-God and the Holy Land.
-creativity, curiosity, & exploration.
Friday, January 4, 2008
favorite things:
-positive vibes, free spirits, peace, & love.
-God and the Holy Land.
-creativity, curiosity, & exploration.
-God and the Holy Land.
-creativity, curiosity, & exploration.
the holy land.
I just returned, after 30+ hours of travel and sitting in airports, from the most incredible place in the world, that I did not want to leave in the first place. My experience was amazing. Indescribable. All I can think about is the day I will get to return there again. The feeling I get when I am there is just the most amazing feeling I've ever experienced. Israel truly is a holy place.
When I arrived in Israel, I wasn't sure what to expect. So much has changed since I left in the summer of 2006. I have changed, the world has changed, my values have improved, my mind has expanded. As the plane landed on the runway in Israel, my heart fluttered, and I just could not stop thinking that I ws finally back. I was home! I was home! And it was so wonderful.
We traveled to Tel Aviv first and visited the neighborhood called Neve Tzedek. It is the first Jewish neighborhood in Tel Aviv, and it was extremely interesting to see. The first cinema in all of the Middle East is located there. We ate Shak Shuka, which is an Israeli dish I had not had the opportunity to try before, and it turned out to be quite delicious. We had some time to roam, and I went with a friend a had just made at lunch, Ilya, to the Wishing Bridge. We made wishes in the beautiful land of Israel. I am not going to say what I wished for, because I am a firm beleiver that if you tell people your wish, it will not come true. But if anything I have ever wished for ever does come true, I really do hope it is the wish I made that day on the Wishing Bridge, holding on to the Taurus sign, and staring into the Meditarranean Sea and the city of Tel Aviv.
The second day we were in the desert for more than twelve hours. The desert is the most beautiful place in the entire world, and I think it might be my favorite. It always shocks me how much life actually exists in the desert. It is incredible, and it really makes me feel so alive. And I can think clearly. Everything seems to make sense when I am there. We had the opportunity to sit in the silence of the desert and write, so here is some of what I had written during that:
"It has only been a year and a half since the last time I sat in this very same desert, but I have grown so much and changed immensely since that time. There have been amazing times and also heartbreaking moments, but everything together makes me who I am today.
Now I sit. It is silent. Incredible. I can hear myself breathe. Every breath. In and out. I feel so alive, yet so tiny and insignificant in this vast desert. Some birds just flew by. Life. Beauty. The wind whistles through my hair and across my ears. I am overwhelmed by this place. It is so magnificent.
I am so thankful to be here again. It is by far one of my favorite places on this entire Earth that G-d so graciously gave to us.
This trip to the desert is also an emotionally difficult one for me. It is hard to accept that in this very place of absolute beauty, Tal Alon met his death in May of 2007. Looking around me, I think that perhaps this is where he would have wanted to die. I beleive that of all the places in the world, this is where I would want to die (when the time comes of course). The very place where my forefathers walked, where Judaism began. That is where I'd like to meet my end. Full circle.
As I write, the sound of the pen on the paper is even beautiful to me.
The air is so crisp. It just seems so clean and perfect. It is holy.
I just took a deep breath. Its so hard for me to take this all in.
I really want to have the priviledge of some day waking up morning after morning breathing this Israeli air and seeing this absolute beauty."
The rest of the day in the desert was just as rewarding. We got to navigate in small groups through the desert, and it was fun to have the feeling of doing it yourself.
I also received the most amazing welcome of my entire life. As we walked down the side of a desert mountain, a group of young children who live in a bedouin settlement in the valley came running up waving and screaming hello hello. Their curiousity and trust in us amazed me, and I can't even describe the feeling that I had inside. It really made me see that we are all equal. I fell in love with those children even though I only saw them for ten minutes or so, and I'll probably never see them again. They still made a huge impact on me, and I will never forget them.
At the end of the day, I laid under the unbelievable desert sky. The stars are so amazing and bright that it really does look fake. The fact that this great amount of beauty exists is so overwhelming. I don't understand that there can be so much beauty in this world, and yet so so much hate. I think we really need to see the beauty in everything, because, trust me, it is there.
For Shabbat we went to Kibbutz Ein Gev which is located on the Kinneret. It was very fun, and I love spending Shabbos with hundreds of Jews my age. I love really celebrating, really appreciating. It is so incredible.
We got to go see Hatikva 6 perform on Saturday night. I was so so excited, as they are one of my favorite reggae bands, and they did not disappoint me. It was definitely one of the best/most fun shows I have ever seen.
From Sunday until Tuesday we split into different seminars. I was in the Leadership through Service seminar and worked on Kibbutz Tamuz/in Beit Shemesh and Meodonit (sort of like day care centers for children who come from poor/abusive/neglecting families). We spent the days painting and cleaning the rooms so that it would be a place really suitable for children. The transformation from and unwelcoming, cold building into and bright and cheery one was so exciting and rewarding to see. The most amazing part was the relationships we formed with the children. I will never forget them either, and I really hope next time I am there I can spend time with them and play, and hopefully by then I'll speak more hebrew so we can communicate more!
The final day we visited the security fence. It was very interesting to actually see it, as it causes so much controversy these days. I don't have a problem with it. I think anything that is saving lives (not just Jewish lives) is worth building. When you look at it and the options are saving lives and causing some inconveniences or allowing murder to occur, I don't think the latter is the best option.
And then we left that night, and I really wish I had just stayed. I really wish I could just drop everything and make aliyah. Just go! It's so hard though, but I think I will definitely make it there eventually.
I met some incredible people that I know I will always keep in touch with. I am so thankful and happy I got to go back. Although, now returning is the only thing on my mind.
I need to go pack for school, but I'll write more later.
"If I forget you, oh Jerusalem, let my right hand forget what it's supposed to do."
When I arrived in Israel, I wasn't sure what to expect. So much has changed since I left in the summer of 2006. I have changed, the world has changed, my values have improved, my mind has expanded. As the plane landed on the runway in Israel, my heart fluttered, and I just could not stop thinking that I ws finally back. I was home! I was home! And it was so wonderful.
We traveled to Tel Aviv first and visited the neighborhood called Neve Tzedek. It is the first Jewish neighborhood in Tel Aviv, and it was extremely interesting to see. The first cinema in all of the Middle East is located there. We ate Shak Shuka, which is an Israeli dish I had not had the opportunity to try before, and it turned out to be quite delicious. We had some time to roam, and I went with a friend a had just made at lunch, Ilya, to the Wishing Bridge. We made wishes in the beautiful land of Israel. I am not going to say what I wished for, because I am a firm beleiver that if you tell people your wish, it will not come true. But if anything I have ever wished for ever does come true, I really do hope it is the wish I made that day on the Wishing Bridge, holding on to the Taurus sign, and staring into the Meditarranean Sea and the city of Tel Aviv.
The second day we were in the desert for more than twelve hours. The desert is the most beautiful place in the entire world, and I think it might be my favorite. It always shocks me how much life actually exists in the desert. It is incredible, and it really makes me feel so alive. And I can think clearly. Everything seems to make sense when I am there. We had the opportunity to sit in the silence of the desert and write, so here is some of what I had written during that:
"It has only been a year and a half since the last time I sat in this very same desert, but I have grown so much and changed immensely since that time. There have been amazing times and also heartbreaking moments, but everything together makes me who I am today.
Now I sit. It is silent. Incredible. I can hear myself breathe. Every breath. In and out. I feel so alive, yet so tiny and insignificant in this vast desert. Some birds just flew by. Life. Beauty. The wind whistles through my hair and across my ears. I am overwhelmed by this place. It is so magnificent.
I am so thankful to be here again. It is by far one of my favorite places on this entire Earth that G-d so graciously gave to us.
This trip to the desert is also an emotionally difficult one for me. It is hard to accept that in this very place of absolute beauty, Tal Alon met his death in May of 2007. Looking around me, I think that perhaps this is where he would have wanted to die. I beleive that of all the places in the world, this is where I would want to die (when the time comes of course). The very place where my forefathers walked, where Judaism began. That is where I'd like to meet my end. Full circle.
As I write, the sound of the pen on the paper is even beautiful to me.
The air is so crisp. It just seems so clean and perfect. It is holy.
I just took a deep breath. Its so hard for me to take this all in.
I really want to have the priviledge of some day waking up morning after morning breathing this Israeli air and seeing this absolute beauty."
The rest of the day in the desert was just as rewarding. We got to navigate in small groups through the desert, and it was fun to have the feeling of doing it yourself.
I also received the most amazing welcome of my entire life. As we walked down the side of a desert mountain, a group of young children who live in a bedouin settlement in the valley came running up waving and screaming hello hello. Their curiousity and trust in us amazed me, and I can't even describe the feeling that I had inside. It really made me see that we are all equal. I fell in love with those children even though I only saw them for ten minutes or so, and I'll probably never see them again. They still made a huge impact on me, and I will never forget them.
At the end of the day, I laid under the unbelievable desert sky. The stars are so amazing and bright that it really does look fake. The fact that this great amount of beauty exists is so overwhelming. I don't understand that there can be so much beauty in this world, and yet so so much hate. I think we really need to see the beauty in everything, because, trust me, it is there.
For Shabbat we went to Kibbutz Ein Gev which is located on the Kinneret. It was very fun, and I love spending Shabbos with hundreds of Jews my age. I love really celebrating, really appreciating. It is so incredible.
We got to go see Hatikva 6 perform on Saturday night. I was so so excited, as they are one of my favorite reggae bands, and they did not disappoint me. It was definitely one of the best/most fun shows I have ever seen.
From Sunday until Tuesday we split into different seminars. I was in the Leadership through Service seminar and worked on Kibbutz Tamuz/in Beit Shemesh and Meodonit (sort of like day care centers for children who come from poor/abusive/neglecting families). We spent the days painting and cleaning the rooms so that it would be a place really suitable for children. The transformation from and unwelcoming, cold building into and bright and cheery one was so exciting and rewarding to see. The most amazing part was the relationships we formed with the children. I will never forget them either, and I really hope next time I am there I can spend time with them and play, and hopefully by then I'll speak more hebrew so we can communicate more!
The final day we visited the security fence. It was very interesting to actually see it, as it causes so much controversy these days. I don't have a problem with it. I think anything that is saving lives (not just Jewish lives) is worth building. When you look at it and the options are saving lives and causing some inconveniences or allowing murder to occur, I don't think the latter is the best option.
And then we left that night, and I really wish I had just stayed. I really wish I could just drop everything and make aliyah. Just go! It's so hard though, but I think I will definitely make it there eventually.
I met some incredible people that I know I will always keep in touch with. I am so thankful and happy I got to go back. Although, now returning is the only thing on my mind.
I need to go pack for school, but I'll write more later.
"If I forget you, oh Jerusalem, let my right hand forget what it's supposed to do."
Sunday, December 23, 2007
You know what?
I don't like people that have bird feeders, but refuse to allow the squirrels to eat the seed. Why in the hell can you spend the money for the birds that don't belong to you, but oh no, sir, those squirrels will get nothing!? What makes the birds superior to these poor squirrels. Oy Vey. People even spend money to get all kinds of squirrel barriers and such. It's absurd.
Gah, this world makes absolutely no sense to me. It's quite a shame...I wish I didn't feel so lost.
On the upside, I found a photo strip I've been missing for a while that made me smile.
On the downside, I am about to go pack...my least favorite part about traveling. Oh well, it just means I'll be off to Israel so so soon! YESSSSSSSSSS !!!!!
Alright, the end.
Gah, this world makes absolutely no sense to me. It's quite a shame...I wish I didn't feel so lost.
On the upside, I found a photo strip I've been missing for a while that made me smile.
On the downside, I am about to go pack...my least favorite part about traveling. Oh well, it just means I'll be off to Israel so so soon! YESSSSSSSSSS !!!!!
Alright, the end.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
all life is holy.
I have recently been troubled by many things as I learn of more consequences of the culture of capitalism in which all of us, as Americans, have been socialized. I have come to recognize that my high quality of life comes at an even higher price. America's high standards of living are causing devastation across the globe. I would gladly trade in all my material items if every living thing could have a decent quality of life.
The other day I wandered into Forever 21 after walking quickly through the disgustingly crowded mall. After already feeling as though the crowds were excessive, the great amounts of clothing and accessories strewn about the store I entered made my stomach turn ill. Reading labels on the clothes one can discern that none of the clothing was made in America. The labels read, "Made in Indonesia," "Made in Guatemala," and I am quite certain that the factories in which these are made contain no luxury. Rather, they contain children, working unbearable hours in inhumane circumstances with incredibly low pay. The excess stacks and stacks of clothing sit on our shelves waiting to be purchased by people who already have more clothes than they know what to do with, while the people who work to make the items barely have anything at all. We live in a society of excess, as we Americans, the wealthy people, people who somehow find themselves to be superior, purchase item after item.
This perpetual consumption is NOT natural! If it were, there would be absolutely NO reason to put millions of dollars into advertising. We need to be persuaded and taught to purchase the items. We were taught, so let's change what we are teaching.
It just makes no sense whatsoever. Do people not understand that all this "happiness" they are getting from these material items are destroying someone else's world? Materialism and capitalism, which needs perpetual growth and increased profits to survive, are making us forget what truly is important. Suddenly, all our material items have a greater value than our friendships and family. In this world that capitalism has devoured, everything is given a price, and if the price that a life has been given is not worth much, then it is unimportant. What happened to every man is created in G-d's image? Shouldn't everything have great importance? Be holy and loved? The answer, my friends, is yes.
Other than wondering where the heck I am going to purchase my clothing and necessities from now on, I also decided that I want my diet to reflect my respect for the sanctity of all life. Agribusinesses definitely do not agree that all life is holy. This can be seen by their completely inhumane treatment of animals. It is disgusting that any life should be treating and used in the way that all of America is using it. I have been conflicted recently because from what I know in the Torah, G-d gave us guidelines on the meat which we can eat. I wondered, "If He didn't want us to eat meat at all, wouldn't he have said so?" After looking around online and such I found many interesting articles. Here is an excerpt that contains many of the thoughts I have been struggling with, and I found particularly interesting:
"The Torah is full of commandments demanding humane treatment of animals, yet the modern factory farms that produce over 90% of the animal products we consume today raise their animals in unconscionable conditions of abject misery. The Torah reflects great concern for the land, yet as the primary cause of water pollution, water use, topsoil erosion, destruction of the world's rainforest, and other environmental harms, animal agriculture takes a devastating toll on the planet. Jewish teachings emphasize the grave importance of protecting human health, yet the consumption of animal products in the United States is responsible for numerous diseases including heart disease, America's number one killer. Judaism places great concern on providing for the poor and the hungry, yet while 800 million people do not have enough food to sustain themselves, our carnivorous diets are at least ten times as wasteful of food resources as a vegetarian one."
Rabbi Hillel stated that, "What is hateful to you do not do unto others. That is the entire law. The rest is commentary."
I am going to strive to treat the rest of the beings in this world in a way that I would like to be treated as well. As of today, we are completely backwards from this, and I think we need to wake up and realize what is important. It's not the money.
It is life.
It is love.
The other day I wandered into Forever 21 after walking quickly through the disgustingly crowded mall. After already feeling as though the crowds were excessive, the great amounts of clothing and accessories strewn about the store I entered made my stomach turn ill. Reading labels on the clothes one can discern that none of the clothing was made in America. The labels read, "Made in Indonesia," "Made in Guatemala," and I am quite certain that the factories in which these are made contain no luxury. Rather, they contain children, working unbearable hours in inhumane circumstances with incredibly low pay. The excess stacks and stacks of clothing sit on our shelves waiting to be purchased by people who already have more clothes than they know what to do with, while the people who work to make the items barely have anything at all. We live in a society of excess, as we Americans, the wealthy people, people who somehow find themselves to be superior, purchase item after item.
This perpetual consumption is NOT natural! If it were, there would be absolutely NO reason to put millions of dollars into advertising. We need to be persuaded and taught to purchase the items. We were taught, so let's change what we are teaching.
It just makes no sense whatsoever. Do people not understand that all this "happiness" they are getting from these material items are destroying someone else's world? Materialism and capitalism, which needs perpetual growth and increased profits to survive, are making us forget what truly is important. Suddenly, all our material items have a greater value than our friendships and family. In this world that capitalism has devoured, everything is given a price, and if the price that a life has been given is not worth much, then it is unimportant. What happened to every man is created in G-d's image? Shouldn't everything have great importance? Be holy and loved? The answer, my friends, is yes.
Other than wondering where the heck I am going to purchase my clothing and necessities from now on, I also decided that I want my diet to reflect my respect for the sanctity of all life. Agribusinesses definitely do not agree that all life is holy. This can be seen by their completely inhumane treatment of animals. It is disgusting that any life should be treating and used in the way that all of America is using it. I have been conflicted recently because from what I know in the Torah, G-d gave us guidelines on the meat which we can eat. I wondered, "If He didn't want us to eat meat at all, wouldn't he have said so?" After looking around online and such I found many interesting articles. Here is an excerpt that contains many of the thoughts I have been struggling with, and I found particularly interesting:
"The Torah is full of commandments demanding humane treatment of animals, yet the modern factory farms that produce over 90% of the animal products we consume today raise their animals in unconscionable conditions of abject misery. The Torah reflects great concern for the land, yet as the primary cause of water pollution, water use, topsoil erosion, destruction of the world's rainforest, and other environmental harms, animal agriculture takes a devastating toll on the planet. Jewish teachings emphasize the grave importance of protecting human health, yet the consumption of animal products in the United States is responsible for numerous diseases including heart disease, America's number one killer. Judaism places great concern on providing for the poor and the hungry, yet while 800 million people do not have enough food to sustain themselves, our carnivorous diets are at least ten times as wasteful of food resources as a vegetarian one."
Rabbi Hillel stated that, "What is hateful to you do not do unto others. That is the entire law. The rest is commentary."
I am going to strive to treat the rest of the beings in this world in a way that I would like to be treated as well. As of today, we are completely backwards from this, and I think we need to wake up and realize what is important. It's not the money.
It is life.
It is love.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
wage peace.
Just came across these quotes this morning, and I wanting to jot them down.
...
“Where there is love, there is life.” -Mahatma Gandhi
"We live in feelings, not in figures on a sundial. We should count time in heartbeats." -Aristotle
I am surprised at myself how unable I am to get someone off my mind. I didn't think I would feel this way again for a long time, maybe ever. It is just so hard because he lives so far away, and I miss him so much, but it is wonderful all the same.
Other than that, my Aunt Debbie is here from Texas for the holiday! I'm very excited to see her, and I am glad she was able to come up to Ohio before I leave for Israel.
"As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live." -Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe
"Who is rich? He who rejoices in his portion." -The Talmud
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Don't Be Blind
I've never really had a blog before, although I have kept journals my entire life. I love being able to look back and remember all the lovely (and maybe not-so-lovely) details of my past. I never want to forget any of those details, because all of them put together have made me into the person I am today. As a have become the person I am now, I have come to accept that I am who I am, and I am so happy with that. I grow and change everyday, and I work to make sure my changes are positive. My dreams are to travel the world and learn as much about everything as I possibly can and to always be surrounded by people that I love and who love me in return. I don't think that learning is something that ever stops in life. I also believe the best way to learn is through first-hand experience, not sitting within the walls of a classroom.
I know that I am very blessed to have family and friends that love me, and the means with which I can purchase necessities, as well as items that I just simply want to have. I am so thankful for that, and I don't think I express by gratitude nearly enough. When I look around me and see that people are living in horrific conditions, I just know that I need to help. If I could make a true difference in just one person's life, I think I would feel as if my life were complete. If I could make a difference in many lives, in entire families or communities, I would be beyond ecstatic.
I find it funny that at this moment when I am preparing for my journeys abroad, I feel as if I am the closest with my family and friends at home. I have been looking forward to these explorations for so long, and now that the time has almost arrived, I can't even imagine leaving. I know that I will have such an amazing time and that I am so very blessed to have people here that mean so much to me that I don't want to leave them behind.
In 4 days, I will be leaving for Israel. I am participating in Hillel's National Leaders Assembly. The itinerary looks incredible, and I can't wait to return to my home. I feel as though I am not actually going to be back, like perhaps I am kidding with myself. It is too good to be true. This will be my second trip to the Holy Land. I traveled there in the summer of 2006, right after I graduated from highschool, and it changed my life completely. Everything I had once found to be of utmost importance suddenly seemed not worthy of so much attention. I learned the true ideals of friendship as I met some of the most incredible people I have had the pleasure of meeting in my entire life. I also learned the harsh realities of hate, which are still impossible for me to truly understand. After 4 weeks of hiking, visiting museums, meeting Israelis, making friends, and learning the culture, my group traveled to Poland to visit the remnants of Jewish communities and death camps. In 5 days we visited 6 death camps, and it was the most overwhelming, indescribable experience. The day before we had left for Poland, Israel went to war with Hezbollah in Lebanon because IDF soldiers were kidnapped and missing. I really learned the importance of the Jewish community and realized how much I had fallen in love with Israel, how much it is truly my home where I belong, when we were told that we could not return to Israel as planned because of the war. We pleaded with the madrichim and our parents. We didn't care if we were going to be putting ourselves in danger; we felt that more than ever we needed to be in Israel with our brothers and sisters to support them and be with them. I have never felt such heartbreak in my entire life as in the moment in which we were told we were returning to the United States, nor have I felt so much joy and excitement as when we were told that we would be allowed to return to Israel as long as we had parental consent. Being able to return to Israel is the greatest gift I have ever received, and now, in 4 short days, I will be receiving this gift again. I can only hope that one day I will be able to wake up morning after morning in Israel in my own home with people that I love.
I am not really sure why I love traveling so much, but I can safely say that it is my favorite thing to do. I love the unknown, and I love change. Learning of different cultures and different ways of life from my own is intriguing and allows me to reflect on my own values, morals, and beliefs. Before my trip to Israel in 2006 I had gone to Europe in the Spring of 2005 and Japan in the Summer of 2005. I went to Europe with a class in highschool, and we traveled in Italy, France, and England. It was a great experience, and my first adventure abroad. I went to Japan through Youth for Understanding and stayed with a host family for 6 weeks. I learned so much while I was there, and my Japanese improved tremendously because my family did not speak any English. That was probably one the biggest challenges I have ever had to face, but I really learned that you can communicate in so many other ways besides language. Even with the language barrier (because my Japanese wasn't THAT good) and such enormous differences in culture, we were able to communicate and become very close, and I think about them very often. I can't wait to see them again. My host mother promised me they would come to America for my wedding, whenever that happens to be. It is going to be so weird to see my siblings Mikoto, Yukina, and Kentarou all grown up. It's funny how quickly that happens.
After my trip to Israel next week, I will be returning to Wittenberg for another semester of learning, growing, and making good friends, and I can't wait! I will also be traveling to Nicaragua to build a house for a family currently living in one made of scrap metal and cardboard. At the beginning of May I will be traveling to Lesotho in Africa to help build houses and work with orphans living in an AIDS orphanage. I am sure these journeys will be tough ones, and I will experience and see things and conditions that I never imagined possible. I know it will be eye-opening, and I can't wait to make a difference and learn more about the world that we live in.
Through everything I have experienced, I have come to see that no matter what is going on in the immediate context of your life, there is always something good. There is always love. Friends. Hope. As Ziggy Marley so nicely puts it, "There's a rainbow in the sky all the time, don't be blind."
It truly is a beautiful day, and I intend to make the most of it.
I know that I am very blessed to have family and friends that love me, and the means with which I can purchase necessities, as well as items that I just simply want to have. I am so thankful for that, and I don't think I express by gratitude nearly enough. When I look around me and see that people are living in horrific conditions, I just know that I need to help. If I could make a true difference in just one person's life, I think I would feel as if my life were complete. If I could make a difference in many lives, in entire families or communities, I would be beyond ecstatic.
I find it funny that at this moment when I am preparing for my journeys abroad, I feel as if I am the closest with my family and friends at home. I have been looking forward to these explorations for so long, and now that the time has almost arrived, I can't even imagine leaving. I know that I will have such an amazing time and that I am so very blessed to have people here that mean so much to me that I don't want to leave them behind.
In 4 days, I will be leaving for Israel. I am participating in Hillel's National Leaders Assembly. The itinerary looks incredible, and I can't wait to return to my home. I feel as though I am not actually going to be back, like perhaps I am kidding with myself. It is too good to be true. This will be my second trip to the Holy Land. I traveled there in the summer of 2006, right after I graduated from highschool, and it changed my life completely. Everything I had once found to be of utmost importance suddenly seemed not worthy of so much attention. I learned the true ideals of friendship as I met some of the most incredible people I have had the pleasure of meeting in my entire life. I also learned the harsh realities of hate, which are still impossible for me to truly understand. After 4 weeks of hiking, visiting museums, meeting Israelis, making friends, and learning the culture, my group traveled to Poland to visit the remnants of Jewish communities and death camps. In 5 days we visited 6 death camps, and it was the most overwhelming, indescribable experience. The day before we had left for Poland, Israel went to war with Hezbollah in Lebanon because IDF soldiers were kidnapped and missing. I really learned the importance of the Jewish community and realized how much I had fallen in love with Israel, how much it is truly my home where I belong, when we were told that we could not return to Israel as planned because of the war. We pleaded with the madrichim and our parents. We didn't care if we were going to be putting ourselves in danger; we felt that more than ever we needed to be in Israel with our brothers and sisters to support them and be with them. I have never felt such heartbreak in my entire life as in the moment in which we were told we were returning to the United States, nor have I felt so much joy and excitement as when we were told that we would be allowed to return to Israel as long as we had parental consent. Being able to return to Israel is the greatest gift I have ever received, and now, in 4 short days, I will be receiving this gift again. I can only hope that one day I will be able to wake up morning after morning in Israel in my own home with people that I love.
I am not really sure why I love traveling so much, but I can safely say that it is my favorite thing to do. I love the unknown, and I love change. Learning of different cultures and different ways of life from my own is intriguing and allows me to reflect on my own values, morals, and beliefs. Before my trip to Israel in 2006 I had gone to Europe in the Spring of 2005 and Japan in the Summer of 2005. I went to Europe with a class in highschool, and we traveled in Italy, France, and England. It was a great experience, and my first adventure abroad. I went to Japan through Youth for Understanding and stayed with a host family for 6 weeks. I learned so much while I was there, and my Japanese improved tremendously because my family did not speak any English. That was probably one the biggest challenges I have ever had to face, but I really learned that you can communicate in so many other ways besides language. Even with the language barrier (because my Japanese wasn't THAT good) and such enormous differences in culture, we were able to communicate and become very close, and I think about them very often. I can't wait to see them again. My host mother promised me they would come to America for my wedding, whenever that happens to be. It is going to be so weird to see my siblings Mikoto, Yukina, and Kentarou all grown up. It's funny how quickly that happens.
After my trip to Israel next week, I will be returning to Wittenberg for another semester of learning, growing, and making good friends, and I can't wait! I will also be traveling to Nicaragua to build a house for a family currently living in one made of scrap metal and cardboard. At the beginning of May I will be traveling to Lesotho in Africa to help build houses and work with orphans living in an AIDS orphanage. I am sure these journeys will be tough ones, and I will experience and see things and conditions that I never imagined possible. I know it will be eye-opening, and I can't wait to make a difference and learn more about the world that we live in.
Through everything I have experienced, I have come to see that no matter what is going on in the immediate context of your life, there is always something good. There is always love. Friends. Hope. As Ziggy Marley so nicely puts it, "There's a rainbow in the sky all the time, don't be blind."
It truly is a beautiful day, and I intend to make the most of it.
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