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A month prior to my flight to Israel, I still didn't quite understand that I was about to embark on a journey abroad for 5 months, away from the comfort of my D.C. apartment and the presence of my friends at GW.  A week prior to my flight to Israel, I kept myself busy as I finalized the last details for GW's annual Welcome Week programming, organized the Student Association's Hurricane Harvey Fundraising Campaign, and coordinated the subletting process for my apartment. A day prior to my flight to Israel, I struggled to say goodbye to my friends, to delegate my work within the Student Association, and to prepare for the beginning of my study abroad program.

I had a hard time leaving GW, but rather than the fear of starting life in a new country, it was because of my hesitation to put a pause on what has been the best years of my life. At GW, I found my passion, my talents, and my community-- all the components that have helped me grow more than I could have ever imagined. In other words, I was afraid to miss my friends, my work, and my home. 

Eventually, I boarded my flight to Israel, with a 12-hours layover in Belgium, before arriving in Jerusalem on Sunday, Sep. 3.

...continue reading "When My J(ou)rusalem Begins"

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A view of the Old City of Jerusalem from the rooftop quarters of the Citadel Youth Hostel

What a whirlwind of a week. I visited Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv. I climbed the Mount of Temptation, visited ruins of the oldest city in the world, visited the tomb of Yasser Arafat, slept on a rooftop overlooking the Dome of the Rock, woke up to church bells and calls to prayer, touched the Wailing Wall, visited the birthplace of Jesus Christ, and walked the road to where He was crucified and buried. I toured a Palestinian refugee camp and witnessed works by the mysterious street artist, Banksy. I sat in the Mount of Olives and watched the sun set over the Old City, and swam in the Mediterranean. All of these events made for an incredibly surreal week. If you ever study abroad in the Levant or find yourself in the area, these are all things you should be sure to experience. Any further description wouldn't do these attractions justice, though, and if you're interested there Wikipedia articles and travel guides that will tell you anything I could about all of these attractions.

However, what you can't learn on Wikipedia is what you can learn from others. I've always loved making new friends and learning from their life experiences and perspectives, and so far it seems like travel allows you to find new and different experiences and perspectives.

One of the most interesting lessons I learned was from a French girl named Clem. When I met Clem she had just arrived in Jerusalem from New Zealand, where she had spent a few months working and learning English. In our first conversation with her, my friends and I were prone to asking questions like, “What are you doing in Jerusalem?” “How long are you staying?” “What are your plans today?” “What are your plans tomorrow?” “Where are you going after this?” She had come to Jerusalem because she wanted to, and tomorrow she would wake up and do whatever she felt like, and would continue doing that until she wanted to go somewhere else. And then she would do that. It was hard for me to wrap my head around these answers, but it really shouldn't be. Every human lives to be happy, and she's doing exactly what makes her happy. I've always had a plan, and I like it that way. But I had never really considered what else I could be doing, and meeting someone so carefree was really refreshing.