Hey There Pilgrim

The congregation I've been attending -- St. Michael and All Angels Anglican -- has been hosting a series of travelogues by members and discussing travel as a form of pilgrimmage. We've discussed members trips to Jerusalem, Rome, and Vietnam.

Along the way, we've delineated what makes a trip more than a trip; what makes a trip a pilgrimmage? Some conclusions.

* A pilgrim travels lighter than a tourist, often choosing to leave favorite items behind.
* The trip involves "letting go" in some fashion.
* The focus is much more on the journey than the destination.
* The pilgrim must move outside of their comfort zone and journey into the new.
* The trip is to somewhere new.
* The traveler must be willing to trust strangers more than we might normally.

As I thought about this list it dawned on me that the last year has been a pilgrimmage for me. Brisbane is not normally thought of as a pilgrimmage destination but since it's about the journey rather than the destination I supposed anywhere can work if you have the right conditions.

We had to travel light. Because this was an "assignment" rather than a "relocation" we could only bring with us what we could pack in suitcases and convince American Airlines to check. We chose to leave a lot of things behind. We have been wearing the same clothes for a year. We have chosen not to buy some of the things we miss, deciding to just learn to live without them.

I had to let go of my professional life as I understood it up to the point of departure. I'd spent 10 years building my massage practice but I walked away from it. I will only know what remains to return to in a month when I open my massage doors again.

While I do like Brisbane -- a lot -- the important parts of this year have been about the changes we have gone through by being so far away from home, outside our comfort zone, into a new place and culture. That's where we've had the most challenges and that's where we've had the most fun.

Along the way, we have had many opportunities to form relationships with strangers and to trust strangers. We have not been disappointed yet.

At the end of each presentation at church we have asked the presenter "how are you different for having taken this pilgrimmage?" We've gotten some good answers. I don't know what my answers are yet. I probably won't know until I get full re-settled into my life in DC and have a chance to notice the differences.