a few more...

Random pictures-- it's been a while.

summer vacation-- goodbye junior year

What an intense few weeks! This is the first few minutes that I've had to actually sit down and breathe. First off, I would like to announce that I am now officially a senior! JUNIOR YEAR IS FINALLY OVER. Not that this semester was challenging as a whole as far as school work goes, but finals week was hell. It's hard enough to buckle down and study, but when you live with screaming teenagers and have no where to go, it gets heated and frustrating. I'm so glad that I can take this last week to kick back, relax, and live up my last moments on TRY. It seems so unreal to say that it's the end. I honestly have never felt time pass so quickly in my life. So much has changed and friendships have grown, but I don't know when these things happened! I would like to emphasize again how absolutely incredible this experience was. I feel so blessed to have been able to spend a whole semester of high school in Israel. I took it for granted a lot, but when I think about it, how crazy was I to pick up and leave everything I knew so early in life!
This is the second to last shabbos I have on the program and I'm spending it here on campus with 34 other kids. Everyone is so stress free now that school is over and it should be a really relaxing shabbat. Sunday is goodbye brunch to all my teachers, an art project thing that they do every year, and final meetings. We leave for the Golan on Monday, return Wednesday, then it's Shavuot. Before I know it, I'll be waving goodbye to my second family and spend the last week in Israel with my best friend. Summer plans have been huge on my list of things to deal with. I thought camp was out of the question, but time went on, I started to think seriously about being a counselor. Unfortunately, it was too late, but they need lifeguards, so if I can, I'll take a YMCA training course for the ten days that I'll be in town, then head off again to Schechter. If I don't do that, then chances are i'll nanny or find a job doing something else. So much has happened that I don't know where to begin. I think I'll wait until I come home so that I can vent and share about all my experiences without annoying my friends too much. I'm sure they'll get sick of hearing about all my stories. But to summarize: I'm incredibly sad about leaving, but also so grateful that I had the opportunity to come and meet some of the most amazing people I have ever met. I know that life goes on and people come in and out of your life, but I couldn't have asked for a better four months. For all of you at home-- I'm looking forward to seeing you in a little over three weeks. XXO

more to come.... promise

AHH. Ever since Passover vacation, it’s been one big whirlwind. I know I’m going to regret not having a blog for a month, but I feel like time is ticking so fast and I want to spend it with my friends instead of on the computer. I wrote a long blog on Yom Hashoa it deleted itself and I was so frustrated that I couldn’t bring myself to rewrite it. All in all, this truly has been the most incredible experience of my life so far. The connections I’ve made with people are too strong to describe and I feel so immersed in Israeli culture. We’re constantly being reminded that TRY is almost over and it really makes it that much harder to comprehend. I feel like I just got here.

I’m in the process of recapping everything from Passover until now so bear with me. It will be posted soon so don’t give up on me. I wish I had a better way of describing how I feel about this program, but it really is something that you have to experience on your own. I’ve grown so much as a person and I see the world in a completely different way. I care more, I see more, and I feel more. I promise there is more to come, so keep checking.

pizatsta, two broken tents, and an M-16: five days of the "Israeli army"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBY2WVBmTcY

GADNA: Israeli army boot camp for teens. It was hell throughout most of the week, but at the end and looking back on it I have very fond memories. One of those things that you forget how miserable you were while it was happening. The sad thing was, that 1. the food was better than the food at the chava, 2. I got more sleep there and we had 5:15 wake up, and 3. I showered once wait twice in five days of wearing the same uniform.
We had to count down through every task we did. The mifaked (commander) would give us a certain amount of time to do a task, almost always much too short and make us yell out how much time we had until we reached zero. At zero, we would have to be standing in the shape of a chet with our hands behind our backs. Our heels had to touch and toes out (first position for all you dancers) and if we wanted to move at all (itching, touching your hair, yawn, etc) you had to step out of the chet to do so. If we made a mistake, or were late, or did anything wrong for that matter, we were punished. Punishment usually meant running a lot or doing push ups. We were in the field on Tuesday and spent the entire day running, doing pizatsta (a tactic to get to the ground quickly), playing camoflauge games, and doing indian crawling ( I still have a nasty bruise). After a few hours of hell, we walked to a seperate area for our lesson with the mamem. He spoke about gun safety and the parts of a gun while we shielded our eyes from the sandstorm. At one point, I stuck my whole face underneath my uniform to prevent sand from getting in my mouth, eyes, and nose. We looked at each other with worry wondering if they were still planning on making us run back to the base. Sand was literally everywhere and they told us to pull down a sand shield that was connected to our hats. We lined up in two rows for them to count us and she punched our shoulder (a little too hard) as she did so. They handed out two flags, one was the Pluga flag... a flag representing their base and the other was the Israeli flag. She handed the Israeli flag to me. Great, this meant we were still running. The somelet had to scream for everyone to hear her over the storm, but we got the gist of what she said. We were still running... this is a part of the army. We do what we have to do no matter the circumstances. We will do this with pride, and we will do this well, yada yada yada. I just didn't want to get blown away. After a few minutes, we were off. All 68 of us + mifaked/mifadets ran through the bleak desert. The flag flapped wildly in the air, which made it difficult to run, but we had the biggest adrenaline rush. A little while later we were commanded to stop and face the flat desert scenery. The somelet asked us what we saw. She got a few answers though-- sand, telephone poles, nothing. We decided it looked pretty dead. The somelet explained that just a few miles up the road, a kibbutz owns a fishery. "There is always life in the Negev," she said. It was something that really stuck with me. Yes, this desolate desert land is also used to give life to fish... but it also gave life to our group TRY. If I were anywhere else I would have complained the entire way or given up or cried, but instead, I was a part of the living or the spirited in the desert. We cheered and sang and encouraged each other and truly made the best out of a bad situation. This in essence is giving life to the Negev. This is what Israeli soldiers died for-- an enthusiastic young Jewish nation, and that's what we gave them as we hollered and sang the entire way home.

On return to the base, we arrived to find one of the tents completely destroyed with a huge piece of an electrical pole lying down the middle. 1. scary, 2. dangerous, and 3. annoying to fix. It was pouring rain at this point, and my tent still didn't get the light fixed. We put our belongings in the middle of the tent and ran to our group's boy tent. We were soaked. Wind shook the tent violently and we huddled together to keep warm. I know this sounds like some cheesy disney channel movie..like cadet kelly or something, but it happened, promise. Suzanne and Ben started singing and we all joined in as we clutched each other and shielded each other from the weather. אַחֵינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַנְּתוּנִים בְּצָרָה וּבַשִּׁבְיָה, הָעוֹמְדִים בֵּין בַּיָּם וּבֵין בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, הַמָּקוֹם יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם, וְיוֹצִיאֵם מִצָּרָה לִרְוָחָה, "וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה, וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְאֻלָּה, הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב, וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן. This translates to "Our brothers the whole house of Israel, who are in distress and captivity, who wander over sea and over land -- may God have mercy on them, and bring them from distress to comfort, from darkness to light, from slavery to redemption, now, swiftly, and soon. And let us say: Amen." We didn't choose this song because of it's meaning, but when i looked up the translation, I find it so fitting. Sure, GADNA was trying, and difficult at times, but it's not real. If things got really bad, we would bus home. Unfortunately, real soldier do not have it this easy as you all know. Soldier like Gilad Shalit are being held captive god knows where and having god knows what happen to them. We went on singing for about twenty minutes until the mifaked came back in. We sat on the beds in a semi circle facing him. He looked very serious and held up an Israeli flag. He asked us what it meant to us. I told him that I felt more connected to it than I do to the American flag. Almost everyone agreed. We talked about it for a while, then talked about Jewish symbols. I could barely see the people around me because it was so dark and the wind and rain continued to violently shake the tent. He asked what we would die for. Some people said Israel.. I don't really know what I would die for. I think it's something that you have to be in the situation to know. Someone told him that they think it's a better question to ask what we would live for. I think I live for experiences like these. I live for bettering myself and using that to help and teach other people.

After our talk, the boys tent pretty much completely colapsed and another group's tent collapsed as well. We ran to salvage our things and took cover in the dining hall. We were told that we would sleep there and continued to set up the room for the night. It was mass chaos with everyone, their things, the mattresses, blankets, sleeping bags, and the fact that we were all soaking wet. Finally things were relatively well set up and we collapsed and slept beautifully... until 5:15 wake-up that is.

Wednesday-- Nothing much to tell... we had a LOT of classes relating to guns and gun safety and how to shoot and behave in a shooting range. Other than that, we did a bunch of chores, ate meals, oh! and visited the house of Ben-Gurion. I slept through most of the lectures. That night we sat in a circle and he asked us what our mothers would say if they saw us right now. I answered that she would tell me to take a shower. Most people's responses sounded a lot like that. Suzanne asked him what his mother would say. He told us that it wasn't appropriate to ask him anything personal, but said that he could probably answer that on the last day.

Thursday-- Shooting range day. We're in the home stretch. We woke up happy knowing that we would only wake up once more in this tent and it would be to pack up and leave. Hallelujah! We had more gun classes and more chores. After lunch, we loaded the buses and drove to the shooting range. We got out and waited for our turn to shoot. I was getting increasingly nervous as I heard group 1's shots go off. It was VERY loud and I started feeling very unsure and unprepared to handle such a large and dangerous weapon. Group one finished and it was our turn to go. We walked into the range and sat in akshev with our backs facing the targets. Each command led us one step closer to shooting. We placed the head phones on to block out most of the sound. Then we laid down, put in the magazine, turned the gun on semi-automatic, loaded the weapon, and waited for them to kick our foot to tell us when to go. The shouted EISH which means fire, and kicked my foot and I shot 10 times. It was a really intense experience. I don't know whether I liked it or didn't like it. I think it was more a feeling of power and the fact that I never want to have that kind of power again. We loaded the bus again, ate dinner, then fell asleep for the last time in our crooked cots and dirt infested sleeping bags.

Thursday: We woke up smiling and in good spirits. Today was the last day. We organized the tents, cleaned the bathrooms, ate breakfast, cleaned the campus and head off to closing ceremonies. They were held at Ben-Gurion's grave and we stood for about an hour in akshev. I would have been a lot more annoyed about it, but it was the last day so I really didn't mind. We walked back, turned in our uniforms, cleaned the bathrooms AGAIN, ate our lunch of meat sticks and pita and met for the last time with our mifaked. The entire week he'd been stern and demanding of us. Never did he crack a smile, laugh or do anything that consisted of having a personality. We walked over and sat down in front of him in a chet. He stood in silence for about three minutes then continued to speak. My name is Peleg and I grew up in a kibbutz up North. Then the most miraculous, unexpected thing happened. He smiled. We all looked at each other and smiled... confused and unsure. Our commander of five days went from being just commander, to person. He told us that we could ask him questions. He told us his favorite movies, and that he had a girlfriend named Yael. We learned about his CD collection and the times when he wanted to laugh at us the most. We went from smiling to laughing hysterically. Each group and their leader experienced the same weird break through around us and the entire campus was filled with joy. As he wrote down his name for us to look him up on facebook, someone remembered the question of what our mothers would say. They perked up and asked "What would your mother say if they could see you right now?"

He said she would be very proud.

The brighter side of fear

My heart is in Israel. Today was the day where I realized that my roots here are stronger than just simply being Jewish. My roots dig deep into the ground where millions before me have walked. My home may be in the West, but heart belongs in the East. It's not like something revolutionary happened. I'm on a usual host weekend in Nes Ziona. It has been a great weekend.. a lot of fun and also a lot of rest. No, nothing out of the ordinary happened. It was really when we were lying in bed after lunch at Maya's relatives when life in a sense changed for me. I'm not sure if I'll be able to vocalize this, and a lot of it is personal and I don't find the need to share on a blog, but something happened. Life was put in perspective as I layed on the bunk bed between two of my best friends. The light of day had been shut out by her blinds and a sleep playlist flowed out of her cell phone. My mind felt like it was screaming and I breathed quietly hoping my heavy thoughts wouldn't wake up my sleeping friends. I thought back to my life at home. I've had a really great, safe, comforting, cultured childhood. I grew up in an exceptionally wonderful family and have the greatest friends. I've always had a nice social life and can always count on the Jewish community to support me in all I do. Basically, I had it made. So why on this afternoon in Nes Ziona, mid-nap, did everything feel so... wrong? I don't want to live my life like I did for the past seventeen years of my life. It's almost too perfect, planned out, and safe. I don't want to know exactly what I'll be doing four Thursdays from now or feel tied down in a society that doesn't seem to suite me anymore. I love my life here.. and I love my life at home. I just don't know how to go back to that mold of how I was before Israel. I don't think I'll fit into it anymore. I'm in the "half-way through TRY" freak out mode. I've had such an incredible, life changing experience so far.. but I feel like I have so much farther to go. How can I go from a 24.7 feeling of community to school, a job, dance, juggling friends, and other every day struggles? I tried to shut out all of these thoughts, but they bombarded me until I had to get up and write. I'm so happy right now, that I'm scared. Can it be that happiness is only the brighter side of fear? Is it just another example of the theory, "what goes up, must come down?" I know that everything comes to an end eventually and that it's not the destination that counts, but the journey that takes you there, but why is it so damn hard to come to terms with?

wanting 75

I've been trying to avoid this blog since last week, but I guess I would have to come to terms with it eventually. It's honestly been the biggest rollercoaster of emotions in the past week and I'm finally settling into the norm again. Three boys got sent home on Wednesday night and it was one big blur of tears, anger, disappointment, and confusion. Unfortunately one of the boys was Matan, who has been going to camp with me for as long as I can remember. Another was Max who I had just became friends with, and the other Jordan, who I hadn't gotten the chance to really get to know yet. It's such a shame to have friends, or those who could have been friends ripped away from a setting like this. Thousands of miles away from our real family we've had to make our own family here. 75 was such a complete number... a number we all wanted to keep so badly. The three of them made a poor choice to drink on campus. I'm not saying that everyone should go out and get drunk on weekends, but you'd think they could have at least waited a few days. They made a stupid choice, therefore had to face the consequences. The best way to sum up the experience is just that it sucked. Everything about it sucked. All day Wednesday the three boys sat up in the office and no one was really sure if they'd be sent home or not. There was a huge strain in the group and everyone was really tense. Eventually, we got the word that they would be sent home in the morning. It effected all of us in our own ways. Some were bawling, others were silent or cried quietly to themselves. All we wanted was 75. An hour or so later, we got word that Matan and Jordan would be sent home in an hour. We panicked. AN HOUR?! How are you supposed to just say goodbye in an hour? It was so unfair. We crowded in their rooms and watched them fold and pack up all their belongings. Miriam, Mayan, and I sat on a cabinet and watched as Matan's room became emptier and emptier. As the hour ticked on, we migrated upstairs to say goodbyes. It was so surreal. I remembered sitting on Mt. Rainier this past summer with Miriam and Matan talking about TRY. I remembered how bad he wanted to come. I remembered how excited I was to see the two of them at the airport in New York. All of these memories hit me as I hugged him goodbye. After my farewell to Matan, I made my way over to Jordan and hugged him goodbye as well. I told him that I was sad that we didn't get to talk more. He told me he was too and that he knew we could have been friends. It made my heart sink, but also slapped me in the face with reality. Do we ever really know how long we have with a person? Absolutely not. We take so much for granted. Everyday I take being here in Israel for granted. Hell, I even take being alive in general for granted. I was given 74 individuals to get to know, to learn from, and for them to learn from me. I thought I would have 74. Honestly, you have no idea when "the end" will be with anyone. It's so vital that we understand and accept this. It's never easy knowing that today could be the last day, but it's also the truth. How can we take this and use it to our advantage? Never turn down the opportunity to get to know someone. No matter how much you judge or label from day one, you can be pleasantly surprised. This is sort of the experience I had with Max. I didn't really give him a chance in the beginning. At some point, we started talking and hanging out and I realized that he was one of the nicest guys I've ever met. It made me realize how many people I probably passed by at home. How many people do I walk past in the hallway without giving them the light of day. How many potential friends have I turned down simply because of my own stupid judgement? One of the quotes that has impacted me the most so far on my adventure here is "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." It's true. Each morning when you open your eyes think to yourself.. this is the youngest I'll be for the rest of my life. Nothing else really matter because TODAY is the first day. It gives us a chance to have a clean slate and a new beginning. So with that.. what are you going to do with the first day of the rest of your life?

pictures...

Above: Roommates (left to right-- Ilana, Dafna, Ava)

This weekend in Nes Zyyona

At the top after a hike at Kibbutz Ketura

Beach in Nes Zyyona





Again, Nes Zyyona

Nigerians, the Jesus lemon, and a tractor scare

Thursday was a pretty interesting combination of events. We started our Christianity unit in ICC, so since Thursdays are Tiyul days, we went to Ein Kerem, the Christian quarter. We stopped at a look-out on the way which was located in some Christian area. It overlooked the Mt. of Olive and also the Temple Mount. It was so interesting being somewhere where three prominent religions co-existed. The call to prayer went off just as the church bells rang as we stood overlooking the cemetary. It was so powerful and gave me hope that maybe some day we can all try and put our differences aside. I know it sounds cliche, but in that moment, it felt so real. It's a little ironic talking about peace when that same day in Jerusalem, there was a terrorist attack right by our nearby mall. Some Arab-Israeli attempted to ram a bus with his tractor. The bus was filled with Israeli kids in Purim costumes on the way to the hospital to cheer up patients. It's so different hearing about attacks while you're here as opposed to at home. As our ICC teacher told us the news, jaws dropped and tears welled up in our eyes. We grasped onto each other as Alan continued to tell us that it happened at the intersection before Malcha Mall, the place that a lot of us would have gone to later that night on our free night. It was a reminder that even though I'm living in my own little American, perfect society, I'm still in a country that is conflicted in many ways. People told me that I was crazy for coming here and jokingly told me to not get blown up. Maybe I am a little crazy and while living here, not getting blown up is not a joke, but an actual concern. I'm not filled with terror or tempted to go home at all. The little bit of fear is a part of living here. We don't let it get to us. We read the news, let the fear take us over for a minute, then go out to the store anyways. That is the essence of being Israeli. On a lighter note, I'll continue with my Christianity Tiyul. Once we got to Ein Kerem we stopped by Mary's Spring and took notes. I slept (oops), then we ventured to the Church of Visitation. It was really pretty inside and the gardens outside were beautiful. Suzanne and I spotted a lemon tree and debated whether or not it was sinful to take one. We decided to pluck one anyways and named it the Jesus Lemon and saved it for a snack later. After a few churches, monks and crosses later, we happened upon a large group of Nigerian tourists. They were in awe of us. They had never seen white, American Jews before and they flocked us and attempted to speak English with us. More and more came and took pictures with us and told us to visit them in Nigeria. The funny thing was is that they were so kind and sweet that it made us want to take a trip there. The day ended at the sight where the last supper is assumed to have taken place. Even though it's not a holy place for Jews, you could sense the significance and impact it gave to the Christian tourists around us. This kind of understanding should be the basis for our search for peace. We don't need to completely "get" the other religions, nor do we need to know all the answers. If we can at least understand or "agree to disagree" respectively, then we'd be one step further to peace.

vacation from vacation

I'm in love with Israel. I'm in love with TRY. I'm in love with my community. Kibbutz Ketura truly launched TRY into full swing. We spent the five days hiking in the desert, swimming in Eilat, walking on the board walk, doing watercolor, praying, and relaxing. We all like to call it vacation from vacation. The one complaint I have was the weather. The first day we showed up and it was sunny and beautiful, leading us to expect pure desert bliss for the next few days. After waking up the next day to windy, raining hell, we were snapped back into reality very quickly. The tour guide told us that the rainfall we had during the few days was the amount of rain they get on average annually. That WOULD happen to us. Otherwise, it was a relaxing trip filled with great food and bonding. If six days in the desert can't bring a group together than I don't know what can. They mixed up the rooms so we all got a chance to live with new roommates. I absolutely adored mine and we had the greatest times turning our bathtub into a jaccuzi and having other people over for sleepovers. The food was also a nice change of pace with fresh fruits and vegetables, tons of meal options and the best bread ever. Shabbat was particularly windy and yucky outside, but we had an amazing time regardless. The service was the first one I really enjoyed since being here. It reminded me a lot of our synogogue at home and was filled with joy and good spirits. On the last day, we took a six mile bike ride to Yodvata, the kibbutz that makes all the delicious dairy products. It was pretty hot out which is funny since only the first and last days of our trip were sunny. The bike ride was beautiful and we even got to see the border of Jordan and Israel. After the ride we indulged ourselves in THE best ice cream and loaded the bus back home. It was sad to leave this utopian society, but I guess the reality had to snap back in sometime. Thank God reality ain't so bad when you're living in Israel :)

thinking

I feel like my brain is on overload here. There is a constant buzz of thoughts, feelings, confusion, understanding, and emotion intermingling. On the first or second day of TRY, the principal told us that the point of coming here is to make us leave more confused. At first, I really couldn't understand it. Weren't we supposed to leave here knowing who we are and where to go from here? No. In the few weeks that I've beenmy own eyes and not through some pictures in a textbook. Maybe it feels so here so far, I've realized that leaving completely fulfilled would be a load of crap. Life isn't about knowing all the answers. In fact, there is no way in hell we'll even get close, but it's about knowing how to ask the right questions. If I leave here knowing how the ask the right questions, then this experience will be completely worthwhile. It still hasn't hit me that I'm here. I'm wondering if it ever really will. Life is like a whole different world here. Living in a dorm, going out with Maya and her friends, seeing the sites here with weird because I feel like my life has just begun. An old chapter has closed, and a new one has just been opened. I think the hardest thing about this experience will be coming home. Trust me, I'll be really happy to see my friends again, and hang out in the summer, but I think it will feel like that old chapter will be reopened. How can you go back to where you started when you already left it? Independence is an amazing thing. You learn how to love and accept others, but also to love yourself. For all of you who still haven't opened that new chapter, know that there is a whole new mass of opportunities just around the corner, and for those of you who have already opened it, accept it, appreciate it, and embrace it. Life is good!

Shabbos number 4

After a crazy week there was nothing I wanted more than to have a relaxing Shabbat. For the first time on Host Shabbat, we didn't go to Maya's, but instead stayed at the Dan Boutique with Miriam's parents. Although I love going to Maya's, it was nice having a weekend of nothing but sleep, food, and relaxation. School was easy as it usually is on Fridays and on my break I went up to the marketplace and bought a small chocolate croissant from the bakery. Classes ended at about 11:15, so I packed for the weekend, cleaned the room, took out the trash and hung out until 1:00 when the Bornstein's picked us up. We dropped the stuff back at the hotel and went out to a late lunch at Lavan, a restaurant located inside the Cinemateque where Rosa got locked in the bathroom 8 or so years ago. It's weird how random memories stick with you. Anyways, I had pasta which was AMAZING, and we sat next to the window which showed the most incredible view of Jerusalem. We headed back to the hotel for a nap and woke up a little before seven to go downstairs for dinner. Becca joined us, and we spent the next hour or so talking and eating large amounts of food (especially Miriam and I.. after being on TRY you start hoarding food). We dropped Becca back off so we could see her dorm, which is quite nice for a college dorm, and yet again headed back to the hotel to sleep. Saturday was insanely stormy... like I'm talking serious hail, rain, thunder, lightening and wind. I don't think I've seen anything like it in.. well, ever? We stayed in bed pretty much all day besides meals, and for an hour or so we had tea and read in the lounge downstairs. For the first time all day, we went outside and bought some food and other essentials from the market, then walked to dinner. We ate at a place called Colony, which was very American, but also very hip. It reminded me of a lot of restaurants in Boise... antiquey furniture, excentric lighting, cozy atmosphere, you get the gist. It was the whole Bornstein family, me, Becca's friend, and another family friend who is in the army. I had a burger and some chocolate souflee thing for desert. As it reached 10:00, we went back to the hotel to pick up our things and headed back to the chava. It's always bittersweet coming home. Sad, because it's kind of like coming back to "jail," we're pretty restricted here, but also happy because it's so welcoming and you forget how nice the atmosphere is in the dorms. Sunday, which here is a school day is jam packed and exhausting. I've finished most of my classes and am on a three hour break, but I go back at 3:40-6:30. Two hours of that is AP econ which I'm by myself and get lectured straight for the full time. It's pretty much my idea of living hell, so I always dread it. We have a huge ICC test on Tuesday, so everyone is really looking forward to Thursday when we leave for Kibbutz Ketura. It's a 6 day vacation without school or ICC (WHOO!) and we're going snorkeling, bike riding, among many other things. I'm counting down the days...

Officially the busiest week ever: Readers Digest Version

This week was literally the epitome of insanity. I only had school on Sunday, Wednesday, and half of today (Friday). The beginning of the week was spent being checked for lice and washing clothes and sheets. There was a huge lice outbreak and everyone was exhausted since there are so many of us needing to be checked or hair that needed to be washed. Luckily I didn't have it, but I'm sure by the end of TRY I'll have it at least once. Backtracking to the weekend, Miriam and I eventually ended up in Nes Ziona after 1. being abandoned in an empty train station.. no one told us the trains don't run on shabbos, 2. being interrogated by Israeli police for taking photos on the sidewalk?, and 3. taking 3 different taxis. It was a nice weekend besides the fact that we were exhausted and again managed to go to sleep at 5 am after going out for burgers at 3. We woke up at 10 the next morning and went to the beach. It was amazing outside and we packed a lunch and ate it while sunbathing next to the ocean. We came back later at night and after attempting to do homework until 1:00 am, I went to sleep. On Monday morning we left for the Old City, Masada, and the Dead Sea. The Old City was cool, but we had strict boundaries in where we could go, so I pretty much went only to the ultra tourist spots. After a few hours in the Old City, we boarded the bus again and headed off to the Ein Gedi Youth Hostel. We had dinner, which compared to the food here was great, and went to bed at 8:00 so that we could wake up again at 3:40 for Masada. At the crack of dawn we got on the bus yet again and were dropped off in blackness at the base of the mountain. Suzanne and I were wide awake and in good spirits and set off singing and bounding in the darkness. For the first time really since we've been here I felt like we were really a community. Everyone helped each other and encouraged each other especially those who has asthma or simply needed some extra help. It was the smallest, kind gestures that got everyone up the rocky path. Half-way up we stopped for prayer, breakfast, and sunrise. It was truly breath taking to stand in front of Masada as the sun seeped through the clouds. It was a davening experience that I will never forget and as we headed up the other half of the way, we were deep in though and in good spirits. We spent about 3 hours on the top touring, discussing, learning and listening. The way down was rough on the knees, but we made it and set off to the Dead Sea. We ate at the Dead Sea Spa and the food was amazing... I've realized how much better food tastes when you're used to eating complete crap. Even mediocre tastes incredible. Anyways, it wasn't very warm out and it was really cloudy so I decided against actually going in the Dead Sea. I've already been in, and everyone said it was horribly painful, so a few cheesy floating pictures just weren't worth it. I put on some Dead Sea mud and washed it off in one of the hot springs pools. That pretty much sums up Tuesday. Wednesday is one of the two super long school days. Regardless of the three hour break mid-day, 6:30 is just too late to finish school. By the time I was done and finished dinner I hung out with people in the hallway and passed out shortly after. Thursday truly topped off the sheer insanity of the week. We were off on yet another full day Tiyul in which we went to Bar Kochba caves, a Roman ampitheater, and on an archaeological dig. All of which were really fun, but tiring and on the way back all hell broke loose. One of the two buses was hit straight on by a man who fell asleep at the wheel.

Shabbat Shalom

I'm sitting in history and am soo ready for the weekend. I spent ALL day Wednesday in bed with my roommate sick. It was a cycle of sleep, tea, eating and some more sleep. At one point we got so bored we got up and swept the whole room, which is really disgusting and took out the garbage, which there was a lot of. I'd say the highlight of my day was when Claire brought us Oreos. We were THRILLED. Anyways, this Thursday we went to Park Canada and the Israel Museum. It wasn't my favorite Tiyul-- kind of dull. I'm still trying to figure out why the park is called Park Canada.. hello! This is Israel? Apparently they donated money or something. Anyways, it was a battle sight of the Macabbes but I was too distracted to really pay attention in ICC. The highlight of the Israel Museum was the "ahavah" sculpture which I remember posing on eight years ago with Rosa. This time, we all climbed on it and got screamed at by a museum guard. We made it in time for a few pictures before we scrambled off and avoided got eaten alive by the angry guard. I saw a few things that I remembered from my last trip to Israel at the museum. It was pretty interesting since not a lot of things here are that familiar from last time. Today I woke up feeling worse than I did yesterday. I took a Sudafed and now my nose is running like crazy. I already went through a toilet paper roll in two periods. Oh, I forgot. Shabbat here is amazing. During my first break I went to the little marketplace right by the Chava. It's filled with flowers to buy for shabbos and the bakery puts out all of its freshly baked pastries. I went with my friend Hanna who knows EVERYONE that works there. After saying hi to the falafel guys, the flower guy, and the pastry guys, we bought some sweets and coffee and ate in the center. It's so pleasant and everyone is in good spirits. It's so weird to hear people say shabbat shalom instead of have a good weekend or whatever.. I'm still getting used to it. I'm going to Maya's house in Nes Ziona again, just like last weekend. I'm looking forward to good food and hanging out with her friends again.. hopefully this time I'll get a little more sleep. I love Fridays here since we get a half day, and we leave for Tel Aviv at about 12:15... Still have to pack! What's new. Anyways, maybe I should attempt at actually listening in history. Everyone around me is on facebook. so distracting.. Shabbat Shalom!

The Kotel

My heart still races when I think about my experience at the kotel. I was so fully blown away by it that my mind clears, but also fogs over when I try to put it into words. My Jewish life so far has been a blur of shabbat dinners, Friday night services here and there, Hebrew school, and various other technically "Jewish" obligations. What I have learned here is that being Jewish shouldn't be an "obligation." It shouldn't be something we dread or something our parents drag us to because it's the "right thing to do." No, being Jewish should bring the kind of feelings I had while sitting quietly next to an emense ancient wall. Being Jewish should be the tears I cried as I wrote my letter to nudge into one of its many cracks. Being Jewish should feel like our past and our future is at a standstill. All of these things and more were felt at the Kotel. You simply can't get these feelings at home. You can't feel this connected in Boise. I've realized that you don't have to know everything. You don't have to believe everything.
These are a few conclusions I made at the Kotel:
1. Life is simply WAY too short to care about the little things. For all we know, WE LIVE ONCE. Maybe not.. Maybe so, we don't know. I know people always say "seize the day, live in the moment, blah blah blah, and other "motivational bullshit"' but at the kotel I realized how important this is. Each second, minute, hour, day, and so on is a gift. You have a choice each moment on what to do with it, but you won't get it back. Each minute you waste is one that is gone forever. It's so vital that we don't let these gifts go by. I really can't stress that enough.
2. Most questions will go unanswered. We won't know what happens after we die. We won't know if there is a God or not or even what the word "God" means. People spend too much time killing themselves over it. What matters is what you feel and what you feel connected to. We need to move on from those "unanswered questions." It's important to wonder... but to dwell is a waste of time.
3. Forgive. It's not worth the energy spent on being angry. If someone screwed you over either let them go respectfully as a friend, or find it in your heart to give them another chance. People that waste weeks and years on being angry only make their own lives a living hell. It's simply not worth it.

The only word I can use to sum up my evening at the Western Wall is "WOW."
Wow-- The golden sunset falling behind the hills.
Wow-- The diverse array of women praying their own silent prayers.
Wow-- The elderly woman bawling behind me.
Wow-- My mind racing and eyes welling up.

After walking away from the wall, my ICC group met in a circle to talk about our experiences. For some, it was the first time there, for others their 10th. At that moment it didn't matter. Honestly, nothing mattered but the fact that we were there-- all of us together. We sang Oseh Shalom as our eyes welled up with tears yet again-- the first timers, the boys, our Madrichim, and those of us who had been there before. For that very moment, that very precious gift of a moment, we were in the most holy place in the world, and we were there together.

Ein Gedi (if I can even remember that far back!)

I had my first peek at the Dead Sea on the way to Ein Gedi. The bus ride there was so utterly beautiful. I sat next to Suzanne and we listened to Israeli music as we squealed at the palm trees and the crystal blue water. Israel gives you a sense of fullness. I'm full of happiness. I'm full of spirit. I'm truly filled with Israel. It finds a way of seeping inside of you... I can't even explain it. We finally got off the bus and the air was dry and warm. Looking up at the huge cliffs surrounding me, I felt small... but not insignificant. We set off to conquer the hills. After about 10 minutes we were all huffing and puffing and whining about how out of shape we were. A hike on its own can be strenuous, but try doing it in the middle of the desert! BAH! As we always do on tiyuls, we broke into our ICC groups and did some activities and took notes from a few lectures. ICC can be a bit of a struggle for me. All of us come from different religious backgrounds and a lot of things people/he says really irritates me. Personally, I don't think a lot of things legitimately happened in the Torah, in fact I think most or even all is fiction. It's been a challenge seeing it taught more as history and embracing it with an open mind. It's easier to just shut it out and scoff at it, but I've been working on being more accepting and valuing the story, not taking it as history. Anyways, after learning, we sort of meandered about and hiked through Ein Gedi. There are beautiful springs and waterfalls all over and everyone was in awe of the sheer beauty of the place. Nearing the end of the hike when we were all dusty, sweaty, and cranky, we met at the nearest "watering hole" or however you can explain it, and jumped in and splashed around. We were all in good spirits after cooling off and hiked back towards civilization for some ice cream. One ice cream sandwich later, we were back on the bus and heading towards home again. It was an incredible trip and if I wasn't so tired I would have explained it in more detail and a lot better I'm sure. Sorry these are getting less coherant as time goes on.. the lack of sleep seems to be getting to my head :). I'll write about my free weekend in Nes Ziona after a relatively decent night's sleep.

mid week update

TRY is in full swing now. Between classes, Tiyuls (trips), and attempt at homework/studying, free time is a rarity. It’s so fun living in dorms and feeling more independent. At night when we all study in the hallways people order in food or walk to the falafel stand. We’re starting to build a community and it’s really exciting. The weather has been super pleasant lately. Not too hot where you’re uncomfortable and not too cold either. The sun is always out and it reminds me of early spring in Boise. The school schedules here are so odd; a lot like college. Tomorrow I have classes until 6:30 at night, but a bunch of random breaks throughout the day. On Sundays (yes we have school on Sundays), I have a three hour mid day break. It’s about the only time of the week I have alone time. Today we went on a trip to Sataf, I can’t tell you what it is because no one knows. Shoshana says it’s a place where they grow agriculture in the mountains. Miriam says it means ripening. Obviously Israeli Core Course is SUPER helpful J. In a nutshell, it has a bunch of stuff growing on it, and a water tunnel. It was absolutely beautiful and luscious. You could literally see for miles. One of the coolest parts was walking through the water tunnel. It was insanely narrow and claustrophobic, but there were tiny candles in crevices and it opened into a huge room. Water was dripping from rocks, and it was super humid. The space was pitch black, but we all gathered around with flashlights and then walked back. After coming back to the Chava, Miriam and I walked to the falafel stand for dinner. Trust me, there’s only so much chava food I can take. It’s literally HORRIBLE. I have never had worse food in my life. Lunch today was some random meat on popsicle sticks, rice, eggs, hummus, cereal, and some unidentified substances. It’s not food. Anyways, after that we had cleaning night, which was surprisingly fun. Our room was a pig sty and we all got really into straightening it up. The hallways are sick too so we soaped and hosed it which ended up with a huge flood in which everyone got soaked. Everything is just more fun here. Living with 35 teenagers makes life so much more exciting. Life is good, I’m happy, and this is crazy fun.

shabbos on TRY

An Israeli shabbat is a shabbat to remember. The streets are hushed and all problems and stress floats away. On Friday night we got dressed in our shabbos clothes (compliments of ally :] ), and took pictures on the lawn. Although it wasn't as warm as it's been the past few days, the sun shown through and it was a cloudless day. We had signed up for synogogues the day before, and we walked to our temples in groups. I chose the reform synogogue because I'm not the biggest fan of Conservative or Orthodox, even though I'm on a conservative program. TOO MUCH PRAYING. it's overkill. we pray three times a day, its ridiculous. but anyways, I was one of the few that actually enjoyed the service. It dragged a little, but they harmonized beautifully and the people were all really nice. Afterwards, we walked back and had dinner as a group. Aside from getting locked in the grundgiest bathroom ever for about 7 minutes (scariest thing ever), it was a nice evening and after some song and dance, we head to bed. In the morning, we went to Kedem, a conservative synogogue in the area. It was too long and there were a few things that were just really weird. They had a nice oneg outside and most people spoke English which was nice. We spent the rest of the day lazing in the sun, napping, reading and spending time together. The end of the evening we did Havdallah. It was amazing all being together arms linked, as cliche as it sounds, and sharing our experiences of our first shabbat in Jerusalem of TRY '09. I cant tell this is going to be one hell of an adventure, and I mean that in a good way.

week 1 part 1

Feb 1: So sorry its been so long since I last wrote. Things are literally insane here. Every waking hour is spent doing something so a spare minute is a rarity around here. Also, the internet is really bogged down during the day, SO the strategy is staying up until 2 when no one else is on. Problem is, it's a little tiring. Anyways, things are really great now. HUGE strides since the last post. People are opening up and things are becoming more routine. I've made a lot of friends and we already went to the Negev and had our first shabbat on campus! Our trip to the Bedouin tents in the desert was seriously incredible and spiritual. We took a three hour bus ride south and when we got out it was about 75 degrees (amazing!). We met some Bedouin folk and took turns riding camels to the site. I was expecting some aluminum shack and some dust, but instead it was this middle eastern villa with beautiful open windows, candles, and tiling. We spent the day hiking, praying, exploring, singing and being together. At night we sat around in groups of five on pillows and ate fresh pita with hummus, vegetables, and other dip. I had great company and we spent dinner laughing and sharing stories. Afterwards we went out around the campfire and roasted marshmallows while people played guitar and sang. The stars were numerous and beautiful, and for the first time, I really felt like this would be a seriously incredible experience. In the morning we hiked out/cameled out near the Egyptian border. We broke into our ICC (Israel Core Class) groups for a study session. My teacher is Alan, who is great and very knowledgable. He explained to us that he wanted us to go out by ourselves in the Negev and speak to God aloud. I have definately been told to go off and meditate or think in peace and quiet, but never have I actually spoken aloud. At first it was awkward. I felt weird sitting by myself speaking to no one in particular, but it got easier. In a few minutes I was going off about everything and anything. It was really powerful sitting on the sand of so many before me. You can sit in Hebrew School or Sunday School for five hours a day and learn, but the kind of powerful connection I felt in the Negev is like nothing you can get at home. In Israel as a Jew, you form a sudden bond to your homeland. It's an incredible place and I will never forget that experience. Later in the day, we returned back to the Chava for a shower and some prep-time before we headed out for our first "free night" of the program. This night, they decided to help us out a bit before actually setting us free to wander completely. They taught us how to use cabs here and phrases to use in them. We headed out for the biggest mall in Israel and were on our way to seeing Maya (my friend who lives here) and Becca (Miriam's sister). It was a really exciting reunion having all four of us together. We meandered around the mall browsing shops and buying odds and ends we needed for school or our dorms. After saying our goodbyes we got back into the taxi and headed home for the chava.

this too shall pass

I dont even know what day it is honestly. I'm so disoriented and so far it's been one hell of a roller coaster. I'm so jetlagged and exhausted I can barely write this... but today and yesterday were really hard days. I miss home more than I ever thought i would. Actually, I miss having friends. I have Miriam, but the other people all know each other which makes it that much harder to break into the group. To quote Joni Michell, "you don't know what you've got till its gone." It's so true. I know that (well hope that) this experience is the life changing one they've been raving about, but I honestly have never felt this isolated in my life. I don't want you all to be worried about me or have a sob fest, but I thought I'd tell it like it is.. since this is my ups and downs of Israel. Anyways, It's insanely hard being away from home. I have realized how much I take things for granted, even the simple things like... friends?! (ha, funny.. but not so funny when you're chilling alone haha). Anyways, the best thing to keep in mind is "Gam Ze Ya'avor".. which in english means "this too shall pass." It's a reminder that when things are the worst of the worst (cough TRY '09 haha), those hard times will pass by soon enough, and that when you're on top of the world, it is important to cherish the moment because these times pass as well. SO moral of the story is: even though this is hell right now.. hopefully the hard times will pass. Oh, and I'm off to ride a camel and sleep in a Bedouin tent tomorrow. Let's cross our fingers I make it back in one piece. thank you and goodnight.

goodbye america..

Jan 25th: I seriously can't believe I'm actually leaving. All the days I counted down, and hours I spent on the phone with Miriam talking about how much longer we still had to go. I remember sitting in my classrooms crossing off days in my agenda and making packing lists. Well, here I am, bags packed and cab coming in half an hour. It's bittersweet; bitter because it means that in reality, I'm actually going to be gone.. separated from my friends and family, but also really sweet, because it means I have new opportunities and amazing experiences waiting just around the bend. Anyways, it's going to be a lot harder to write these as I start actually having school and trips, but I'll try my best and keep reading. Keep in touch, and I love you all!

a few more pictures...

xoxo gossip girl

Jan 23: We started off the day with a bagel and cream cheese, which disappointingly was not that good. Personally, I think I'm partial to Blue Sky at home. Anyways, I managed to watch part of the Bachelor as I got ready and we set off on our Gossip Girl sites tour. First stop was the Van Der Woodsen apartment. I was very excited and so were the cluster of teenage girls also posing in front and taking multiple pictures.. I don't blame them, I almost had a heart attack when I saw it. :) On a more cultural note, (not that Gossip Girl isn't cultural), we stopped by the St. Patrick's Cathedral which is right across the street from the upscale apartments. It was absolutely beautiful inside and filled with people either praying, wandering, or snapping shots. We meandered our way through and set off onto the subway again for the next stop on our Gossip Girl tour. The subway ride was pretty uneventful aside from when we accidently walked down this sketch hallway which I refered to as the pee hallways since it massively smelled like urine. What are we? A third world country? We have toilets.. I dont understand. But, we made it out alive and onto 5th avenue. After taking a walk to Times Square which really isn't all that impressive in daylight, we walked around Rockefeller Center and I noticed a few sites shown on 30 Rock. That was also a highlight of the day. Anyways, we decided we would do that massively overpriced view from the Empire Statesbuilding thing just to say we did and headed in that direction. We were there at the perfect time since there was hardly anyone there and although it was a little foggy from the top, it was also an incredible view. So, after the view from the top we happened upon a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant which was very delicious and headed out to see Constance Billard/St. Judes (Gossip Girl private school). It was a fairly long walk, but we finally made it. It was a little less exciting because a lot more goes into creating the school then is actually there as opposed to the apartments. our way back There were random cars parked in the courtyard, plus it looked a lot smaller than on camera, BUT it was still cool and we made home after giving up on Bendels. I finished watching yet another segment of the Bachelor and quickly got ready to head out for Brooklyn. We went to shabbat services, although missed half of it, (what's new). It was a nice service and I couldn't help but notice that they get really into the songs.. not just loudness, but they all pick different notes and like attempt at harmonizing. It was like a jazz choir, or barbershop quartet or something... I dont even know. After, we walked over to Janet's friend's house for dinner. It was great; food, conversation, and company. I hit the wall half way through though because of the long day and the amount of land we covered today. At about 11:00 we finally made it out the door and back onto the subway and went home. The plans for the rest of the evening, which is technically morning now, include finishing the bachelor and sleep. Also technically speaking, since it is now 1:00 AM I leave tomorrow!! Whoo!

more NY pictures...

“The present in New York is so powerful that the past is lost.”

Jan 22nd: I woke up to my dad almost throwing up about every hour. At about 10:30 I brought him what was left of the ginger ale and got ready to go out and get some more and to explore Manhattan. I picked up a latte and chocolate croissant at the Hot and Crusty bakery, (gross name, I know), and meandered through the streets taking pictures and window shopping. I happened upon Duane Reade, the equivalent to Walgreens and picked up some last minute things I needed for Israel. After another hour or so of exploring and taking pictures, I returned to the apartment and lazed around. We’re planning on getting a bite to eat and taking it easy for the rest of the night.

from D.C. to New York

Jan 21st: For the first time in about two weeks, I finally had the chance to sleep in; a rare thing for a junior in high school. We woke up to a car with a dead battery, (shocker), and had to call AAA to jump it. Trust me; we were definitely excited to return that piece of junk. On our way home, we stopped at King David Cemetery to visit my grandfather’s grave. It was nice to see how many stones were placed on the grave, knowing that he was visited many times. We said Kaddish and headed home to pack for the train to New York. I shoved my stuff back into my two large bags and we headed to the Alexandria train station. It was a 4 and a half hour train ride, although I didn’t mind the time at all. We wrote in our blogs, played cards, read and ate. Finally, we arrived in NYC! When we got into the cab, there was a TV screen with the news playing and a touch screen to other links. It kept us occupied until we reached my Cousin Liz’s apartment. We ate dinner, got set up, and went to bed.

NObama

Jan 20th: The 5:45 alarm didn’t have its usual pang of annoyance, because today was Inauguration day and you could tell the city was already alive. We made it relatively quickly on the metro regardless of news reports of two hour waits, although it filled up very quickly short after. I could have sworn we were in Tokyo as we stood smashed into a subway car, but the air was filled with anticipation and excitement. The car seemed to bond together as we yelled “hello no!” to the poor people trying to thrust themselves into the already brimming metro. Obama buttons, hats, sweatshirts, and scarves were everywhere and we finally exited the metro and walked the rest of the way. It was truly amazing to see the sheer mass of people here for this one event and also inspiring to see the thousands of African Americans ready to see Obama sworn in as 44th president. We were all here together, as the American population, and I have never felt so connected to my country, as I did then. That patriotism soon faded as we fell upon the “line” designated for those of us purple ticket holders. It was more of a mass free-for-all, then anything resembling a line. No police men directing us, no signs, no organization whatsoever. After about an hour we funneled into an intersection where things were getting even more crowded. We were literally smashed together leaving us barely enough room to breath. People’s elbows were in each others backs, hair in mouths, and arms unable to move except for my hands clutching to my dad hoping to avoid separation. Things got even more heated when an ambulance attempted at getting through the madness. A man was screaming for us to back up, yet there was absolutely no where to back up to. I felt pretty bad for whoever was suffering from some type of medical emergency, because it took about 10 minutes for the ambulance to make it through the intersection. Shortly after, I heard a whistle and saw the crowd parting down the middle. Looking behind me, I saw Samuel L. Jackson escorted by a police man. We were all a little jealous seeing that life would be a lot easier being a celebrity. After a few snakes on a plane comments, the crowd went back to it’s normal claustrophobic chaos. Following about an hour and a half of confinement, there was a breakthrough. People started running, and we bounded after them. Hope filled the air as we thought the gates had opened again and we would make it onto the mall. The spark of hope soon fizzled out as we reached yet another massive horde of people, all of which were thoroughly confused as to what was going on. Time ticked by and we kept nervously checking our watches hoping to be let in on time. Patience was running low and the crowd was getting restless. Everyone would chime in chants such as “Let us in, let us in” or “PURPLE-PURPLE” as they thrust their tickets in the air. We all knew we weren’t being proactive, but it made us feel a little better about the situation. Yelling can do that. I looked back and an elderly African American woman stood behind me bracing her walker and clutching a small radio. A man yelled that Biden had now taken his oath and that Cheney was out. The crowd erupted in applause and cheers. It quieted down, and we all stood either on phones, hand held radios, or conversing to those next to us. A few minutes later, thundering sounds went off and everyone panicked. We all feared the worse and ducked, swore, and eye’s widened in horror. Was it gunshots? A bomb? A second later, we realized it was only the cannons marking Obama as 44th President of the United States. The mass silenced. The woman in her walker looked down, deeply saddened that the moment had passed without the chance to see it, but also a sense of joy that it had happened. The crowd dispersed and disappointment flooded the streets. We wandered to find a place to attempt at hearing the speech. In a few minutes, all was quiet. People from all walks of life clustered around phones, peered into windows to watch TV screens, and attempted to make out the speech through the gates separating us from the festivities. It was 18 minutes of peaceful, tranquil, silence. Okay, so I didn’t get to see it happen, but honestly, it was a feeling I can’t even explain in words. I felt like a chapter had ended and a brand new one had just begun. Not only on my own new life adventure, but in our nation as a whole. It is a new day, and a better one at that.

The adventure begins..

Jan 19th: Before heading into downtown D.C. to pick up our Inauguration tickets, we had to pick up the rental car from Rent-a-Wreck. Let’s just say it’s not the classiest of joints. After going through some random office to get into the main office, because the front door was jammed, my dad realized he had left his driver’s license in his pants pocket from the day before. So, we got a cab, drove all the way back home and then back again to Rent-a-Wreck, this time with license in hand. This should not be a surprise for any of you who have been on a trip with the Fink family. The front desk woman was slightly amused, although it was hard to tell due to lack of personality. She explained to us that while we were gone she had given away our car, and she would try and find something for us out back. Pointing to a (excuse my language) shit car, she said she would wait outside to make sure it would start, because it hadn’t been used for four months. This should have been the queue for us to request another car, because in addition to the faulty breaks, there was also the lack of defroster, weird dusty smell that came from the air vents, and the broken heater. Anyways, we took it regardless and drove to the metro station to head into the city. After emerging from the metro, we were bombarded by a mass of people, vendors, and Obama paraphernalia. My cousin Andrea and Uncle Marc called us and saved us a trip to pick up the tickets, so we met them at the Reagan building for lunch and the tickets. After some sushi and conversation, we headed out to the boondocks for a dinner arranged for my Dad and his fraternity brothers to catch up after 25 or so years. I spent the evening listening to many stories about their college experience. Whether it was the guy who drank so much he never moved from the couch, or the time where they knifed a ham to someone’s door in protest, it made me wonder what college life is really like. Ha.

“You never really leave a place or person you love, part of them you take with you ,leaving a part of yourself behind.”

Jan 18th: After doing some last minute packing in the morning, we set off for the airport, two large bags in hand and two cars full of friends and family. As excited as I was, it was really difficult leaving behind my mom, sister, and all my friends. I think I made it about five minutes before I burst into tears in the security line. After a long day of being on the plane and hanging out in the Chicago airport, we finally made it to D.C. where Faith Klein, my grandmother’s friend, picked us up. We drove home, ate a bowl of soup, and then fell asleep shortly after.