Peaceful Heart Pilgrimage

04/08/2026

sometimes pilgrimage reveals what we wouldn’t expect to see, and sometimes pilgrimage takes us back to what we know deep in our bones.

I encountered a serow on the trail this past week. I’ve never seen one myself before, but have heard the lore that they bring good luck to those they show themselves to. I will remember that encounter for years to come… if not decades.

and now I’m tucked away in tiny coastal town for a few days of rest. pilgrimage also looks like accidentally reading 100 pages of fiction from the only English book at the local cafe. and a 2 hour bath listening to 2004 Arcade Fire.

Adventure can come in many forms, friends. may you feel Known and Loved as you find your next.

Michelle 🌸🌳⛩️📚🐐

04/06/2026

“3600 peaks of Kumano”… what a view. what a gift. happy girl. ⛰️🙏🏼🌳🌸⛩️💕

04/01/2026

What a fun week on the Kumano Kodo!

My heart is so full; reconnecting with past Peaceful Heart Pilgrims and meeting new friends. It is a gift to share Japan with you all! ⛩️🌳🌸🇯🇵🫶🥰

I’m in a short rest period before meeting my next group. Send your love to those who have just completed and those who are about to begin. Much to process from such an immersive walk! How lucky are we. 🥰

03/19/2026

The Camino de Santiago calls "ordinary" people to do an Extraordinary thing. 🌳💫

On paper, the Camino is walking, conversations, coffee, a Cathedral.

In practice, the experience is so much greater than the sum of its parts.

You can do this, friends. Those steps will change the way you see yourself, others, and the world.

Preparations for June are just getting underway. Preparations for September are just around the corner. Pilgrim-you is not a distant dream.

Let's ease in together and make this happen. 💪💕

Comment or message and I'll send you details. Xo, friends!

02/10/2026

February, March, April, May... JUNE!

This is my **happy face** to say that we are allllmmooossttt ready to begin our preparations for this Summer's walks!

The Camino is one of my favorite things to talk about. I got so many words for you. In our prep work we cover travel planning, physical training, packing, a bunch of nitty gritty logistics, and maybe even a few solid pep talks when those existential "WHY did I decide to do this?!" fears creep in (which they do).

These small groups are a *good* way to experience the Camino.

Walk with us. There is a big reward to this "yes". You are not alone.

-Michelle 💖💫🌳⛰️

01/30/2026

1 spot left!!

Kumano Kodo, Japan
April 2 - April 7, 2026 🌳🌸⛩️🏔️🇯🇵

12/12/2025

Cedar trees? cherry blossoms? onsen baths?

Yes please. I'm in. 🥾🌸🌳⛩️

Just a few spots remain for next Spring's walk on the Kumano Kodo in Japan. I took 2025 off from guiding this trek... my cells are *ready* to get back in those mountains. 🏔️💞

This one is tough to describe, friends. I remember saying once on the trail... "I feel like I'm in a storybook". Absolutely enchanting.

Come. Give yourself the gift of Immersion. Slowly traipse through Foreign Worlds. It would be a *true joy* to walk with you.

_____________________________

March 27 - April 1
April 2 - April 7

Pilgrimage is not reserved for the wealthy, the world traveler, or the ultra-athletic. Let's talk.

Payment plans starting at $150. 💞

edit to add: Past Pilgrims... say hi if you see this! feeling nostalgic for you all... mucho hugs! 💞💞💞

08/07/2025

Early August.

As a guide on the Camino de Santiago, I'm settled here at home... squarely between "the end" of our Summer walks and "the beginning" of the walks that will come this Fall.

My heart is in two places: reflecting and celebrating the beauty that was gained over ~270 miles (for me), and also anticipating WHAT IN THE WORLD could possibly come in the next ~270 miles.

If you follow along in my emails, you know that I learn soooooo much through my job, and through those that I walk with. I get to foster this experience for you - yes - but I think myyyyyyy rewards might be tenfold.

So, friends, a smattering of my favorite photos from June. You guys... my heart is so full. Still.

My peaceful heart to yours,
-Michelle 💖💫🌳🏔️

(September Pilgrims... your time is coming. Your sunrises, your sunsets... we're getting closer. I can't wait)

06/06/2025

Countdown to orientation: t-minus 20 minutes.

Our first group of 6 will start walking tomorrow morning and arrive in Santiago de Compostela in 1 week. I couldn’t be happier to be on my “home away from home” 🥰🥰 I couldn’t be happier to share it with 5 new friends.

More to come! Send us your love!

04/25/2025

I missed this live last Saturday morning, but *wow* it brought tears to my eyes when I caught it online 🥲🥲🥲

As people...
We know what it means to pray.
We know what it means to be in community.
We know what it means to enjoy a good meal.
We know what it means to be immersed in nature.

But its impossible to imagine - at home - that all day, everyday is spent like this on The Way.

Out there, peace doesn't come in 20 minute snippets between chaos. Peace is an overlay throughout the entire Adventure. It's a lifestyle. The whole thing is a spiritual practice.

Is it challenging out there on the Camino? Yes. But it is the type of challenge that we *choose* to face. And we're equipped to face. These challenges empower us. They don't break us down.

In this news clip, it was powerful for me to see something that I *so ferociously* believe in be presented for all of America. The Camino is one of the most welcoming, generous medicines that I know. CBS did a beautiful job.

May you have the courage, if it's on your heart. 💕

XO, friends,
-Michelle

For more than a thousand years, Christian pilgrims and those seeking self-reflection have embarked on the Camino de Santiago, a network of hiking routes through France, Portugal and Spain that all meet in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. The ancient tradition is finding new life in the 21...

04/04/2025

it's that time again, friends!!

preparation season is (almost) as juicy as pilgrimage itself. I'm so happy to be gearing up. 💖🌳👣💫💪

Camino Frances, final 100km
1 week, gentle terrain & ample amenities
June 6 - 12
September 6 - 12

Camino Primitivo, 200 miles
2 weeks, rural & 100% worth the challenge
June 17 - July 1
September 17 - October 1

payment plans in 5, 8, and 12 months. 💕

03/07/2025

Springgggg. The thaw. Rebirth. One step closer.

I received this link from a dear Pilgrim friend, and if you've got 26 minutes, I *highly* recommend.

Heart and Soul
Herve's Way: the story of a one-legged Pilgrim

A few of my favorite nuggets:

"The Camino - The Way - you have to learn to respect it. And to respect The Way you have to respect yourself. and respecting yourself means looking after yourself. You have to learn to deal with your wounds in order to keep going, in order to arrive at your destination, which is Santiago de Compostela"

"I'm starting to understand something about pilgrimages. They're not so much about discovering Great Truths as rediscovering Simple ones."

"What happens when you walk is that you eliminate the superficial and unnecessary, leaving you with the essential."

"Walking The Way you enter into a sort of contemplative bubble. You are concentrated on an aim: arriving in Santiago de Compostela. And all the worries you might have you don't think about them anymore. It simplifies your relations with other people, as well. Pilgrims are all equal. Class distinctions disappear. We've all got a pack on our backs and blisters on our feet. On The Way, the respect that we owe every single other person comes back to the surface. And that is extraordinary."

"The Way to Compostela is about rediscovering your Freedom. You are freed from the daily worries that you have at work or with your family or whatever. It is a gift that God offers us, that its up to us to take. That is what I did - taking the time when you owe nothing to anybody except to God."

The amputee who recovered his will to live walking a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.