spain
www.wm.edu/sites/pilgrimage
George Greenia did his undergraduate work at Marquette University and PhD at the University of Michigan. He is a specialist in the languages, literatures and linguistics of medieval Spain and teaches courses on Spanish Language, Epic and Nationalism, Hispanic Folktales, and Love and Prostitution in Medieval Spain (not a how-to course!). He is co-founder of the Wm & Mary Program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies and founder of the Wm & Mary Institute for Pilgrimage Studies. His interest in world pilgrimage spans many times, territories and traditions and he is an authority on the legendary Camino de Santiago in northern Spain where he has trekked over 4,000 miles, half on bicycle, half on foot.
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Dr. Arthur Boers
Author of The Way is Made by Walking: A Pilgrimage Along the Camino de Santiago
www.arthurboers.com
Pilgrimage is a spiritual discipline not many consider. Aren’t the destinations far? Don’t they involve a lot of time and walking? Not too long ago, Arthur Boers wasn’t thinking about pilgrimage either. But he began to sense a deep call from God to walk the five-hundred-mile pilgrimage route known as Camino de Santiago, ending in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, at a cathedral that is said to hold the relics of the apostle James. In these pages he opens to us his incredible story of renewed spirituality springing from an old, old path walked by millions before him. It’s a story of learning to pray in new ways, embracing simplicity, forming community, living each day centered and focused, depending on God to provide. Joined by hundreds of others from all over the world, Boers points the way to deeper intimacy with God–a way made by walking in faith. *Dr. Boers was Associate Professor and RJ Bernardo Family Chair of Leadership at Tyndale University College & Seminary.
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July 2, 2016
Rebekah Scott
Big Fun in a Tiny Pueblo
Rebekah Scott, an acknowledged “Camino Busybody” was born in Pittsburgh, USA but now lives in Spain on The Camino. She grew up in a military family and moved 10 times in 15 years. Rebekah attended university and Anglican seminary, then worked in daily newspaper and magazine journalism for 22 years for a variety of US publications, specializing in travel, religion, and features. It was on a travel assignment in 1993 that she discovered the Camino de Santiago, (just as it was breaking on the North American consciousness), and fell in love with Spain. Rebekah returned to walk the 500-mile Camino Frances trail in 2001, and life was never the same afterward. She trained in Toronto to became a hospitalera (volunteer hostel host) in 2002, and finally dropped out of media, sold up, and moved to Spain in 2006. Since then she has lived and worked on the Camino at Peaceable Kingdom Spain, a house in a tiny pueblo that’s open to pilgrims and other wanderers on a donation basis. Rebekah also oversees an annual Camino litter pickup program and staffing at two pilgrim hostels. She keeps a popular blog (“Big Fun in a Tiny Pueblo”) and has written several Camino trail guides as well as “The Moorish Whore,” a best-selling historical novel (2012), and “Holy Year,” a new memoir, soon to be released.
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