I have to admit that when I left home and arrived in Israel, I was terrified. Up until the moment I left, I was excited to visit a new country and learn about Israeli culture, but once I got here, I had no idea how I would get used to living in a foreign, or different, place. However, with all new experiences, one must be open to change in order to be able to witness personal growth. Thankfully, the faculty and staff here at N.Y.U Tel Aviv were very welcoming once all the students arrived. During orientation week, our Resident Assistants showed us around Tel Aviv and taught us how to use the bus, among other things. Something equally as important as getting to know your surroundings is learning how to communicate with locals. Arriving in Tel Aviv, I had no prior experience with speaking Hebrew. Thankfully, our professors hosted small crash courses in Hebrew to have us become familiar with common words. Throughout the semester, we have been learning the Hebrew and Arabic alphabet. While learning the alphabet seems easy, it actually has been quite difficult. The letters are completely different, and sentences in Hebrew are written from right to left, not left to right! Regardless, the professors here in Tel Aviv have helped us learn this beautiful language!
