Birthright Trip Completed

Overlooking Jerusalem

It was the last dinner of the birthright trip. I sat in the ancient city of Jaffa with Jews from all over the country who I got to know over a two week intensive that covered most of Israel. Folks look beat down and rightfully so. In two weeks we had partied on the Sea of Galilee, faced the fearceome Friday crowds of the Jerusalem Marketplace, clubbed until we were loud, boisterous and obviously American in Tel-Aviv, hiked to the top of Mt. Masada to watch the sun rise, road on ugly Star-Wars-like camels until our haunches were sore, floated in the dead sea untilwe were salty mcfishes, rafted down rivers with paddle splashing on the way, dug ancient ruins (in some digs, tourist are there main source of labor…you pay, you work), learned of ancient Jewish Mysticism in the city of Zsfat, repelled off cliffs, what else?……there was so much we had done I couldn’t even remember it all. Each day had left me laughing harder and more exhausted than I had ever been. Our typical day had started at 6:30am and no one seem to turn in until after 2 or 3 the next mourning. Each day was jammed packed with activities, the history of Israel, outdoor hikes, ect. The lack of sleep had dragged us down. For most realizing this world win tour was over and the realization that one needed to return to normal life was an even more exhausting idea. I on the other hand was wide awake. I stuffed down the last bits of Sharshuka (a middle eastern, egg and tomato dish) in preparation for more travel. This was the beginning of my own trip. A trip were everything wasn’t safely planned, meals provided, with an armed Israeli guard to watch you eat it (which sounds way more intimidating that it actually was). I was about to fly by the seat of my pants into what was for me the unknown. The feeling was both terrifying and exhilarating.