While I was away...

The past two weeks-ish was so crazy I can hardly remember everything that happened. It didn’t even feel like we were away from Tzuba for that long. Some days I have more to say about than other days. I’ll make things into sections so that you can skip around and read what you would like.

Day 1 - Thursday

We went up North and talked about making Aliya. We did the “Arrested Development” chicken dance with real chickens! 

Day 2 - Friday - Tel Aviv Day

We went to Tel Aviv. We started out by having Jewish History class on a hill up from the beach. We then walked around Tel Aviv learning about different parts. We went to a train station place that had a sort of market. They had a popup show I really wanted to go to but that day I left my wallet at the hostile and the popup show was 10 schekles so I couldn’t. But my friend did get me a really good spring roll from this little cart with vegan “chinese” food and it was amazing. We walked past a museum about the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) and there was like tanks and stuff. Then we went to the place the Hertizalium Gymnasium once stood. Learned a little about that.

Our Jewish History class walked to the Yemenite quarter and walked around in this area. We went to get food, but like I said I forgot my wallet so I just tagged along with anyone who would loan me some money. We went to the market area, then a craft fair area and eventually ended up at a little place to eat. I had french fries as usual. And of course a diet coke. Then we met back up with everyone else and went to the beach. At the beach me and some friends went way out into the water and road some waves. That was really fun but I did loose my sunglasses to the sea. After we went to services.

Services

We went to this service at a temple that was non affiliated. It was so amazing. I have never liked a service as much as thins one. I felt a spiritual connection, which is crazy for me. It was so wonderful. It was a very small room, but we all crowded in. I sat on the floor, extremely close to the rabbi. The songs were similar to what I am used to, but there was also a lot of songs that I didn’t know, but I went with the flow. They sang a “Let it Be” by the Beatles in hebrew and I loved it so much! They passed the drums around and I got to play one, I don’t know how but I really just went for it. Then we danced and stuff. We met some people who were on a program in Israel just like us, they were from Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. They were really cool.

Day 3 - Saturday

It was a very chill day. I slept a lot. We played lap tag. And I read most the day.

Day 4 - Sunday

While some people had to take the ACT, the rest of us got to go to the market. We split into group and took the light rail to the market. At the market in our groups we had different shopping lists and we had to run around and try and buy things. My group had to get peppers, cucumbers, and some other stuff I can’t remember. Then when we were done we were supposed to used the directions/map they gave us to get to a meeting location. Well we had time left at the market so my group split up to do our own shopping. (I bought some pretty rad pants). Then we were all supposed to meet up again, well the guy in my group who had our map and happened to be our top Hebrew speaker, decided to leave us behind. So we had to find our way there without him. Well after some help we got to the meeting place at the park and we had a picnic with everything everyone bought and played lap tag. After this we all headed back to the hostile where we had classes. Classes that day were a total joke. We went to our classes but no one had our materials and we were in a random place that we didn’t really know to well, so we just kinda chilled. That night was pretty interesting. In my room there was a total of six of us. Just a look at our evening; I was on the phone in a corner, two girls were laughing, one girl was throwing shoes, and everyone was screaming. Chaos was real.

Day 5 - Monday - Host Families

We headed out to see our host families. On the bus it was literally a party. We were all on one bus and there was music and we were dancing it was crazy. I got to Shoam and Nitzi and Yael picked up me and Rayna and we headed to the houses we dropped off Yael and Rayna then I went to Nitzi’s house and got settled in my room. A little later we met up with Yael and Rayna again and went to a place called Airport. It isn’t actually an airport but its a shopping area near the airport. So we went there and got some awesome ice cream and walked around shopping. Then we took the bus back to Shoam. The bus had wifi! Then me and Nitzi rested and got ready for the Passover Seder.

Passover

We went to Nitzi’s grandparents house and I met her family. Here is who was there: me, Nitzi, her mom & dad, her brother, her grandma & grandpa, her uncle & aunt, and her niece and nephew. We sat down for our seder and it was so great! At home I am used to reading the whole Hagada and my mom adding in extra and all kinds of other stuff. This seder was reading a few pages, singing some songs, and then we ate. The Hagada part of the seder was only about 20 minutes whereas at home it is hours! Then we ate all this amazing food! We had matzaball soup, and this weird potato chicken thing and just good stuff. Then we had the best cheese cake I have ever had in my life! And everyone got presents, they even gave me a present. It was so sweet. And the lotion they gave me is prime! Then after chatting and presents and more cheese cake we went home and slept!

Day 6 - Tuesday - Beach Day

We slept in which was a beautiful thing. Sleeping is cherished here, at least for me. We met up with Yael and Rayna and went to Tel Aviv to the beach around 11am. We got to the beach and it was a little over cast but we laid out to tan anyways. We went over to play in the water for awhile and we saw some dude doing yoga or something so we started copying him and got an interesting little workout in. Then we all took pictures with him. After this we decided to play a game, What are the Odds... it was so fun. We played football with some Italians, laid awkwardly next to some sun bathing men, took pictures with fat guys, ran with strangers, and all kinds of other funny stuff. By far one of the best ones was Nitzi running and purposefully falling in front of all these really attractive guys. 

Later we went to a different part of the beach and met up with some of Yael and Nitzi’s friends who were hosting some of me and Rayna’s friends. We played the game with them too. Then I met some soldiers and hung out with them for awhile. We were playing frisbee and playing in the water and dancing and they taught me some random words in Hebrew. It was really fun! By the end of our day at the beach it was like 5 or 6pm. We literally were at the beach all day! We spent so long there and my sunburn was intense! 

That night after we got back to Shoam and had showered and stuff, we went to hangout with some of the Israeli scouts! So we went to the park and met so many people I can’t even remember most of them. We played an Israeli version of lap tag which was fun except painful because my sunburn. Then we just hung out until like 1am and then walked home. We got home and I crashed out.

Day 7 - Wednesday - Start of Yam L Yam

Nitzi and me had some yummy food, I ate chicken! Then we met up with Yael and Rayna and went to the bus stop. It was actually so sad to leave. I really loved spending time with them. Then we headed up to pick up everyone else and start Yam L Yam. On the way to our first stop near the Kinneret we stopped and got McDonalds! Such a good thing to get before this trip! Then we got to a place just off from the Kinneret and began a water hike. After playing around in the water we bussed back up and headed to the first camp sight. At this camp sight we had some yummy food, and a little dance party and then got set up in our tents and passed out.

Day 8 - Thursday - THE HIKE

We went up a huge mountain! We walked a lot. I can’t really think about how to describe it much. We had to cook our own meals and navigate. We got pretty lost. We took way too many breaks and ended up hiking pretty much over 14 hours I believe. Or maybe I had just went delusional. We ate mostly cooked rice and lots of matza. The amount of matza consumed on this trip was unreal. I think I went through at least 2 boxes a day... by myself. When we got to the campsite we were at the top of the mountain and there was some cows and I was real sleepy. I had already gotten eaten alive by mosquitos the night before but throughout the day and that night as well, I was attacked further. That night I slept freezing cold and I think I died a little inside.

Day 9 - Friday - THE DECENT

Headed down the mountain now. Not much happened that didn’t happen the day before. It was a much easier day though. More matza was consumed. More rice too, but cooked better this time. At our lunch stop I was attacked by a herd of goats! I was just sitting down away from everyone else, meditating, doing my thing, and all the sudden...BOOM! Attacked by goats! One even chewed on my hair! Then they left and I was attacked by humans who kept asking me to teach them how to meditate and stuff. End of the hike we were at a chill camp ground and there was some peacocks and I was content because I found an outlet and charged my phone. And there was a real toilet, we weren’t supposed to use it... but I did!

Day 10 - Saturday 

It was Shabbat so we had a “chill” day. By “chill” I mean we were supposed to have an easier day, which we did, but it still consisted of a hike and stuff. We hiked down a mountain into a little valley with a stream and we hung out there for a long time. We had some food. I dunked in the stream. But I mostly just laid around and read “50 Shades Darker”. Then we hiked back up, which was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Then we kicked back for the most part. 

Day 11 - Sunday

It was a little rainy. We got on bikes and road from our camp sight to the Mediterranean. I believe it was about 8 miles. We road through a banana plantation which was pretty neat. When we got to the Ocean we all touched it at the same time as a group and then we had food and went swimming. We spent most the day at the beach and then headed to a kibbutz nearby. 

Day 12 - Monday

We woke up late and then hung out around the kibbutz. I finished “50 Shades Darker”!!!! Then we went back home, to Tzuba! Got our new rooms, ate pizza to break Passover, and went to bed!