Pilgrimmage

I still haven’t heard anything more about my Pilgrimage, except that Shizemen’s parents aren’t going anymore.  It turns out Shizemen’s dad is actually Sister Asnaketch’s son!  Crazy!  But Sister Asnaketch is going and it will be nice to have her there with me.  Granted, she’ll be with her family, but at least I’ll know one person.

I have actually been informed that Linda’s brother and his wife (and kids, I think) will be there at the same time as me!  AND Luke Slott, who is a Baha’i musician!  I’m really excited about this whole experience, if you couldn’t tell.

I wish I would receive the group flight information soon.  I can fly with Turkish Airlines for $800, which is a lot less than Ethiopian Airlines, but I don’t know what their group discount rate would be.  However, if I use Turkish Airlines, I have a stopover in Istanbul.  Since Pilgrimage is on Monday, I could leave early and spend the weekend in Turkey.  At first, I thought “cool, a day or two in Istanbul”, but then my cousins reminded me that there is a House of Bahá'u'lláh still standing in Edirne (Adrianople)!  If the Ethiopian Airlines flight is cheaper or the same price as the Turkish Airlines flight, I’ll probably just go with the group.  But if it’s more expensive, I will contact the NSA of Turkey to see if someone can guide me to and from Edirne and the House of Bahá'u'lláh.  So wonderful!

Two months from today, I will be in the midst of my first Pilgrimage to the Baha’i Holy Land in Haifa, Israel.  I’m speechless.