In 2013, before founding The Planet School, Thane walked the Camino de Santiago. This early firsthand experience with long-distance walking informs The Planet School's own Camino de Santiago walk across Portugal as part of its student expedition calendar. Thane began in France on the French Way, but after covering roughly a quarter of that route's distance across Spain toward Santiago de Compostela, he made the decision to switch course, crossing into Portugal to pick up the Camino Português from Porto instead. The Portuguese route offered a markedly less crowded pilgrimage experience than the heavily trafficked French Way. He completed the walk in the name of a priest he'd met in Mumbai, Fr. Salvador Rodriguez—known to friends as "Salu"—who was in the final stages of pancreatic cancer.

Pilgrims traditionally carry a credencial (pilgrim's passport), collecting stamps (sellos) each day at stops along the route as proof of passage and to access pilgrim hostels (albergues). In Santiago, the stamped credencial is presented at the Pilgrim's Office to receive the compostela, the certificate of completion. Thane's credencial and compostella were issued in Salu's name rather than his own.

This experience is the basis for "Salu Was Here," a service project Planet School students will complete during their own Camino walk in Portugal. Before departing for Europe, each student will find a pilgrim pen pal: someone who would find spiritual meaning in the pilgrimage but cannot complete it themselves due to age, illness, or other circumstances. Students will exchange letters with them, share updates from their journey, and walk the pilgrimage in their name.