Wearing her Nia House bandana, Aria, 13 years old, hiked across northern Spain to the Santiago de Compostela cathedral.

This is a pilgrimage known as the Camino. 

By chance, within the same month, June 2026, another Nia House alumni separately walked the historic and revered Camino de Santiago! Oliver, 14 years old, walked with his grandmother.

A friend on the trail, Doug, bought an ice cream from Oliver and his grandmother. Once they got to talking, Doug shared that they were a day ahead of another Berkeley family. They weren’t behind just any Berkeley family, they were behind a NIA HOUSE FAMILY!

Here is what Aria and Oliver shared about the experience. 

Why did you decide to walk the Camino?

OLIVER: I decided to walk the Camino because my grandma and I had been talking about it for a long time, and I wanted to do an international trip and be with her. She wanted to walk the Camino, so we got to planning. My grandma has walked the Camino many times, so I thought it would be a good place to go. 

ARIA: I heard about it in a book and  it looked tough. 

How many miles did you walk?

OLIVER: 173 miles in 16 days

ARIA: 320 miles from Santander to Santiago de Compostela in 23 days. 

What surprised you the most?

OLIVER: The culture of the Camino was surprising. I was surprised that everybody was nice. Both the pilgrims and the people living along the Camino were all nice. Once, on the second day when my feet were hurting a lot after we had climbed a lot of elevation, I couldn’t go much farther. We asked an elderly couple when the next bus was going to come by, and they offered to drive us to our destination! Another time, we had just gone to the grocery store to pick up some dinner, but we couldn’t find anything. We saw someone with a bowl of salad, and we asked her where she got it. She said, “You can have it! I don’t  need it.” Even though we declined it, it was still a nice gesture. 

ARIA:  I didn’t think it would be that physically hard. 

What was the hardest part of the trip?

OLIVER: Some people would say the hardest part of the trip was the walking, but for me the hardest part was sleeping in albergues, which were full of other people who were snoring, setting alarms, and using their devices.

ARIA: The day we hiked a section of the original camino trail. It was a 2000 meters climb for about 5 miles and then we had 12 miles left to get to food and shelter. The other hardest part were two days they called the “ bone breakers” and hitch are very long and very steep. 

What was your favorite memory?

OLIVER: My favorite memory was definitely in Luarca (Asturias), staring out into the ocean, drinking kass de limon, and talking with my grandmother. It was the end of a long day and I was finally getting to sit back and relax. 

ARIA: The dogs we met along the way. A black dog with pointy ears, a kind Sheppard, a tiny puppy (and some cats). 

What did you learn about yourself?

OLIVER:I learned that in difficult situations, I can persevere. Even when my feet were hurting, I walked the extra mile, and I felt really gratified that I did at the end when I finished. 

ARIA: I learned I can walk up a mountain. Day after day. 

Was there a moment that changed your perspective?

OLIVER: When I was in Spain surrounded by people from other countries, I realized we’re really all in it together. Especially through watching the World Cup games, the opening matches of Spain v Saudi Arabia and Spain v Cabo Verde showed me that national pride is silly but also important. 

ARIA:  On top of those mountains I saw the world differently. And I met people from all over the world.

Would you do it again? Why or why not?

OLIVER: Yes! I am already planning my next one. It was a wonderful experience for me. Right now as I’m writing this, I’m wishing I was back there. 

ARIA:  Yes, because it was really cool. I would do the La Puy route starting in France. 

Did this experience inspire any future adventures?

OLIVER: It really showed me that being nice while traveling is the only way to get stuff accomplished. If you’re not nice to anybody, no one will be nice to you, and you’ll get nowhere. 

ARIA: Yeah I’d like to do it again sometime in the future. 

What advice would you give another thinking about walking the Camino?

OLIVER: The language barrier will be hard if you don’t speak Spanish, but there are plenty of people who speak English and apps like Google Translate will help. Make sure you’re ready for the physical challenge – don’t downplay that. For training, I walked around Berkeley with my hiking backpack filled, and I motivated myself by walking to a friend’s house or walking to get boba, etc. 

ARIA: Make sure you have the right shoes and bring lots of compede for blisters.