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.