The Israel Chronicles Begin

Disclaimer: I was without internet almost the first week in Israel, but I wrote journal entries that I am now posting.

January 23, 2008
After a brief bittersweet pit-stop in Philadelphia to say one last goodbye to people close to me I was on my way to Israel. I did not know what to make of it all as the 4 of us Penn Nursing students drove away from campus to catch our flight at Newark airport. The sleep deprivation due to very few hours of sleep the previous 3 nights wanting to make the most of my time left in the States may have had something to do with it.

El Al’s reputation of having the tightest security held true. We were questioned before checking in at the ticket counter. Then while waiting to board the plane they pulled aside what I assume were all of the non-Jews (determined by the prior questioning), did a complete search of our carry-on bags, and took shoe swabs. After we passed the test they escorted us one by one to the already boarded plane.

The 10.5 hour plane ride was not as bad as I had anticipated. We each had our own T.V. so I watched the new version of Hairspray (not as good as the original in my opinion) and Moulin Rouge, played Tetris, and slept. The food was yummy and the service great. As we descended into Tel Aviv I looked out the window and got a pitting feeling in my stomach “Wow, I am actually going to be spending the next 4 months of my life here.”

Shoes made out of snow?

Well, not quite. But snowshoeing is a pretty good substitute.

I went with a friend and her mom. They rented snowshoes from Joe's (the store formerly known as GI Joe's) for just $11 per day per snowshoe set. I had no idea you could rent outdoor sporting equipment from Joe's, but it sure is a handy option if you enjoy outdoor sports but not to the point of investing in your own equipment. Poles were included with the rental, but we chose to forgo them. We set out driving East on Highway 22 toward Santiam Pass in the quest for snow. A stop at the Ranger Station pointed us toward McCoy CreekPark, a snow park popular for snowmobiles. After a stop in Detroit for a snow park pass we were ready to go.

We were the only ones in the park (one of the perks of being on winter break after everyone else is back at school and work). The trek was an unanticipated continuous uphill, but I got used to it after the first 15 minutes. The entire trail is supposedly 8 miles, but we just hiked for 2 hours. It was beautiful weather: blue skies and sun in the snowy forest. It was chilly, but it only took a little while for us to start stripping off layers. Once we got high enough up the mountain we had a spectacular view.

Snowshoeing is a great alternative form of exercising. It is enjoyable, yet I can still feel the soreness starting to set it...

The Land of Happy Cows

I did in fact see cows during my trip to California this Winter break, though I could not judge their happiness due to a certain lack of recognizable facial expressions. What I can say with certainty is that NorCal is a great place to visit. A quick inexpensive Southwest Ding flight from Portland, OR to Oakland had me on my way. A special someone met me at the airport and we were stationed at his family's home in Clayton for the duration of my week. It is a cute modern version of the old western mining town it once was.

The day after my arrival we took BART into San Francisco. Here I retrieved my Israel Student Visa, met up with another friend, and then continued to wander around the city on foot. We made it to City Hall, the Financial District, Chinatown, and Fishermen's Wharf. Walking all day called for a few pit stops: lunch at a mall food court serving "gourmet" food on real dishes, coffee at Peet's Coffee & Tea, and for dinner hot fudge sundaes at Ghirardelli Square (of course). It was a wonderful day ended with a relaxing evening walking on the beach seeing the city lights reflected on the damp ground.

The next and longest stop was Truckee, a small mountain town filled with vacation homes and snowy forests. It provided serenity and an escape. Truckee's proximity to both Tahoe and Reno (both about a 35-45 minute drive away) provided for fun day trips. I had never before been to a casino, so quality all-you-can-eat sushi at Atlantis followed by a free trapeze show at Circus Circus made for an adventure. Not to mention the classic activity of bowling created a memorable Reno experience. On the way to Tahoe we stopped by Squaw Valley to walk around. This gave me a taste of the ski resort atmosphere without actually having to hit the slopes. Lake Tahoe itself was expansive and calm. A walk along the water's edge lead to a pathetic snow-angel making attempt (the snow was icy) and an impromptu snow fight.

Back in Clayton for the last day of my trip we hiked up Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve trail, where we hung out with grazing cows and admired a view down across the country (with wind turbines in the distance). The day was topped off with his little brother's basketball game (1st place in their league!) and a family game of Cranium.

If that wasn't an amazing vacation, I don't know what is. Although I am not going to lie: the company sure helped.

Semester in review

A week ago I sat at a restaurant for lunch with a few close friends. Three of us were nursing students. Over the semester we have bonded on a level very different than our peers. As 20 year olds we have seen and had to deal with things that most people do not have to deal with in their entire lifetime: The emotions that come with lifelong and sudden illnesses, the damage a silly accident can cause, caring for people who can not care for themselves. It is a total immersion intense learning experience.

I felt the urge to remark about our semester together. Here is the gist of my summary:
This semester has been the hardest so far. It has been painful, intense, busy, but we learned a lot - and now it is over!

Fighting a silent battle

No, this is not commendable like Ghandi. Instead I am referring to stabs using technology. Computers have killed our communication skills with each other and promoted passive aggressive behavior. In the past two months I have been frustrated, annoyed, hurt, and eventually humored by such trivial things as Instant Messenger away messages and Facebook statuses. Honestly...who would have thought? Whether it be painfully specific messages that I ask myself "why?" or impressively vague messages that my mind spins in the worst possible way, it is all in the shadows. You might not see anything going on face to face, smiles all around - but under the table there are these subtle stabs.

I have not done much better. While I chose not to "stoop to that level" I have successfully avoided confrontation. I excuse my behind the back talking to "getting it off my chest" and "venting" to friends that I trust. While this is necessary for emotional support and my own sanity, I'm not sure I can necessarily call it more mature. Here I am, again, talking about it - no matter how vague - online. One friend brightened my spirits by pointing out how humorous the situation really was. The passive aggressive behavior has pretty much subsided, as talk has passed from person to person, but it still bothers me. I do not even know if any of it was actually targeted at me. It is quite possible that I am just jealous and paranoid.

I am not proud of this.

Speaking of Judaism...

Today I sent in my application for my student visa...for entry into Israel. I was accepted into the semester long study abroad program at Hebrew University awhile ago. It is a special program tightly knit with Penn Nursing, so that I get all of my clinical requirements in. I have my flight set, my housing set, my program set. Now, I just need that official document.

Why Israel, you ask? Well, quite frankly, why not? No, unlike a large population of Penn, I am not Jewish and have no family there. But like I said, there is a special Nursing program offered. Penn Nursing only offers two semester study abroad options. One in England, and one in Israel. The England program, despite their keenness to high tea, was not my cup of tea. As the application deadline for study abroad in Israel came near, I realized I would regret it if I did not go. Studying abroad is one of the opportunities you can only experience in college. Sure, there is a travel advisory warning to Israel, but I am not worried. This will be a completely different culture and experience than I could ever imagine. The adventure will begin at the end of January. The anticipation is enormous!

Community

While shopping for our Secret Santa gifts in center city, a friend and I were intrigued by music playing in Rittenhouse Square. Naturally, we headed over to the park to see what was going on. As it turns out it was the second night of Chanukah. There was a tent designed as a dreidel, with traditional food being served out front. People gathered around to sing songs as the make-do electric menorah was lit. A Rabbi was present to say a blessing. Afterwards kids were invited into the dreidel tent to watch a video on Chanukah and play games. My friend and I stood a bit aback, taking all of this in, and neither of us could help but smile. While we are not Jewish, the sense of community shown at this very moment was moving.

It doesn't matter what you believe, community is extremely important to a person's well-being. My community is my friends. As we sat around the next day exchanging our Secret Santa gifts the same feeling came over me - but this community was my own. As we are all apart from our families in college, our friends become our family. Love was in the air. Friend love...the most important kind. With a genuine sense of caring for each other.

Man, I didn't mean to get sappy...