I arrive at my next stop and spend the afternoon at the laundromat, trying to get rid of bed bugs. Yes, bed bugs! Then while laying on my bed at the hostel, Patrick, a solo traveler from the UK, comes in and sets his bedroll on the bunk above me. “How’s your day going?” he asks.

“I’ve got bed bugs,” I tell him. “I’ve spent the afternoon at the laundry mat trying to get rid of them. I feel like giving up and going home,” and I begin to cry.

Standing in front of my bed Patrick sweetly asks if he can hold my hand. “Yes,” I say. He lowers himself to the floor and sits cross-legged next to me, taking my hand. “Bed bugs are just a part of the Camino experience,” he says. He continues talking about life and its ups and downs. I don’t really remember just what else he said, I only know that he’s comforting and I stop crying. Later that evening, with one sentence, he unravels my Camino mystery. “You’re here to learn to fall in love with yourself again,” he tells me.