Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture II

Pilgrimage is defined as a journey "to a sacred site or holy shrine located at some distance away from the pilgrim's place of residence and daily labor" (Turner, Turner 4). This demonstrates the difference between thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail  or Pacific Crest Trail and doing the doing a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. For the Camino de Santiago, it is a pilgrimage to the cathedral in spain but for the AT and PCT the only destination is the end point of the trail. The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage started out as a religious pilgrimage but it has now evolved into one of the most popular trails in the world. Some still do hike the trail but most go on the journey for personal reasons. Whether the destination is sacred/holy or not, I think that for any journey its best to be far away from your hometown. By doing so, it allows you to fully immerse yourself in the journey and get the most rewarding experience out of it.