We're Not In Chicago Anymore - Welcome to Israel!
Day One
Shorashim #Bus166 started off with a bang as people sporadically stumbled into the airport.
There was a vibrant sense of excitement on everyone's face as they gathered and prepared to walk through security.
At the gate, Sammi and Max gathered the group to go over rules and regulations of the trip. After about 15 hours of flying (thank god for personal tv screens on planes), we finally arrived at Ben Gurion in Tel Aviv.
Our delightful, energetic Israeli staff and trip-mates met us at the airport with balloons, cheers, and a group chant complete with jumping around in a circle. We joined hands and chanted "Achim, achim, achim! Simchah, simchah, simchah." After almost 20 hours of travel, we ambled onto our bus, aka, our home for the following 10 days.
The first leg of our journey brought us to a Kibutz, Gadot, on the far north side of Israel. We arrived exhausted and hungry. Thankfully, there was a beautiful, delicious meal waiting for us (don't worry, mom, we're eating just fine).
Day Two
The Kibbutz came through again with a variety of American classics and Israeli treats for breakfast. The coffee was also a serious crowd-pleaser. There's no Starbucks in Israel, and frankly, most of us aren't missing it. We loaded the bus for a hike in the mountains and after a "quick 40-minutes*," we arrived. For a bunch of mostly Midwestern kids, the mountains in northern Israel were impressive and beautiful. Before the hike, we circled up for a name game and a quick stretch (thanks Madison!) We followed a winding path through the hills to a waterfall. The hike was cut short due to weather, but considering how exhausted we all still were, it was somewhat of a relief.
After lunch, we drove up to the Golan Heights. As Lilach told us, this region is critically important to Israel because it serves as a defensive buffer. She also told us some history of the region, including the current strife in Syria, which was immediately below us on the northern side of the mountain. We're told the area is beautiful, but we couldn't actually see any of it because of the cloud. Not clouds, but the cloud we were in.
Our adventure for this day was a little brief, so we could make it back to the kibbutz for Shabbat. Nofar, Sapir and Liad led us songs, prayers, and games to welcome in Shabbat and the new week. The best game, hands down, was when we split into pairs to interview each other and then report to the group our partner's name, occupation, and one funny or embarrassing story. Trust us, this is an excellent way to bond with strangers. Try it at your next awkward holiday party. Dinner was again, fantastic - this kibbutz is seriously killin' it, culinarily speaking - and in true Shabbat tradition, we all talked, argued and debated while we ate. Max, Sammi, and Lilach told us that since the next day was Shabbat, it would be fairly chill with a much later start time (b"h). The Shabbat festivities lasted well into the night with card games, talk, and a very well-behaved visit to the kibbutz pub (Not Shown).
*(Lilach told us that all journeys in Israel are 40 minutes, but some are a short forty and others are a long 40)
