It’s been 5 weeks since I left on pilgrimage to Europe. So far, I’ve visited 6 different places from the dry south of Spain (2 hour drive from Africa) to the glittering Mediterranean coast to valleys surrounded by snow peaked mountains in the northern Pyrenees. Out of these, the last place in the Basque Country felt most at home. When we first arrived, we were greeted by four donkeys, a small playful dog, an old affectionate cat, a friendly knowledgeable Scotsman, his gregarious Spanish girlfriend (whom I completely adored) and her lovely mom. We were soon invited over for dinner with homemade paella, wine and lots of laughter.

The Basque history is rich in mythology and ancient traditions. The landscape felt as if I stepped into an astral realm carpeted with wildflowers, blue rivers, waterfalls, hot springs, animal kin, and pre-historic sites. The veil felt thin and the dimension of the fairy folk just a glimmer away. I chose to do a report in a college anthropology class on the indigenous Basque people, with a desire to visit this place about a decade ago. Perhaps I was tuning into the soul-aligned magnetism of this magical land then - not knowing I’d be visiting it 10 years later.

Our last adventure was a nature expedition across fields sprinkled with white daisies, cows, mushrooms, and Neolithic dolmens. At the end of a wonderfully exhausting 3-mile journey to the top of a steep hill, we were blessed with an otherworldly picnic spot inside a circle of 4,000-year-old megalithic stones aligned with the summer solstice.

Words cannot describe the feeling of fulfillment and belonging felt deep in my blood and bones. Completely blissed out, I closed our mini pilgrimage with a heartfelt flower offering in the center of the circle infused with a prayer of gratitude. I left feeling graced by the Earth herself, passing through a threshold of initiation where the chapter in Spain ends and the next one begins - the land of the Gauls (modern day France). Confirming the gifts that are bestowed when we lean into fear of the unknown while surrendering further into the layers of the heart, trusting it to lead the way.