I had almost no previous knowledge of the Hebrew language before moving to the Middle East. I had only taken one Biblical Hebrew course, but it was LevelTtwo and I was not at that level yet. I was allowed to take the course because I convinced the department chair that I wanted at least some background before moving to Israel. Normally, they wouldn’t let students take this course if they hadn’t taken Level One. Unsurprisingly I was almost always lost in this class. I found Hebrew to be very difficult, and I felt very nervous about continuing to learn it once in Israel. But things changed once I got here. I’m only two and a half months into the course, and I have made an incredible amount of progress. I can confidently order coffee at cafes in Hebrew and have simple yet somewhat interesting conversations with people. I am working on my pronunciation and accent, of course, but if I can take exams that do not have one single word in English, then I can certainly say I am moving forward, right? My progress makes me so happy because I still have about six months left here in Israel.
My first semester is slowly wrapping up. Even though I still have one more to go, I cannot believe how fast time is flying. Saying goodbye to my friends that are only here for a semester will be a hard task, but I am so grateful to have met them and to have shared very special moments with them. This trip has also taught me a lot about myself. I’ve come to appreciate my differences and what makes me unique. In the beginning, it was hard to accept how different I was because I realized how much I stood out from locals. I’ve learned to be more independent, but most importantly, I’ve learned to accept opinions that are distinct to mine. I have noticed I’ve become more open-minded.
