Monday, July 27, 2020

What a year-2020

Hello,
This year isn’t even over and it is already insane to say the least. I guess I’ll start from the beginning.

January: I went to the local zoo with my friend, her 2 kids, and my parents. It was a nice day to just hang out. Later that month my family and I went to EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts. It was a fun time. My niece loved it! At the end of the month I went to Universal with some friends. I almost flew off of Jurassic Park never to be seen again. But otherwise, it was a blast!!

February: One of my friends from my Masa program came down and we went to Magic Kingdom. We took so many pictures and showed off our sassiness. If I would’ve known now what was to come after, I would’ve gone to the parks one more time. Alas, this was my last trip to the parks before COVID-19 struck. Just a few days after going to Magic Kingdom, I was hit by a bad bronchitis (could’ve been covid but the antibody test was negative a few months after this). I was sick for days. I didn’t know how I sick I was when I participated in a charity bowl a thon. Had fun though.

March: covid was getting worse in the states and things were starting to shut down. But before that happened here, the family and I went to Universal for a nice fun day out. My niece loved splashing in the splash pad and riding the carousel. Overall, it was a great day! March 15th my job shut down. We were closed for 3 months. I worked 2 months out of our closure. Covid is a very scary disease. You can have it and not have symptoms and still spread it. The rest of the month I stayed home, went on walks, and did grocery pickups from Walmart. 

April: went back to work after having a month off. Work was nice. Peaceful and creepy at the same time. Covid was getting worse and people were in quarantine at home. I did mini photo shoot on my balcony to help with the boredom. My cat and I loved to be out there. 

May: since Covid took away my birthday plans, I went to work and celebrated there. Then went over to my brother’s house to celebrate with them and my niece. It was nice. I also tried to grow a garden during Florida’s wet season so that didn’t work. I also visited my parents since they were home alone. We hung out with my niece too. She’s a cutie!! At the end of the month my parents and I went to the beach and it was amazing. People kept distant from each other and it was peaceful. 

June: my niece turned 2!! We celebrated that. And then our state opened up restaurants and shops to 50%. So my friends and I went to brunch and to get drinks at Disney springs. We wore our masks and stayed apart from everyone else. We were trying to be responsible while being out. Went to work and hung out with my parents some more. And went to the beach. It was my niece’s first time and she loved it.

July: covid ruined our vacation plans so instead we went to the beach for dad’s birthday. It was nice. Then I had to work nonstop. Oh all while buying a house. So that’s where we are now. At the end of July. Working so much that my feet wish I had an office job. 

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Hi!

I'm still alive! I'm still in Israel. Here's the link to the awesome blog I'm writing for this trip: http://mylifeinterningabroad.blogspot.com/

Friday, September 11, 2015

Update from Israel!

Shalom from Tel Aviv! I am writing a separate blog on my trip and internship! click the link below!

My Internship Blog!

Friday, June 5, 2015

Guess what??

 I have this amazing opportunity to intern in Israel this September, in my field of counter-terrorism. I am raising funds to get there by participating in JNF's "Plant Your Way" program, which helps Israel at the same time as I raise funds for my trip. Please check out the link below for more information!

THANK-YOU!!
Help Israel and Help Me

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Life In Israel as a Study Abroad Student

38 days of studying abroad in Israel

Day 1:
From the airport we headed to the hotel in Jerusalem. Once we got to the hotel, we went downstairs and had dinner. Later That night we went out to get some wine and beer. The beer was not too bad; I only took a sip to try it. I ended up drinking some white wine. I like it a lot. After that we walked back to the hotel and went to sleep.

Day 2:
We Walked down to the Shuk (or market) and we walked around. Everything looked amazing. I bought some dried fruit. After that we went to an archaeological dig. We found some pottery and a giant rock. We also went through some caves and it was pretty cool. After the dig we went to a park with an amazing overview and we had a BBQ. We also went to the Kibbutz. That night a few of us went to Jerusalem and went to a pub and drank. It then started to pour, which is unusual for Israel in May.

Day 3:
The day started off with a brief lesson on the history of Israel. After lunch we took a tour of the Kibbutz (which was kinda cut short because of the rain). Once the rain had settled we took a tour of the Kibbutz's winery. While there we tasted a few different wines. Some were better than others, but my favorite was the white wine. After that we had a lesson on current events in Israel. We then had some free time before heading to the city by bus and train. We had dinner in the city. Of course I got shawarma and falafel in pita. Since we were already in the city, we all went out for a drink.

Day 4:
Day 4 was an uneventful day. We went to the mall and had a free day. I also took a midnight walk around the kibbutz. It was beautiful and peaceful.

Day 5:
I woke up and decided to walk around the Kibbutz to wake up. After lunch, 3 of us took the short hike up to a Roman Crusade Castle and spent an hour exploring the ruins. The view was breathtaking. I probably could've lived there. Since it was a free day, I decided to read the book I had to read for class. I liked it but I wouldn't have picked that book to read. 10 of us decided to go out to the city to drink. The cab ride back was interesting.

Day 6:
Today was the first day of class. The classes that I am taking are Israeli Literature, International Terrorism, and the DIS (Directed Individual Study) on Human Trafficking. After class I had free time so I wrote my paper that was due.

Day 7:
Today we had class all day. In the lit class we talked about the book Blue Mountain and we talked about what we wrote in our papers. I wrote my paper as I was listening to the story being told. In International Terrorism we talked about the history of terrorism. I found it interesting how the revolutionary war could be considered terrorism. After dinner, we headed to the bus station to hand out surveys for the DIS. After the time was over, I went into the city and went shopping.

Day 8:
In lit class we watched a movie that was based in the same time zone as the book we read. It was very interesting and different to anything I have seen in the states. In terrorism class we talked about the different theories and how they relate to terrorists and criminology. Then again, after dinner we went to hand out surveys in the city for the DIS. Afterwards a few of us went out to drink in the city.

Day 9:
Today we had a tour of the Kibbutz. We also hiked down a mountain to the John the Baptist cave. We then went into the old city. We saw the church that was built over where Christ was supposedly crucified. We also went to the western wall. We then had dinner in the old city. We then drove north to the Galilee.

Day 10:
We started the day with a hike up a cliff. We were going to walked down the cliff but there were too many people before us and it would’ve taken forever to walk down. We then had lunch under olive trees. After lunch we saw an old temple ruins. It was cool. Next we walked to where the Jordan River and the Galilee meet. After a long day hiking and walking in the sun, we swam in the Galilee. I laughed a lot and almost drowned sorta kinda not really haha. The day ended with a family/group dinner in Tiberius.

Day 11:
Today we saw the capharnum aka where St. Peter had lived. We also saw a temple from the 4th century. We then went to the church that is on the mountain where Jesus gave his big speech. After that we went to Zefat.

Day 12:
Today we went to the Lebanon lookout and saw the Israeli and Lebanon border. We even drove near the border. We saw Murat aka a city that was formed during the first Aliyah. After that we kayaked down the Jordan River. We then had lunch in a Druze village and we learned about Druze. We concluded the day by visiting the Syrian/Lebanon/Israeli border lookout.

Day 13:
We started the day off with a visit to the Bahai gardens in Akko. We also spent a few hours in the old city of Akko. We even went through tunnels where I was one of only ones who could stand straight up! I love being short sometimes. We then went to Haifa to look at the Bahai gardens there. We ended the day in Zazaria where we sat on rocks and looked at the sun starting to set.

Day 14:
First day in Tel Aviv! I did laundry! Yay for clean clothes! I then spent a few hours at the beach! I missed the beach!

Day 15:
We had class today then went to Wix; a company that helps people builds websites.

Day 16:
We spent the day touring Old Jaffa.

Day 17:
Flew to Crete, Greece to start the long weekend! After we landed we went to a nearby village and shopped.

Day 18:
Today I explored a local village near the hotel. I then went to the beach and the got a fish pedi.

Day 19:
Day out on the boat! After dinner we walked to the village to shop. Most of us got fish pedis. I got mine for free because the lady remembered me from the day before. I also did the salt cave which was weird. A few of us just walked around and grabbed a late night snack then headed back to the hotel.

Day 20:
Flew back to Israel. Went to the clinic and found out my face has encountered an allergic reaction to something; I have tonsillitis and an ear infection (again!).

Day 21:
Class! In lit we watch The Syrian Bride. I hated the ended. It was weird. In Terrorism we talked how terrorists use organization. DIS we learned about research and human trafficking. After dinner I hand washed clothes. What a fun day!

Day 22:
Today was another class day (what a shocker). In Lit we talked about the book, The Bus Driver Who Wanted to be God and other short stories. I thought the book was good but weird. Like, really weird. In Terrorism we talked about Religious Terrorism. Who knew that some Buddhists were also terrorists? After dinner, I went out into town to hand out surveys for the DIS.

Day 23:
Today was very emotional for me. We went to Yad Vashem or the Holocaust Museum and Memorial. I cried whenever I read about things that happened in places where my family is from, especially the Minsk info. I wonder if I had family still living there during the Holocaust and if they survived or not. I want to look more into it and see.  After the museum we had lunch under some trees then headed to Hebrew University. During the tour of Hebrew University we got to see part of the West Bank and we learned about an attack that happened there. It was cool but a tad bit scary at the same time. We ended up having dinner in Jerusalem and it was Jerusalem Day! It was cool seeing the celebration! Bonus! It was my 9 year Bat-Mitzvah anniversary! After dinner we headed south for the weekend.

Day 24:
Masada! Since I’ve already taken the Snake Path, I took the tram up and down Masada. It’s safe to say that this time I didn’t fall going down Masada! I loved learning even more about Masada than I had previously learned. It’s such an interesting place. After Masada we headed to the Dead Sea. I like floating. I think floating in the Dead Sea is one of the coolest things I have experienced (even though it was my second time). After the Dead Sea we headed to Eilat, where I walked around the mall just because.

Day 25:
We were up bright and early to head over to Jordan! I can now say that I’ve walked in No-Man’s Land! Once we all crossed the border to Jordan, we headed to Petra! Petra is probably one of my newly found favorite historical places. The city is a lot cooler in person than in the movie Indiana Jones (just saying). I thought it was unique how they carved the city from the mountain. I would’ve given up somewhere near the beginning of building it and kept going. I didn’t, however, see any Transformers there. Once we got back into Israel after Petra, almost all of us went out to dinner to get cheeseburgers (like real Americans lol). I had this burger called a Ruben. It had cheese and bacon and meat and it was so good! The food made me miss my mother’s cooking.

Day 26:
Today was an adventurous day! I started my day with a walk around the Eilat mall and got another fish pedi (I love it). We all then went to see the Israeli/Egypt border. Afterwards we went snorkeling in the Red Sea. I saw so many different types of fish, but the fish I saw most was the Zebra fish. They are so cute! The coral reef was really cool too! I wish I could’ve swam around for a longer time. I loved it! After dinner we went on a “star tour” and we looked at different stars and constellations. We even got to see what Saturn and Mars looked like through a telescope. I wish we could’ve stayed out longer. I love looking at stars and staring at their beauty.

Day 27:
Today started off with an optional hike down the Ramon Crater. Some people did the hike, I did not. I decided that sleep was more important. Also, I am super clumsy so I didn’t want to get hurt or anything. After everyone got back, we went to a Bedouin camp and had some yummy food and tea! We then rode some camels. We named my camel Sparky. Apparently Sparky loved to poop lol. We ended the day with a drive back to Kibbutz Tzuba.

Day 28:
Another fun filled day of class! In lit class we watched a movie called Time of Favor. The movie is about an IDF solider that was in love with the Rabbi’s daughter and they weren’t allowed to touch or talk to each other but they did. The soldier’s friend was so into the rabbi’s studies that he took everything literally. The Rabbi wants the soldier’s friend to marry his daughter, the same daughter that is in love with the soldier. The soldier’s friend decides to take his jealousy and focus on something else. He plots to blow up the dome of the rock. The soldier, in the end, helps the IDF and Mossad foil the plan, but not before the friend is shot down by another soldier. In terrorism, we talked about terrorism and transnational crime and the difference between the two. After dinner, I went to the bus station to hand out surveys. Afterwards, the fun begins. We celebrated Alexis’ birthday. It was a blast!

Day 29:
Today I only had one class, Terrorism. In class we watched a movie called The Attack. It was about a man whose wife allegedly was a suicide bomber. The whole time, the man is looking for clues to why the cops believe that his wife is the bomber. In the end, he finds enough clues to believe that the cops were right but he doesn’t tell them. The movie was really good. I suggest everyone to see it.  For dinner, we had a very yummy Shavuot dinner. Plus cheesecake!

Day 30:
Today was a “religious” day. We started off the day going to a very unique Christian monastery that was in an Arab village that also has Jews in it. Abu Ghash is such a unique and cool village. The monastery that we went to was around during the crusades (or so I think). It was cool to learn about the history of the monastery and the monk’s life. He gave up everything and became a monk. I wouldn’t be able to do anything like that. I have a hard time separating from my clothes and cell phone as it is. Next we went to a mosque. We learned what it was like to be a Muslim in Israel and what Islam is. After hearing about Islam, I realized how closely related it is to Judaism and how there is a lot more overlap than I thought there was (which I thought that there was none). After lunch, we had Baruch tell us what it was like growing up an Orthodox Jew. I learned a tad bit more about my religion. His stories are very interesting to me.

Day 31:
Today we learned about security in Israel and about check points. It really is intense. We then went to a bus stop that was once used for a suicide bombing attack. There was a memorial set up by people in honor of those who lost their lives. We ate lunch at an overlook of Jerusalem and it was very pretty. After lunch we went to Nashashibi’s house and he told us his point of view. Nashashibi is an important and rich Palestinian. After that, we went into the west bank and to a Jewish community called Efrat. In Efrat we met a guy (I forgot his name) who told us his perspective. After dinner we did some more hours on handing out surveys for the DIS and then we went out to the bar because whatever. I came home early and went to bed. What a productive day!

Day 32:
FREE WEEKEND BEGINS! Today I basically did nothing but read and sleep. After dinner I went to Shabbat services on the kibbutz. It was really short, all in Hebrew, nobody was friendly, and nobody was together. Overall, I prefer the services back home. After the service I headed up to where everyone was having a bonfire. It was so much fun. I also learned that kosher marshmallows are gross.

Day 33:
Saturday in Jerusalem…you can’t go anywhere or do anything. What did I do? I read, then napped, read some more. Once Shabbat was over me and 2 other ladies went to a salsa club and salsa danced all night. It was really fun. Everyone is always surprised I can dance. It’s my secret weapon…lol jk.

Day 34:
My last day of this free weekend was spent in the Old City. I finished buying all my souvenirs for everyone. Afterwards, I went to the Western Wall to pray and to see it once more before I fly home early Friday morning. Only 4 days left of this adventure. I can’t wait to go home yet I am sad to leave.

Day 35:
Last week begins. Today in lit class we talked about the book Almost Dead. I liked the story. It's about a suicide bomber and a guy who has been in a ton of terrorist attacks and survived them. In Terrorism we talked about counterterrrorism. I think counterterrorism is such a cool job. After class I pretty much did nothing except I packed a little.

Day 36:
Last day of class!! There was no lit class today. In terrorism we talked about terrorism in the media. We discussed how the Dark Knight can be a symbol of terrorism. After lunch we had free time then after dinner we did the DIS. There was so much traffic at midnight. Lol.

Day 37:
Today we hiked to Safat, a nature preserve. We went through a cave which was really cool. After lunch I went into town to do some last DIS hours. After dinner we had a banquet where we said goodbye and received awards. I got most colorful and most random with my stories. Most people went out one last time but I stayed in and watched movies and had pizza.

Day 38:
LAST DAY :(
Today a lawyer came in and talked to us about how he used to be the person in the army who made the decision if it was ok to blow up things in civilian areas. We then packed up the bus and said goodbye to Tzuba and headed to Jerusalem. We then toured the Supreme Court. I thought it was cool. We then had one last meal in the shuk. On our way back to Tel Aviv we stopped at a kibbutz that had an underground bullet factory that was active during the War of Independence. After the kibbutz we headed to Tel Aviv where we had some free time to do last minute shopping and then we had one last family dinner. We ended the night in the airport.


Our journey may be over but the memories we made are forever. I met amazing and unique people who I cannot just call friends but I can call them family. I am so blessed and privileged to have gone on this trip and to meet these people. I can't wait until I can go back to Israel. <3

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Happy Summer!!

It's summer time!! Yay!! Cool off by the pool or ocean and grab some ice cream!! Don't forget the sunblock!! ;)