From Office Desk to Camino Trails – How Maggie Caffyn Changed Her Life
Margaret Caffyn Australian pilgrim and writer, tell us about her Camino journey, From pilgrim to student in Santiago. A journey that won’t end.
One day at work, Maggie decided enough was enough. Twenty years in the same job had drained her spirit, and she remembered reading about the Camino de Santiago decades earlier. With six months of leave available, she began to plan in secret – buying gear, booking flights, and preparing quietly. In April 2015, she set off from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, and by the end of her first Camino, she knew life would never be the same again.
A Sudden Awakening
For over 20 years, Maggie Caffyn sat behind the same office desk, in the same job, following the same routine. Then one day, she realized she couldn’t do it anymore. A long-forgotten memory resurfaced – a book she’d read years before about the Camino de Santiago. In that moment, the seed was planted.
The Leap to the Camino
With six months of long service leave saved, Maggie began quietly preparing for the walk of a lifetime. She bought her gear, booked flights, and told no one until her plan was locked in. In 2015, she arrived in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, staring up at the snowy Pyrenees and wondering if she could really make it to Santiago.
The first day was tough, but the Camino soon worked its magic – forging friendships, offering moments of deep reflection, and giving her the freedom to simply walk.
A New Life in Spain
Maggie’s journey didn’t end in Santiago. She returned for multiple Caminos, wrote two books, and, at age 64, moved to Santiago de Compostela to live as a student. Her story is a testament to the Camino’s power to not just change your perspective, but your entire life.
Maggie is an author, pilgrim, and adventurer whose bold decision to walk the Camino led her to a new chapter – and a new home – in Spain.