When talking on the phone with my mom the first week here , I remember
falsely explaining to her that I’ve only been here about two weeks. Whether it’s because I’m in a different time
zone, or the mere fact that Israel uses army time instead of the standard
12-hour time, I have lost track and a sense of time since I’ve been here.
One
reason may be that I need more sleep.
When I’m up for more hours than normal, I may think that I’ve been here
longer. I even had a minor freak-out and
went to the doctor’s, thinking I had a problem since I am tired all the
time. My diagnosis is to sleep
more. But how can I sleep more when I
stay up late with friends, go to Ulpan/classes early in the morning, and travel
during Shabbat? I’m starting to force
myself to get more sleep, and to make sure I really have enough time to reflect
upon my travels.
It’s
only been one month. Four weeks, four Shabbats,
and so many places I’ve seen. This past
Wednesday, Ulpan ended. I feel more
confident in my Hebrew, and can even speak (a little) on the streets. My problem is understanding their answers
when I ask in Hebrew. I can ask where
the bathroom is, but there isn’t a 100% guarantee that I will understand where
it is.
After
Ulpan, I went to Gitit in the Jordan Valley to visit my boyfriend (Hanan) and begin our travels to the Desert Ashram
festival. Before we did all of this, he
introduced me to his new friend.
Probably the cutest goat I’ve ever seen.
The
next day, we headed down south. Our final
destination was the Desert Ashram for a two-day Purim festival. Before we went to it, we did some traveling
in Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. We hiked
the David trail. We first did the
30-minute hike filled with tourists to see a few waterfalls.
We then deviated to a harder and longer trail
and saw more waterfalls and a beautiful cave.
On our way to the end of the David trail, we ran into this fellow. It’s called a rocket rabbit in Hebrew, and
they were all over. I wish I saw these
more than the stray cats.
Afterwards,
we went to an ancient synagogue from the 3rd to 6th
century CE. Here’s what it looked like
on the inside. It’s incredible how well
it has been maintained since it was created.
After
spending some time hiking in Ein Gedi, we couldn’t resist checking out the Dead
Sea. It’s always beautiful, and I could
never stop taking pictures of it. I’m
not the biggest fan of going in the water, but I dunked my feet and hands
in.
We then
made the journey further south to camp in the Negev and go the Desert Ashram
Purim festival. There was a very
interesting mix of people there. Lots of
hippies, people into the environment, and normal people dressing up in crazy
costumes. They were all Israeli, which
was cool. There weren’t any tourists
(probably because the Desert Ashram is not an easy place to get too), but it
led to a lot of really cool experiences for me.
The
Desert Ashram festivals are all about connecting the body with the mind and the
heart, and really developing an emotional and spiritual connection. Ashrams derived from India and are defined as
places to learn and experience things
individually. They had a lot of
programs, like yoga, meditation, and other workshops. I learned to not worry so much, and just
enjoy things in the moment. With
traveling, I have always been constantly thinking about where I’m going to go
next, and how I’m going to get there, and what I’m going to do. I have learned to relax a little and realize
things will all work out.
Another
cool component of the festival is that everything was vegan. They had vegetarian shwarma, oatmeal with
fruit and nuts for breakfast, and lots of café drinks with desserts. I got a chai tea (with soy milk of course)
and it was the best I’ve ever had.
There
was always a dance party in the back of the festival. When I went to it, we danced to the four
elements: earth, air, water, and fire.
With each element, the dancing got more intense. There were some people that really connected
with the music. Here’s what it looked
like:
All in
all, a really cool way to celebrate Purim.
Luckily, Jerusalem celebrates Purim a day later. This is because all of the cities that were
walled at the time when the Isarelites entered Canaan observe it a day
later. Good for me so that I get to
experience it in Jerusalem.
So yes,
it’s only been a month, but I have done so much. Although my body has craved more sleep, my
mind is pleased with all of the places I’ve seen, and how much better I’ve
gotten in Hebrew. And it only gets
better from here!
Hag Sameach (happy holidays)!
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