“These are the days of the Fast. Blessed is the one who through the heat generated by the Fast increaseth his love, and who, with joy and radiance, ariseth to perform worthy deeds.”
-Baha'u'llah
Fasting alone in a foreign country is lonely. I miss waking before sunrise at home with Mom and Dad. Listening but not really listening to Dad go on and on and on about proper hydration. Early, early, early morning breakfasts at Denny's with close Baha'i friends. Having water drinking contests with Valerie until we make ourselves sick.
The differences between Alaska and Jordan are magnified under this lens of fasting, and the long hours between sunrise and sunset make me miss home in a way that I have not quite experienced yet. Even the time difference makes home feel so much farther away than it has seemed in months.
Nonetheless, thinking back on all the places I have been in this last Baha'i year has made me really grateful to be able to take my first sip of water to the calls to prayer at sunrise and sunset in this region of the world that practically bleeds spirituality. From celebrating Naw-Ruz in Otovalo, Ecuador with Valerie to saying prayers in a tent in the Arctic to attending Feast in Florence, Italy to visiting Haifa, Israel not more than two months ago, this has been a wonderful year. And if missing home a little bit while waking before sunrise in Amman to get my eight cups of water and tea a day (just for you, Dad!) is how I'm going to see it out then I think I can manage.
Allah'u'abha, dear friends.
Lucky you! 2012 is your year, that's for sure - Ecuador, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Budapest, Hungary, Turkey, Israel, and Jordan! *
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