Israel immediately welcomed me. As soon as I stepped off the plane, I felt the warm Mediterranean breeze and could smell the fresh pita bread. I felt at home.
I felt the same as I moved into my student apartment and immediately connected with my three roommates, who all shared a deep interest in the Middle East and the varied cultures and languages of the region.
As soon as Hebrew classes started, I felt even more at home. I became able to hold short conversations with vendors in the Jerusalem market and barter for a better deal on the fresh fruits and vegetables I was buying. I even found a rock-climbing gym to join where I have met incredible Israeli climbers who have invited me to climb and travel the country with them!
Israel certainly does not have the glamour and fame that Paris or London might have, but it has an incredible hospitality to it that is unlike anywhere else. To some, it seemed like a crazy decision to make to come study abroad in Jerusalem, but I am already so pleased with it! I continue to meet absolutely lovely people that invite me for Shabbat dinners before they even know my last name. It is a truly magnificent country that I am so excited to get to know more about in the coming months. I never expected to study abroad in the Middle East. I always saw myself going to Europe for a few months but never Jerusalem! I pleasantly surprised myself, and my friends and family.
