Connecting with Israel with Israelis
This trip has been more amazing than I ever could have expected. Last time I was in Israel was when I was 16 years old, and some things have changed, but most of what we have done so far is bringing back memories and feelings from 5 years ago. It is very cool to experience the country from this new perspective and think about how much I have changed since my last adventure here.
Yesterday we went through the shuk in Tel Aviv; even though I didn't buy any souvenirs, it was pretty much the same amazing place as I remembered. Our whole group loved experiencing the many exciting aspects of the market.
One of the new things I was introduced to on this trip were Israelis my own age. My only previous interactions with Israelis have been young children or adults. This time we are lucky enough to have 7 Israelis with us that are our age and experiencing the entire journey through Israel with us. They are such an important part of our group and I love having them as a part of our family.
I was intimidated at first and didn't know what to expect from our Israeli participants. I was nervous that it would be hard to connect with these participants. But I was very wrong. I have gotten close with pretty much all of the Israelis on our trip and they aren't as different from me as I thought. In fact, it is amazing to see how similar we are and how easy it is to really bond with them. Even though it has only been 4 days, I can definitely say this is my favorite trip to Israel so far and I definitely hope to return. :)
Photo Credits: Header Image-@mnhillel, Image 5-@mrjacobweiner