My friends! I’m so delighted and excited to bring you this interview, for two reasons: it’s with my dear, dear friend Renée, who has been an ally and support in my writing life (and in my life-life), and because it’s the first time I’ve ever recorded an episode of The Becoming Podcast in person!
Yup, come join me and Renée at my dining room table for a conversation about her epic journey…and the tragedy that awaited her upon her return.
First, let me tell you a bit about Renée:
Renée Hartleib is a Canadian writer, editor, and writing mentor. She is the author of two books: Writing Your Way: A 40-Day Path of Self-Discovery and Solo Camino: An Empowering Guide for Women, just released in the Spring of 2025. Her greatest passion is to help others connect with themselves, bring their creative dreams to life, and take inspired leaps of faith. As a writing mentor, Renée considers it an honour to work one-on-one with writers whose dream it is to write a book. She loves adventures of all kinds, especially long walks in nature and time spent by the ocean on both the east and west coasts of Canada. Renée lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia with her family, one dog, many cats, and a “book nook” in front of the house.
Here’s some of what Renée and I talk about in this episode:
> The radical life change that Renée made that allowed her to feel like more of who she is – and allowed her to have a successful long-term relationship and write two books!
> The story of Renée’s desire to walk the Camino, and why she decided to write a book about the process. We talk about how she and so many other women hold themselves back from going on pilgrimages – or doing other “big things” – because of our socialization, the fear of being selfish, and because we feel we can’t leave behind our caregiving responsibilities
> Why people benefit from going on quests and pilgrimages to mark or initiate a change in their lives
> The disappointments and unexpected moments that are also, inevitably, a part of realizing a long-held dream. Renée shares some experiences from her Camino, and I share some experiences from my Wilderness Quest a couple of years ago, and we agree that sometimes, on these journeys, you get what you need, not what you came for
> The tragedy that awaited Renée upon her return from the Camino, and how this has shaped her life and helped her to understand her Camino intentions in a whole new way
Listen to this episode on iTunes
Show Notes
Renée’s first book, Writing Your Way
Renée’s latest book, Solo Camino
Also, while you’re at it, if you enjoy the Becoming Podcast, I would be so grateful if you would rate, review and even subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts. That goes a long way to helping more and more people find and benefit from hearing these interviews. Thank you so much!