Building companies is hard. Heck, life is hard. Even if you’re not leading a company.

We’ve all done it. You get caught up in the day to day, checking one thing after the next off your endless task list. Selling your next customer on your value proposition. The third reply to an industry advocate you need at your next event. Reporting a bug for your engineers. Signing a venue contract for your upcoming event. Going over monthly burn figures. Pitching the 162th investor to participate in your Seed round.

You and I both know, the end of that list is a myth. So, you grind. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month.

That’s sustainable, for a while. But, you’ll inevitably reach a breaking point. You’ll get tired. Start making careless mistakes. Snap at your CTO. Forget your nieces’ birthday. Realize two days before a conference you never booked the flight. Lose track of what is actually moving the needle after spending weeks working on the wrong things. Not talk to your parents for multiple weeks.

Or, even worse, you burn out. And if that happens, the chances of success for your company go down the toilet.

There’s no magical potion to avoid reaching the breaking point. You need to slow down and find a state of calm to ensure the priorities guiding your life and business, are the right ones.

Some call it solitude. I’ll call it something slightly different…

Quietude: a state of stillness, calmness, and quiet in a person or place.

Enter ❇️GEM Walks the Camino (Part II)❇️, which gave me exactly that needed quietude a year ago. So much so that we’re doing it again this year, taking place May 9th-16th, seven days and 100 kilometers of incredible scenery, deep conversations, amazing dinners, a supported journey, pre-booked accommodations, and life-altering memories. You’ll be in the midst of “pilgrims” from all walks of life, each there for their own set of personal reasons. It should tell you something that the majority of those who trekked last year are undertaking it again in 2026.

I have no doubt this trip will be the most impactful trip of the year for me. Flights are booked, May 5th through the 18th, when I’ll immediately emerge back in the thick of the grind at the Housing Innovation Summit. But, for those seven days, I’m thrilled that I won’t be hammering away on the keyboard. Won’t be taking meetings. Won’t be checking Inman or X. Won’t be writing articles. Won’t be in the weeds of pitch decks. Won’t be worried about filling the next dinner table. Won’t be worried about any of that, but instead focused on exploring my own thoughts, in the company of other amazing humans choosing to prioritize their own self-exploration.

If you’re ready for a dose of quietude in 2026, I strongly encourage you to join us on the GEM Walks the Camino trek in May (9th-16th). We have two or three spots left. If this all sounds amazing but you’re on the fence, I HIGHLY HIGHLY encourage you to watch The Way.

When I’ve completely disconnected from digital life are the times in life I’ve felt the most free. Even of the Camino trek doesn’t fit your schedule, don’t forget to look up and experience the moment that you are in from time to time. You’ll find it ushers in a renewed energy when you get back to the grind, focused on what truly matters. At least, it has for me.

Want to learn more? Shoot us an email at community at geekestate dot com or check the event calendar via GEM Primer for further details.