This text was finalized while listening to this music.
There are moments on the road when life invites you to slow down, pay attention, and smile at the unexpected.
While walking the Via Francigena to Rome a few weeks ago, one such moment arrived disguised as a disaster and ended as a lesson I’ll carry with me for a long time.
It started with one of those mornings: cold, rainy. The kind that tests your patience before breakfast. The hotel had missed the mark in more ways than one, so we set off in search of a better meal and a better mood.
But the morning took a turn: my fellow walker (it was a signature program) realized he had lost his passport, wallet, credit cards, everything! We searched thoroughly, backpacks turned inside out multiple times, and even returned to the hotel. Nothing.
And then, like in a story I’ve lived before (the famous “magic drone” moment, you can read about it here), I paused and asked the universe: “God, if you exist, this would be a great time to show up. Give me proof of concept.”
The backpack was wide open, empty… supposedly. I placed my hand on it and felt something thin, rectangular, familiar. “What is this?” I asked. “Nothing,” he replied. “It’s empty.” “Put your hand here.” He did. His eyes widened. Hidden between the inner layers of fabric… the passport!
We jumped, hugged, and laughed. The energy shifted. I said something from the heart: “Things can always get worse… but they can also get better.”
Fast forward a few days. We arrived in Rome, tired, fulfilled, and changed. Like on the Camino de Santiago, pilgrims walking the Via Francigena carry a passport to collect daily stamps. This little document becomes a sacred witness to your effort, your steps, your story. Except I had left mine at home.
Too many things on my mind before leaving Portugal, and my pilgrim passport didn’t make it into my backpack.
Disappointed? Yes. Defeated? No. Instead, I decided to collect stamps on a blank page in my personal journal. A creative workaround, hoping that maybe, just maybe, it would still count at the finish line.
We walked into St. Peter’s Basilica. A moment of stillness, of awe. Then, to the pilgrim office. My companion handed over his passport with all the stamps. I presented the journal page. The woman behind the desk looked puzzled. “We’ve never seen this before,” she said. I smiled. “We walked. Every day.”
After a moment of discussion with her colleagues, she returned: “We believe you. We will award your testimonium.”
Beautiful. But not over. “One last step,” she added. “We need your passport for identification.” And now, the story flipped.
I couldn’t find mine. I checked everything. Panic crept in. And then… my walking companion looked at me with the biggest smile, almost as if to say, now it’s your turn. From his pocket, he pulled my passport, tucked inside his own. We had placed them together the night before for check-in, and in my fatigue, I had forgotten to take mine back.
The woman at the counter shook her head, amazed. Two pilgrims, two lost-and-found passports, and more than a few life lessons.
So what’s the takeaway?
Maybe it’s this: The road is full of tests, but it’s also full of grace.
Sometimes, the proof we need isn’t about having everything under control. Sometimes, the journey reminds us: what we’re looking for may already be with us.
Trust is a currency that still works. And every now and then… a little faith is the passport.
What have we been doing?
Podcast
This month we had the pleasure of hosting Brad McLain. Brad McLain is the founder of Designing Transformative Experiences LLC. He is a social scientist interested in the nature and psychology of identity development, learning, and leadership, with over 20 years of experience working with organizations and leaders of all stripes. Brad is on the faculty of the University of Colorado at Boulder and serves as the Director of the Center for STEM Learning and Director of Corporate Research at the National Center for Women in Information Technology. Brad worked at NASA in the Space Shuttle Program and at NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research. He is also an accomplished filmmaker, having produced and directed three documentary features and dozens of short films. Brad lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his two children.
Come and join us on a walk with Brad, a beautiful human being 🌏
Full conversation HERE
+ About Brad – https://www.designingtransformativeexperiences.com/
Find Brad on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-mclain-563a637/
Walking Mentorship – https://walkingmentorship.com/
Are you ready to embark on one of our journeys?
If you think it is about time to take yourself for a walk, we invite you to join one of our carefully designed upcoming programs 👇
🔹 Parents & Kids – Coast of Galicia | Spain: [19-26 July] Start here
🔹 Destination You – via Francigena | Swiss Alps: [23-30 August 2025] Start here
🔹 Camino de Berobreo – Coastal Route | Spain: [6-13 September] Start here
🔹 Slow Down – Sardinia | Italy: [5-7 October] Start here
🔹 Year-End (Walking Mentorship Alumni only) – Algarve | Portugal: [11-14 December] Start here
In the meantime, keep walking with us 🚶♂️ changing the world one person at a time, one step at a time.
How can we walk together?
Walking Mentorship is a labor of love that helps you gain deeper insight and equips you to create a meaningful impact on your life and those around you. How can we work together? We keep things simple by offering, Individual, Group and Corporate programs. Find the best fit for you and book a call with one of our mentors. Until then, keep walking with me,
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