My Camino – Things I Learned Walking with Our Grandson

A life-changing journey of connection, memory, and generational wisdom.

Walking the Camino is a life-changing experience. Everyone’s Camino is unique to them, yet there is a common bond that unites almost all those who make the effort.

Two pleasing comments have been made repeatedly about My Camino by those who have read it.

For those who have made the trek themselves, the book reawakens feelings that never truly disappear. The most frequent remark is: “It made me feel like I was there again. All those vivid memories flooded back.”

For those who haven’t walked the Camino—or may never do so—the recurring response is just as meaningful: “I felt like I was making the journey alongside you and Jacob.”

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The Bond Between Generations

There is no doubt: Jacob is the star of this book—the rightful focus, just as he was for the adventure itself.

I never knew my grandfathers. Both died prematurely from causes that would likely be treatable today. I didn’t really know my father either—not in the way Jacob has come to know me. That is my gift to him.

In return, Jacob gave me the chance to understand a very different generation from my own. This trip wasn’t about generational divides. We didn’t separate into age groups. We shared over a thousand hours, a million steps, every meal, every bunkbed.

We shared our frustrations. We laughed together—and sometimes at each other.

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An Invitation to Connect

As a reader, I hope you find some joy in the stories I share. These are just a few meaningful moments from a deeper adventure. What I truly hope is that this personal record inspires you to build your own connection across generations.

That possibility—that hope—motivated every one of the million steps we took together.

I have five other amazing grandchildren. What I learned walking the Camino with Jacob will help me grow closer with each of them as well.

—Fred Dawkins