The Godless Pilgrim: What I'm Doing and Why

Illustration by Arthur Rackham, 1867-1939 (image sourced from Prawny on Pixabay)

For those of you reading who are unaware, next Saturday, the 12^th September, my brother and I will begin walking the Pilgrims' Way to raise money for charity (there's a link at the end of the article if you would like to contribute). You may be even less aware of the context for the trip. Why this route? Why this charity? Why now? So, I'd like to take a moment to explain.

I had had the idea of walking a pilgrimage route for a long time, though it had been mostly focused on the Camino de Santiago (or St. James' Way) that stretches across southern France and northern Spain. The religiousness of the walk was never a consideration; I simply enjoyed the idea of walking a route that was fully planned out. Plus, its history and cultural significance was enough to keep me interested.

As I increasingly toyed with the idea, whilst simultaneously considering my exit from Hong Kong, I recalled there was another pilgrimage route in my home country: the Pilgrims' Way, in England. Part of the route went through my hometown, I remembered, though I had never seriously thought about it as a possible trek. It was a quirk of my area, worth pointing out but never worth thinking about.

But then, as my plans to leave Hong Kong became more concrete, I found I would have the time and space to explore new experiences once I returned home. The Pilgrims' Way seemed like it would be good practice before I undertook any longer treks in the future. The 500 miles of St. James' Way would need building up to; 138 miles from Winchester to Canterbury seemed simple by comparison.

At the same time, I was also occupied with thoughts of my next career choice. I wasn't satisfied with teaching (though I was good at it, according to those around me) and felt I needed to do something more impactful. Teaching was too small in scope – I wanted to do something that would make the world a better place. But I was affected by my time with children in Hong Kong. I listened to their problems and saw the effects of poor home lives on their personalities and wellbeing. The idea that children as young as 8 or 9 already felt burnt out or depressed was deeply concerning to me. Even worse was witnessing how some of the children literally did not yet have the vocabulary to accurately articulate themselves and their problems, which was eye-opening in the worst way possible. To know that adults around them were acting irresponsibly (or even dangerously) and personally lacking the power to do anything about it was deeply troubling. 

I hadn't considered charity work as a serious career. I was too preoccupied with trying to make something of my travel writing whilst enjoying the irresponsibilities that my twenties facilitated. But many things changed at the start of 2026. The world felt scarier, more unpredictable. It seemed that my own country was falling apart, and people were becoming divisive almost beyond the point of no return. I began to imagine watching a nuclear bomb explode outside the classroom window and wondering why I hadn't tried to prevent it happening – why I had instead crossed out incorrect capital letters and fixed grammatical errors for too many years and considered that enough. The systems of the world seemed broken and rigged to the advantage of the few. If anything was to be done to help people, it would have to be through systemic change – politics – or direct change – charity. As a result, I started to seriously entertain a hard turn in my life direction. I could use my skills to help the world. Maybe I could become a diplomat, or maybe I could join an NGO, maybe one that focuses on children's wellbeing. 

So, after I left my Cantonese home of four years, these twin thoughts had a hold on my mind: I wanted to walk a pilgrimage route, and I wanted to help people live happier lives. I found myself with the perfect moment to manifest those daydreams. If I have the time, why not go for a walk? If I'm going to go for a walk, why not raise money for a children's charity at the same time? 

I chose The Children's Society because of their mission and their association with the Church of England (which has obvious links to the Pilgrims' Way). They are a charity that supports vulnerable children and young adults struggling with child poverty, neglect, and exploitation among other things. They were also founded by Edward Rudolf, a young Sunday school teacher, who received backing from the Church of England and created "The Church of England Children's Society," now shortened to simply The Children's Society. They are doing great work to make sure that children across the UK are able to live safely and healthily, and I'm very thankful for the help they have already given in planning this walk.

Just like that, everything was lined up. And now, all of a sudden, on the 12^th September, my brother and I will walk the 138 miles of the Pilgrims' Way, across 15 days and three different counties, raising money for a great charity at the same time. The speed at which this has become a real event (and the fact we have already raised over £1000 as of writing) has caught me off guard, and I'm excited to see how it turns out. 

I'll be documenting the trip on here, writing about each day as it happens. I also plan, for the first time, to vlog my experience. Together I hope they give a full picture for you and anyone else following along. 

This could be the start of something new. Or, it could be a fun detour from job hunting. I guess we'll all find out together by the end of September. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to taking several hundred thousand small steps to help make things a little bit better.

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