A friend of mine (who has since died from cancer) took a lifelong dream trip to Israel. She was a teacher and she was very excited about the trip. One afternoon she decided to walk around by herself and was horrified to be attacked from behind, thrown into an alley and raped. When she came back she was still very visibly shaken and very afraid to tell her husband what had happened. She was also very afraid that she might have contracted an illness from the unwanted encounter. Medical tests proved she was ok, and not too long after that she learned of the cancer and died.
Isn't it odd that you can go through your life wanting so much to get close to the religious icons we have read about since we were small, and then you actually get there and you are violated by one of the most disgusting of human acts against a woman. The irony.
Oh my God, what a terrible story, Misty. I feel sorry for your friend. May she rest in peace.