Where did your "pilgrimage" take you?

With the holiday season upon us, it calls to mind the epic adventure of the pilgrimage: a journey to a place of spiritual significance. 

Whether it's three wise men following a star in the sky, a cross-country road trip to see your favourite band, or a visit to a spiritually potent place... the pilgrim's journey is a transformative experience. So where did your pilgrimage take you?

On this week's show: 

For Muslims around the world, the ultimate pilgrimage is the one to their spiritual homeland of Mecca. Three million people do it every year. But did you know you can go on a tour bus? We'll talk to Toronto lawyer Ziyaad Mia, founder of the charity Give 30, who bought a package deal to Mecca and went on a spiritual ride like no other.

Retired highway worker Harry Waldron proclaimed himself the "Keeper of the Arctic Circle" and would greet tired travellers with champagne as they crossed over the imaginary line. This inspired CBC Radio 3 host  Lana Gay so much that when she undertook a pilgrimage to reach the Arctic Circle. Find out why not even forest fires and grizzly bears could stop Lana from her personal quest to honour this remarkable man.

A good book can sweep you up and take you to another world. But what happens when you go beyond the page and try to re-create that experience in real life? Marcia Walker shares the story of what happened when she journeyed to the site of Out of Africa, the classic memoir by Karen Blixen. 

Sook-Yin heads down to the CBC Broadcast Centre with her hand-dandy recorder to meet up with a group of kids on a public broadcaster pilgrimage. 

Undertaking a long walk is a meaningful tradition for many Aboriginal cultures. So when 18 year old David Kawapit wanted to make a statement to his fellow Cree, he planned a 1500 Km trek. In the middle of a Canadian winter. With a group of kids ages 11 - 22. We'll hear how it went.

When Danielle Nerman was 16, her parents sent her on a youth pilgrimage to Israel. Her dad hoped she would take the opportunity to connect with her Jewish heritage. But before she left, he gave her just one rule: DON'T PIERCE ANYTHING. Naturally Danielle disobeyed, but she didn't anticipate what would happen when she did!

Winnipeg songwriter and musician Scott Nolan is inspired by many people - no one more so than his cousin Patrick, who was a convict at the notorious Folsom State Prison. We'll find out what happened when Scott journeyed to the prison, and what he discovered about himself and his cousin along the way. He'll also perform a song he wrote on his journey, entitled "Visiting Day".