And So I Walked: Reflections on Chance, Choice, and the Camino de Santiago

What compels someone to walk 500 miles?

For Anne Gardner, the Camino de Santiago was more than a pilgrimage—it was a journey of transformation. With humor, grit, and raw honesty, Gardner takes you along the sacred and soul-baring path that tested her strength, renewed her spirit, and reshaped her understanding of what it means to move forward.

Part vivid travelogue, part deeply personal memoir, And So I Walked invites you into an unforgettable adventure that explores resilience, faith, and the quiet revelations found in every step. Through breathtaking landscapes, candid encounters with fellow travelers, and moments of profound self-reflection, Gardner delivers a story that will inspire and move you.

“Some people say that 90 percent of life is showing up. With And So I Walked, Anne Gardner makes the case for something more: putting one foot in front of the other. Embedded in her vivid account of walking the 500-mile El Camino is the memoir of a life lived as resolutely and jubilantly as a painful slog on muddy trails opening to stunning vistas of northwestern Spain. If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to walk that far — or what might prompt someone to undertake such a journey — And So I Walked is the guidebook for you.” —Bill Mitchell, Publisher and President, National Catholic Reporter