Meet Rita:A Little Lighter, A Lot Braver

Mary Baldree
Aug 15
2 min read

Thoughts on What We Choose to Carry

This is Rita.

She’s 25 liters of streamlined simplicity.

She’s nearly 2 pounds lighter than Gus, my previous pack—who was wonderful, but, well… a bit much.

Rita fits me better.

She carries what I truly need.

And already, she feels like a trusted companion on this third Camino journey.

But Rita isn’t just a backpack.

She’s a reminder.

When I named her, I smiled thinking of the old lyric:“A little bit of Rita’s all I need…”It made me laugh—but the name stuck, and soon it deepened.

Because Saint Rita?

She’s known as the patron saint of impossible causes.

Her life was one of bravery, resilience, forgiveness, and faith—qualities I find myself needing again and again out on the trail… and in life.

Walking the Camino, especially alone, invites reflection on what we carry—physically, emotionally, spiritually.

The weight on our shoulders.

The stories in our hearts.

The fears we haven't yet put down.

Rita, this little pack on my back, has become a symbol of something more:

The beauty of traveling light.

Not just in gear, but in spirit.

Each item I’ve chosen to carry has been carefully considered.

And that intention—of packing only what I need—has me thinking more deeply about the emotional and spiritual weight I bring with me too.

What can I let go of this time?

What no longer serves me?

What beliefs or habits are too heavy to haul up another mountain?