The Journey Begins
Ouch! My back hurts as I unfold my body from being contoured in any possible sleeping position. I ended up going with the face first on the tray because middle doesn’t leave many options. But soon enough I was awakened by the very nice mother and daughter on each side of me. At first I was very confused and sleepy but then the mother pointed out the window. I quickly adjusted my eyes and saw that the clouds were clearing and I could see Israel down below. Soon enough I didn’t care about sleeping and I got this burst of energy and happiness about finally landing in Israel. A trip I really thought was never going to happen due to Covid. Then – the anticipation of getting off the airplane began and it seemed like forever of waiting. We had to wait to get off the plane, at immigration and then again at baggage claim, since one of the suitcases was lost. After about 30 minutes it was found and we finally stepped on Israeli soil. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction at just finally leaving the U.S.A after the 2 and a half years I’ve (not so) patently been waiting enduring. Our group headed to the bus and traveled to Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut (hotel for tonight). As much as I wanted to look out the window and witness the landscapes and scenery of Israel, I just couldn’t keep my eyes open, so I caught up on some more sleep. At Madi’in-Maccab-Re’ut we had 2 hours of programming and after the presentations we went to our rooms. I got paired up with my roommates for the night, and we talked while we got ourselves situated in our room. Lastly, we finished up our first day in Israel with dinner and a daily reflection. Looking forward tomorrow for a full day in Tel Aviv!
– Abby Berman
Ouch! My back hurts as I unfold my body from being contoured in any possible sleeping position. I ended up going with the face first on the tray because middle doesn’t leave many options. But soon enough I was awakened by the very nice mother and daughter on each side of me. At first I was very confused and sleepy but then the mother pointed out the window. I quickly adjusted my eyes and saw that the clouds were clearing and I could see Israel down below. Soon enough I didn’t care about sleeping and I got this burst of energy and happiness about finally landing in Israel. A trip I really thought was never going to happen due to Covid. Then – the anticipation of getting off the airplane began and it seemed like forever of waiting. We had to wait to get off the plane, at immigration and then again at baggage claim, since one of the suitcases was lost. After about 30 minutes it was found and we finally stepped on Israeli soil. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction at just finally leaving the U.S.A after the 2 and a half years I’ve (not so) patently been waiting enduring. Our group headed to the bus and traveled to Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut (hotel for tonight). As much as I wanted to look out the window and witness the landscapes and scenery of Israel, I just couldn’t keep my eyes open, so I caught up on some more sleep. At Madi’in-Maccab-Re’ut we had 2 hours of programming and after the presentations we went to our rooms. I got paired up with my roommates for the night, and we talked while we got ourselves situated in our room. Lastly, we finished up our first day in Israel with dinner and a daily reflection. Looking forward tomorrow for a full day in Tel Aviv!
– Abby Berman