Considering A Last Minute Winter Trip (starting at either Porto or Sarria)

I just learned about the Camino de Santiago literally 4 days ago and I'm about 80% ready to pull the trigger and book a flight.

About me: 37M from California. Decent physical condition. I speak neither Spanish nor Portuguese, but am willing to study intensely for the next month. Without getting too deep into it, I recently faced a traumatic personal life event and am in need of spiritual restoration. For reference: other places where I've experienced existential awe include a 10-day Vipassana retreat and Burning Man.

Considering how much time is left in the year and my current circumstances, I'm planning to spend Thanksgiving with family in the US, followed by a short prep period to gather necessary equipment, then head to Europe in early December and start the pilgrimage. If starting from Porto or Sarria around Dec 7-10, that would mean I would arrive in Santiago just before / just in time for Christmas.

For this trip, I think it would be good to have a mix of personal time as well as time with others. I don't want to walk just for walking's sake -- I'd really like the opportunity to take in the spirit of the pilgrimage (whatever that means). I want to treat this as a personal journey, and not just a feat of physical endurance.

My questions are:

  1. Without comparing the entire Caminos Frances and Portugues, how would you compare just the portions from Sarria or Porto to Santiago? How might they be different in December?
  2. How is Christmas in Santiago? How is Christmas within a short plane / train ride from Santiago?
  3. Am I crazy?
  4. Have you made the pilgrimage in response to a challenging life event? If so, how did the Camino affect you? How did it not?
  5. For those who treat the Camino de Santiago as a spiritual journey, what other profound experiences have affected your life, and how do they all tie in together? Do they tie together at all?

Thank you all so much in advance!! 🙏✨

UPDATE: I pulled the trigger and booked a flight to Porto, and planning to start the Central Route on 12/10. I considered starting at Leon or Astorga, but decided that it might be best to save the full Camino Frances for another (warmer) time. Thank you all for the input!