Wikipedia defines PILGRIMAGE as, “a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life.”

I am on a pilgrimage to Australia. I think if I can see a kangaroo in the wild life would be complete. I made it to Australia!! No kangaroo yet, but I still have a couple of weeks. As for the personal transformation, I believe I am transformed everyday because every experience adds to who I am. By extrapolation then everyday is a pilgrimage.

But before I get into the Australia story, an airport story. This happens often. I sit down and within minutes I am surrounded by Indonesians all wearing the same color scheme–orange, blue, red, flowers, etc. Many of the groups are making their pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah), Saudi Arabia. Only Muslims are allowed in Mecca, which is similar to Christianity’s Jerusalem–holy, sacred. Mecca is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad. Indonesians are added to a travel list. Sometimes they can wait 20+ years to visit Mecca. The information states they should be fit to perform the hajj, but many of the people I see in these groups can barely stand they are so old by the time they visit. In 2014, during one month 126 Indonesians visiting Mecca died. There is a movement to allow more Indonesians to visit per year. Poor farmers will sell their cows and land to get to Mecca (cost about ~$4,000/pp).

I am staying just outside Sydney in the forest with my colleague Chris and her husband John. They feed the local wildlife like I feed the birds. Their love of feeding the locals is a great benefit. Their daily visitors include sulphur-crested cockatoos, rainbow lorikeets, turkeys, and magpies.

The birds are great, but my favorite so far are the cute little sugar gliders visiting at night. They love honey. They licked honey off my fingers!! So cool! It is like staying in a zoo.