"A journey of over a thousand kilometers, 33 days of walking, feels like a simulation of life's long path. All emotions seem to dissolve, step by step, with the rhythm of 'walk on, walk on.' By the end, I had almost forgotten why the author started this trip, nor was I overly concerned if she found the perfect answer. And perhaps that is exactly the kind of 'power of the present moment' this book offers us."
— Cheng Qing, Associate Professor, Department of History, Shanghai University; Author of Relieving Worries in Life

"This is a familiar story of 'stepping out,' set in a distant land, yet filled with elements we can all relate to. This isn't to diminish the significance of the journey itself, but to highlight how introspection, a spiritual practice, gradually comes full circle through encounters with a world that is both beautifully kind and perilously painful. We are in the world, and the world is in us, just like the land and sea, held tightly together."
— Yuan Changgeng, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Yunnan University

"'With every step, the next one appears.' Where the land ends, the sea begins. The book leaves your eyes bright and shimmering. Holding it feels as clean and pure as its colors – blue-green and white, forests, sea, and sky. The lines are soft, the compositions like collage work, creating a reverie that leaps off the page. Characters breaking free from their panels gives the story such dynamism – so very French! It makes me long to walk that path myself, from France across Spain!"
— Reader Review

"What sets this work apart is that it transcends a simple travelogue, becoming a meditation on the philosophy of life itself. The author, shaken by her grandmother's sudden passing, begins to question her fundamental choice: continue her creative life in France, or return home? Driven by a powerful need for answers, she impulsively embarks on this pilgrimage. The book contains no earth-shattering events, but is filled with moments that make you 'smile knowingly.' The diverse pilgrims she meets along the way—a resigned civil servant, a boy on a break from college, a beggar pastry chef who radiates joy—each represents a different life sample, and each encounter subtly reshapes the fabric of her being. 'Where the land ends, the sea begins' – a phrase the author hears from a Belgian baker on the path – encapsulates the book's profound meaning: nothing is truly an ending, and choices aren't stark, black-and-white verdicts. This idea shatters our limited thinking when faced with decisions, offering a liberating realization: life is vast; we don't have to fixate on just one or two perceived options."
— Reader Review

★ High-rated and well-received work on Douban (the Chinese version of Goodreads)! Ranked in the top ten for "Picture Books & Comics" in 2025!
★ Is there really a "right" choice in life's pivotal moments? For everyone hesitating at life's crossroads.
★ A 1,000-kilometer journey from France across Spain. By bus, it takes one night; on foot, 33 days. This story took 10 years to come to life.
★ A healing and beautifully illustrated work of narrative non-fiction in graphic novel form. Combining the fresh, clean palette of French-style art with a new dynamic between text and image, and a delicate line style—a perfect synthesis of visual storytelling and narrative depth.

Life is like a walk, facing the unknown, facing possibility. On the Camino, there is no single template for life.
"Some stories just need time to piece themselves together."

This is a full-length work of graphic non-fiction chronicling a transformative walking pilgrimage that helped resolve the author's personal life dilemmas. The path, known as the Camino de Santiago, stretches from France across northern Spain. People from all over the world walk it, carrying their own life's questions, hoping to find answers along the way or at its end.

Should I go home or should I stay? Which choice is truly better?

A young woman, armed with the courage to "seek out a little hardship," sets out on this demanding trek. Amidst the physical challenges, she encounters a rich tapestry of people and stories: a Belgian pastry chef living by begging, a resigned French civil servant, an American boy taking time off from college, a girl crying in a hostel's backyard. She notes the scarcity of other Asian faces, confronts memories of competition, and gains insight into "walking meditation." Along the path, she contemplates her inner questions, learning the arts of encounter, farewell, and giving a proper hug.

Finally, at the point where the land meets the sea, she slowly, quietly, arrives at her decision.
"Perhaps," she reflects, "the answers I found here can also illuminate the way for others."

Yu Kun

An animation director and comic creator based in Beijing. Publishing under the pen name "Yu Gongzi", her previous works include Something Seems Off and Introvert Games.

Fascinated by the dual expression of words and images, she excels at using stories to bridge reality and imagination. Unable to bear the thought of seemingly ordinary days quietly slipping away, she captures them with a clumsy yet devout persistence, hoping to recreate the moment they stir a tempest within the heart.

DAY 1: Happy Birthday
DAY 2: Different Paths, Same End
DAY 3: The Asian
DAY 4: The Pack
DAY 5: Missing Person Notice
DAY 6: Oh, My Sun
DAY 7: Three's Company
DAY 8: Jasmine Flower
DAY 9: Homemade Salad
DAY 10: The Chicken That Came Back to Life
DAY 11: A Large Iced Tea
DAY 12: A Fleeting Connection
DAY 13: Can't Shake It Off
DAY 14: The Last Bunk
DAY 15: Getting Drunk
DAY 16: Tears in the Backyard
DAY 17: The Sound of a Breaking Heart
DAY 18: The Eagle
DAY 19: Watermelon & Cantaloupe
DAY 20: Reasons for the Road
DAY 21: Sandwiches & Paella
DAY 22: Competition
DAY 23: Fleas
DAY 24: The Door of Forgiveness
DAY 25: The Summit
DAY 26: Give Me a Hug
DAY 27: Beware of Bears
DAY 28: Gestures
DAY 29: A Crazy Idea
DAY 30: Santiago
DAY 31: Don't Rush
DAY 32: Mist
DAY 33: The End and The Beginning
Epilogue
Afterword