Best Birthday Present Ever

Arriving at my doorstep, on no less auspicious a day than my birthday, I receive this letter from the Baha'i World Centre, inviting me on pilgrimage. (Click for full image)

There's a long waiting list to go on Baha'i Pilgrimage, so you need to apply well in advance. I applied roughly three years ago. I recently got an email with a list of potential dates. I selected the ones that best suited me, and now I get this letter, officially confirming my dates. My dates are the 5th to the 13th of January, 2009.

Baha'is go on pilgrimage to the Akka-Haifa area, in what is now Israel. Akka is the prison-city where Baha'u'llah was captive for much of His life, and His Shrine with His earthly remains is nearby in Bahjí. The Bab, the forerunner to Baha'u'llah, is interred in a shrine on Mount Carmel in Haifa, very close to the Baha'i World Centre, the administrative centre of the Faith. All of these places are surrounded by beautiful, tranquil gardens. The following video is an excerpt from a Canadian TV show about the gardens around the Baha'i World Centre:

Baha'i pilgrimage itself consists of nine days, in which a group of pilgrims (I'm gonna be a pilgrim! That's really cool!) are taken on guided tours the Baha'i World Centre, the Holy Shrines, and various other places in the region associated with figures from Baha'i history. The pilgrims are also given free time to visit gravesites, the gardens, and other important locations. The bounty of going on pilgrimage is one special to every Baha'i, and is regarded as a great honour.

I've got my flights booked, I've got my accommodation sorted, and I'm very excited about this! This was probably the best thing I got on my birthday :)