When midlife crisis struck during the pandemic, J.F. Penn walked three ancient pilgrim routes alone—and found her way through the darkness.

In October 2020, standing on a footbridge over a swollen river in Bath, Jo contemplated following Virginia Woolf's path into the water.

Instead, she chose to walk.

Over three years, she undertook three solo pilgrimages: the Pilgrims' Way from London to Canterbury, St Cuthbert's Way from Scotland to Holy Island, and the Portuguese Coastal Route of the Camino de Santiago. Each journey became a step toward healing, transformation, and rediscovering meaning in midlife.

This is both her story and your guide.

Part memoir, part practical handbook, Pilgrimage weaves together personal narrative with actionable advice for anyone considering their own journey. Joanna shares the raw honesty of her struggles—facing fears, dealing with physical challenges, navigating spiritual questions—alongside detailed logistics, gear lists, and route information for each of the three ways.

What you'll find inside:

• Personal stories from walking 500+ miles across three ancient pilgrimage routes
• Practical preparation guides: choosing your route, training, packing, planning
• The realities of solo walking as a woman
• Spiritual preparation without religious dogma
• Daily routines of the pilgrim's way
• How to face hardship, loneliness, and physical challenges
• Insights on sacred places and glimpses of the divine
• Returning home and integrating pilgrimage into daily life
• Detailed appendices for the Pilgrims' Way, St Cuthbert's Way, and Camino Portugués
• Complete gear lists and bibliography
• Reflection questions for your own journey

Perfect for readers who loved:

• Cheryl Strayed's Wild (solo walking memoir and transformation)
• Raynor Winn's The Salt Path (walking, healing, and resilience)
• Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love (spiritual journey and midlife change)
• Katherine May's Wintering (finding meaning in difficult seasons)
• Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods (walking narrative with wisdom)
• Paulo Coelho's The Pilgrimage (spiritual transformation through walking)

This book is for you if:

• You're considering a pilgrimage but don't know where to start
• You're navigating midlife transition or crisis
• You're drawn to solo travel but feel hesitant
• You're seeking change, healing, or spiritual renewal
• You want practical pilgrimage advice from someone who's done it
• You're interested in walking the Pilgrims' Way, St Cuthbert's Way, or Camino
• You're exploring faith and spirituality outside traditional frameworks
• You need permission to take time for yourself and walk your own path

About pilgrimage: Pilgrimage has existed across cultures for millennia—a physical journey undertaken with spiritual intention. It's not about religion (though it can be). It's about creating space for transformation, marking transitions, seeking answers, or simply walking until the way becomes clear.

The three routes: The Pilgrims' Way winds through the English countryside from London to Canterbury, following the medieval path of pilgrims to the shrine of Thomas Becket. St Cuthbert's Way crosses the Scottish Borders to the tidal island of Lindisfarne, home to Celtic Christianity. The Camino de Santiago traces Portugal's Atlantic coast to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, where pilgrims have walked for over a thousand years.

Themes explored: Solo travel, midlife transformation, spiritual seeking, physical challenge, sacred places, walking meditation, return and integration, faith and doubt, healing through movement, finding meaning

Includes: Detailed appendices with accommodation lists, route notes, gear recommendations, and selected bibliography

"In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost." — Dante Alighieri

When you lose your way, sometimes you need to walk until you find it again.