One of the holiest city on Earth that holds so much history, co-existence, and diversity, I found myself in Jerusalem last July 2022. A journey to connect to my higher self and a never-ending search of epiphany, my pilgrimage in Jerusalem was a trip of a lifetime. Not my usual informative post, it's a personal storytelling of my trip in the midst of my tumultuous inner battles.
Earlier this year, I thought of doing a tedious pilgrimage to punish myself for recently becoming a person I couldn't recognize anymore. I thought long and hard and Camino de Santiago* sounds like the answer to my woes. So on a whim, I applied for a Schengen Visa through Portugal via VFS. A month and a half later, my visa application was rejected, unfortunately. I didn't know what to make of it (visa rejection) until I found myself in Kyrgyzstan. A thought sunk in all of a sudden and all I could mutter was... 'Ah, this is indeed the place where I'm supposed to be'.
*Camino de Santiago is a network of walking trails and routes for pilgrims that leads to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela (Northern Spain). There are various routes and distances to choose from and I planned to start from Porto in Portugal.
A few days after my Kyrgyzstan trip, the thought of doing a pilgrimage still bugs me. Camino de Santiago was too late by now (to apply for another visa), so I found myself in the holiest of the holy land for my personal pilgrimage, in the Middle-Eastern city of Jerusalem.
The Pilgrimage City of Jerusalem
As a common saying, Tel Aviv plays and Jerusalem prays. True enough, it is indeed more conservative than Tel Aviv but don't let the holy city hold you back. Whether you're religious or not, or whatever your reason is for visiting Jerusalem, it makes you feel something at the end of the trip.
Jerusalem is a city that awakens all your senses. With an overwhelming abundance of colors, smells, sounds, textures, and flavors, expect a sensory overload experience. And because it is a city with co-existence among the three Abrahamic religions (Christians, Muslims, and Jews), there's so much to learn in a humbling way.
Visiting a city with so much history in 2-3 days, I let go of the notion that I needed to write something useful. Instead, I let myself fully absorb everything in its natural flow. Walking with friends in so many alleys, eating together (as if we didn't eat enough back in Dubai), and exploring the city without any prejudice, who would've thought it was a pilgrimage trip?
But as paradoxical as I am as a person, so is this pilgrimage. I've seen some of the conservative and not-so-conservative parts of the city which complements the whole experience. A bazaar turned into a nightlife place for example... drinks anyone? Oh, and I think it's necessary to dress up. Obviously, we didn't get the memo about that.
The Pilgrimage Epiphany
Down to the most essential part of this post, have I found the epiphany I was looking for? Yes and No.
Let's start with the bad news, epiphany doesn't usually present itself with a dramatic entrance. It comes in many forms, sometimes in one hit but sometimes in waves as well. It's not one size fits all either. That's why I have a no for an answer. I thought I would have it all figured out at the end of the trip. I was even expecting a sudden turn and twist that would make me give up my Camino plan. What a fool.
But life's unpredictable isn't it? And I told you that epiphany comes in many forms and it may come in waves. That's my yes. A few months after the trip, I've finally seen my own version of epiphany. It came to me when I was fully ready to accept it and in a language I'd understand. One of them is that pilgrimage isn't supposed to be a punishment, nor should be full of blisters and tears.
Pilgrimage can be in a way with friends, along with the mundanity of life. As I put down my little crosses that I've been carrying for quite some time, I found a new piece of myself and the inner peace that comes with it.
Far from how I envision a pilgrimage would be, it's no solitude at all. In return, what we had was the right amount of laughs, gratitude, and food. My personal pilgrimage in Jerusalem along with my friends, became a favorite piece of my life's puzzle. Until then, see you!
