Andrew McCarthy Details 500-Mile Hike Through Spain With Son Sam
Andrew McCarthy hiked 500 miles through Spain with his son across a set of trails known as the Camino and said, "It's the best thing he's ever done."
The former member of the '80s Brat Pack also revealed that this wasn't the first time he had made the trip, going some-25 years ago, but that he was more than excited to re-live the experience in the summer of 2021 alongside Sam, the son he shares with ex-wife Carol Schneider.
"Sammy totally walked into his strength without question, emotionally and physically," the Pretty in Pink star told People in an all-new interview published on Wednesday, May 3.
The 32-day trip wasn't only successful in strengthening the father-son bond but helping both Andrew and Sam find clarity. For Andrew, it cemented the concept of his new book, Walking with Sam: A Father, A Son, and 500 Miles Across Spain, and for his son, it showed him the path he wants for himself in the future.
Sam, who portrayed the son of Christina Applegate's character on the Netflix drama Dead to Me, told the outlet that he was unsure whether he wanted to continue acting until he walked the Camino with his dad.
"It gave me really just time to think and breathe, 'cause I don't really think before I had much time to figure out what I wanted to do," Sam explained. "And when I allowed myself to be like, 'do I really want to act?' And then breathed on that, it gave me the freedom to come back and say, 'oh, I really do.'"
During their month-long adventure, the two said they talked about anything and everything–from drugs and alcohol to relationships and heartbreak.
"There's a great deal of trust on my end towards him because I spent a lot of the time the first few weeks just talking about absolute nonsense that was bothering me," Sam confessed. "He had the patience and the grace and the love to just listen to it."
"I didn't have to have answers or solutions or fixes. I just listened," Andrew added.
Aside from their deep discussions, the duo said they made time to enjoy local eats and rested at hotels along the way, noting that there were times during the trip when they didn't know if they'd complete it.
For Andrew, it was near the end. "It's the best thing I've ever done twice," he said. "But there were certainly days, particularly in the end where I'd go, 'I'm never doing this again. I'm wrecked.'"
Sam, on the other hand, shared a different opinion. "I felt that in the beginning, not towards the end. By week three, I would've done another one right away," he said.
While the two couldn't agree on the most challenging part of their journey, they came to terms with one sweet sentiment: it's a walk they will each remember for the rest of their lives.
For more tales from the father-son's journey, check out Andrew's new book, Walking With Sam: A Father, A Son, and 500 Miles Across Spain, to be released in bookstores May 9.
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