On my healing journey to discover my purpose in life, my soul guided me to walk the ancient 2,000 + km Via Francigena Pilgrimage route from Canterbury in England finishing at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

I completed the journey over 84 days with only 7 rest days. I walked almost the entire way alone through 4 countries , over the Alps and the Apennines, enduring sunburn, thunder storms, snow storms, lot of rain and mud. I lost my way many times and I found it.

What I didn’t know then but understand clearly now is that I was reclaiming and building my own internal maps of safety.

Walking out into a new landscape and arriving into a new town every day, I built my ability to not just be in the unknown but thrive in it, without fear.

The Path You Make

A woman’s search for purpose walking the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome

“We don’t always make our best decisions when we are panicked. I was desperate, and as I couldn’t answer the question for myself about what I wanted to do, I hoped someone else would answer it for me. The thing was that I didn’t want anyone else to tell me what I was good at; I wanted to know what my heart wanted to do. What could I do that would bring me alive every day, using my gifts and abilities to make a real difference in the world?”

Unhappy in her job and uncertain of her purpose, Australian woman Kym Wilson makes an unexpected decision to leave behind her life in Melbourne and walk the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrim route that leads from Canterbury in England to St Peter’s Square in Rome.

Over the 2000-kilometre journey, Kym confronts difficult terrain, exhaustion and pain, fierce weather, snarling dogs, and mud that clumps and clings to her boots. Despite these challenges, she remains true to her quest to understand what her heart truly desires.

Kym’s story reminds us that the paths we take may lead us to places we never imagined and that the answers we seek are deep within us, if only we can learn how to find them.

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Reviews

  • "Kym takes the reader on an extraordinary walking journey. This deep dive into the outer edges of traditional comfort zones is a liberating experience. It feels like you are in her shoes, head, and heart.”

    Kurt Koontz, Author of A Million Steps and Practice

  • “Through her vivid descriptions, I could not only visualize the outer terrain she was walking but, more importantly for me, the inner terrain she was also navigating: the fears, the doubts, the insecurities… all those elements that make this kind of undertaking a quest of the spirit, an attempt through pilgrimage to answer the big questions of one’s life and bring meaning to one’s existence. I appreciated her willingness to speak from the heart and share both the tribulations and triumphs – and everything in between – of her remarkable journey.”

    Mony Dojeiji, Pilgrim and Award-winning Author

  • "Her vivid descriptions of what she sees and experiences read like poetry. As she shares her cries and her highs, one feels like they are right there with her. Feminine to the core, Kym is no wimp: she has grit. And if you stick with her, you will be rewarded with a refreshing experience of adventure, as well as a grappling with purpose, meaning and even the pleasures of life in its most basic and raw forms.”

    “Pilgrim George” Walter, Author of The 40 Thousand Mile Man

  • "I find it really hard to put into words why this book moved me so much, but when I read it I was in a state of flux in my own life, and Kym brought me right along with her on this journey. I just do not have the opportunity to take myself on a physical actual pilgrimage, but reading this book took me on a spiritual, mental and emotional one. I would never have had such an insight into journeying in this way, and the resilience of keeping going, and moving way beyond any and all perceived and physical limits. It is lyrical in a poetic kind of way which helps you experience the book rather than simply learn facts. I think this is a great book to read whether you plan on actually walking a pilgrimage route yourself or not."

    Angela Heather, UK

  • "'The Path You Make' is a very honest account, and Kym Wilson shares her joys and griefs with the reader in a way that just makes you feel you've come across a gem of an author - and a very brave woman."

    Oliver Fuhrer, Germany

  • "Thank you Kym for sharing your journey with such honesty and mindfulness. Your story has given me courage to pursue my dream without limits."

    Diana Schulz, Australia

Buy now on Amazon

Available as paperback or kindle edition.

Also available from other Amazon country sites. Please check the Amazon site for your country of residence.

Don’t want to purchase through Amazon?

Australian residents can purchase a paperback copy directly from me for $32 including postage. Just complete the form below to order your copy.