So this is the end of my journey. In eight days, I will leave my program. These last ten months have really been something else. It hasn’t always been easy or fun but looking back, it was a hell of a ride. In the past ten months I have accomplished the following:
-Visited two new countries (Cyprus and Jordan)
-Extensively explored the State of Israel
-Hiked more than I ever thought I would all over the country
-Witnessed a full year’s worth of Jewish holidays, many of which I had never even heard of
-Learned to windsurf (not very well but I still learned)
-Learned a new language
-Fully explored and consequently fell in love with Tel Aviv
-Took a road trip from the very north to the very south of the country
-Attended a workshop on becoming a medical clown
-Took a class in Krav Maga
-Witnessed speeches by Benyamin Netanyahu and Natan Shiransky
-Went skydiving
-Met a variety of new people from everywhere from California to Israel to Russia
-Made some very closer Israeli friends that I surely will not be forgetting any time soon
-Taught elementary school students about American customs
-Discovered that I definitely DO NOT want to make a profession out of teaching
I’m sure there is more that I am forgetting but this list will do for now. As I said, there have been highs and there have been lows but looking back on this list, not too shabby! You could say I have been very privileged to experience and do what I have experienced/done.
The next step: After I leave my program, I will embark on a month-long trip around Israel with 26 Jewish teenagers from North America and France. I can tell you it will definitely not be easy but it’ll definitely be interesting for sure. By the end of July, I will be able to say that I hiked 40 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee, spent multiple days/nights living in the desert and exposed 26 teenagers to the country in which I have been living for the past ten months. I can only hope they will take as much away from the experience as I have.
I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this and I will see you all on the other side of the pond.
Brian B.
Jun 20, 2012 @ 16:57:52
Congratulations on your accomplishments and good luck the rest of the way. Are you coming back to the DC area when you’re done?