Learning to live without technology on the Camino de Santiago

We are so used to technology that I wondered if I could live without it.

But I did it, disconnecting during a month on the Saint James Way, an ancient pilgrimage route in Spain. The journey along the 470-mile (760-kilometer) trail allowed me to experience nature, lifted my spirits and reminded me how it feels to live without cellphones or other tech tools.

But while the ideal of a simple life without technology is seductive, the reality was complicated. Hiking without so much as a watch can make you feel insecure, stressed and fearful. And the use of technology by others at times made it impossible for me to avoid it. Read more...