Dear Supporters!

I would like to share with you a story about my recent years, about deep pain and loss, about persistent struggles, and about the dream that now gives me the greatest hope and motivation in my life: the El Camino pilgrimage.

The past five years have been incredibly tough. My alcohol problems unfortunately dragged me into a downward spiral, leading to heart-wrenching losses. I lost my father to suicide, and a month later my grandmother also passed away from illness, due to complications from COVID. Barely a year later, my best childhood friend also took his own life. These successive tragedies brought me to rock bottom, both mentally and physically.

Fortunately, however, I reached a point where I had to make a decision, and I chose change. I went to a six-month rehabilitation centre, and since then I have been attending therapy sessions and support groups regularly to maintain my sobriety. I can proudly say that I haven’t had a single sip of alcohol for over a year. It’s a huge struggle, and it’s worth it every day, but the shadows of the past still follow me.

My alcohol use led to severe anxiety, panic disorder and depression, for which I took mood stabilisers, antidepressants and sedatives for a long time. I am pleased to report that I stopped taking these medications a year ago, which is also a huge step on the road to recovery. However, the anxiety and the emotional burden caused by the illness have not completely disappeared. Although the support groups and therapies help me to stay off alcohol, I am still searching for inner peace and a new direction in my life.

My life has not yet fully returned to normal. I worked at one place for 12 years, where I worked my way up step by step. I started as a cleaner in 2014, then managed to move into an office role, and worked at a good workplace for a long time, a total of 12 years. However, I lost this job too because of my alcohol problems, which is why I am now in a very difficult situation. Due to my heart condition, I have a reduced capacity for work, which makes it extremely difficult to look for a job and to find my place in the world of work again. At the moment, I am living solely on my disability pension, which means my financial situation is extremely tight and I have no way of saving.

For me, El Camino is much more than just a journey. It is a profound spiritual journey, a healing process, and a path towards inner peace and a deeper understanding of myself. I have a profound spiritual need for this journey. I feel that by walking this ancient path step by step, kilometre by kilometre, I will be able to come to terms with my losses, strengthen my sobriety, release my anxieties, and get to know myself even better. I want to know which direction I can take in difficult times so that I do not lose my way in life again. I am 34 years old, and I do not want to relive the past five years that are now behind me. I want to bring about the best possible change within myself as soon as possible, and this journey is essential for that.

I have identified a journey of around 30 days, for which I require significant financial assistance. Given my current financial situation, this sum is beyond my means.

That is why I am turning to you, the community, with humility and hope in my heart. I am asking for your help so that I can make it to El Camino. Even the smallest contribution would be a huge step towards making this dream a reality and enabling me to undertake this critically important journey towards my full recovery and a better quality of life.

I would use the funds raised exclusively for my travel expenses (flight/bus tickets), accommodation in albergues (pilgrim hostels) and basic meals during the journey.

I am deeply grateful for every donation, every share, and every word of encouragement. I owe a special thank you to every donor, and I will be thinking of them throughout my journey.

With thanks and respect,

Levente Szalai