A Long Wished for Visit to My Uncle & Family in Australia

I am planning to fly to Perth, Australia, for Passover, to see my 93-year-old uncle (my mother’s younger brother). Passover (like Christmas) is a special time to travel to be with family! I’ve always had a good and supportive relationship with my uncle, and he is my only elder living relative. He’s had health challenges, especially in the last 2 years, including cancer and a fall that has taken him a long time to recover from. He is doing well now, and I would very much like to see him while I can. I haven’t seen him for perhaps 18 years, and I haven’t seen his son, my cousin Ari, for about 40 years, nor met Ari’s wife, 2 grown daughters, and grandbaby!!

Meanwhile, my brother lives in Brisbane, and there are several elder cousins in both Melbourne and Sydney whom I’ve never met; their families immigrated in the early 1900s to AU rather than to the US. It’s a big continent and people are spread out afar, yet I want very much to ‘cover all bases’ while I’m there, and be able to meet these old yet new-to-me family members.

This is my first trip to AU – it has always seemed too expensive a trip, even though I’ve been wanting to go for years, but recently when I checked, there was a comparatively affordable ticket available – so I have ‘jumped’ for it. My concern to see my uncle soon, while we’re both ‘on this earth’, is the driving wish that has inspired me to plan this trip.

I have been able to arrange stopovers not too expensively, to travel the distances of AU, so I will see an old friend, and attend 3 days of a Sufi Dances of Peace camp (magically) held at just the right time for me to get to it! The Dances have been an important part of my life for many years, so it is exciting and meaningful that I will be able to attend the camp and meet new Sufi friends in AU.

Now that the flight and stopovers are arranged, there are many other plans to work out. I don’t have enough earned income to cover the costs of this trip, so whatever gifts and contributions of support are generously given for this trip will make it feasible to ‘pull off’ the whole project – I will have to get a 7-day Greyhound bus pass for some of my travel, cover all the various incidental costs, including the usual charges for food and staying over at the Dance camp for 3 nights and 2 nights in the hostel in Sydney. Then, I’d also like to purchase some souvenir gifts for family and friends, and especially, scenic postcards or some iconic AU gifts for all those who have contributed to support this trip! Thank you!!!