10 Things that are good about this semester (so far)

A friend told a different friend to write down 10 good things about the semester, so I decided to join and I wrote my own 10 things.

10 Things that are good about this semester (so far)

1.  I'm learning Hebrew.  I've been trying to learn this language for years and finally I am starting to have conversations with strangers.  I talked on the bus this afternoon to a lady and was able to tell her the time and explain what I am doing in B7, Jerusalem, and break.

2.  I'm learning to cook.  For the past 20 years of my life, I have depended on other people preparing food for me.  I like that better, but I am able to cook some foods, and am now excited to be making meals / dishes. For real life.

3.  I'm learning how to travel using public transportation.  Public Transportation scares me.  To be honest, it really scares me.  And to be able to take it in a foreign country / language, I'm doing it!  I have to always ask the driver because I usually get lost.  Most of the time the drivers are polite, except for that one driver who wouldn't let me off of the bus and made me walk from the next stop back to the one that I wanted to get off.

4.  I'm experiencing the real Israel.  Last time I was here, I did all of the touristy things (and I want to do them again), but this time I want to learn about the true culture and the true land and society.  I want to meet people and talk to locals and find out the true Israel.

5.  I'm relaxing.  No more high stress, no more worries, just calm and relaxation.  When I had quizzes in Ulpan, I wasn't worried about them like I normally would.  I'm experiencing an ease that I didn't have last semester and definitely didn't have before that.  I like this and it's healthy for me.

6.  I've been reconnecting to people.  Family, friends, old friends.  I've been talking to Lauren ~3x/week and mom every week.  It's really nice to be in contact with people again.  Especially after last semester when I did a miserable job keeping in contact with others.  This was in fact part of my New Years Resolution, so good job self.  I'm talking to a lot of camp friends and school friends that I hadn't previously talked to a lot.  By simply commenting on someone's facebook picture, I am able to start a conversation and know that these people will still be my friends when I go back to Tulane.

7.  I'm realizing what I miss from back home.  Food- burritos, fastfood, prepared food, cookies...  Technology- good wifi everywhere, a nice phone, unlimited texting, the ability to communicate with everyone easily because we're in the same country / time zone.  People.  Comfort of familiarity, being able to figure things out by myself, speaking the majority language, the feeling that life is more permanent rather than moving every 6 months or so.

8.  I'm continuing to develop as a person. While I have been growing and learning about myself for the past many years, studying abroad and having to live with strangers, and having to make a complete new set for friends really tests a person and demonstrates that I am a lot tougher that I thought.  This has not been an easy process but it's definitely a memorable and rewarding one..

9.  I'm reconnecting with my Judaism.  I personally believe that it's really easy to do this here, if one wants to and puts in the effort.  Going ~6 weeks in a row to both Friday night and Saturday morning services (meals included!) is a personal best.  That is because this is completely voluntary and I don't have a place that I'm comfortable with.  This contrasts greatly to last semester in which I went to synagogue one Friday night.  It is very difficult to keep going and to want to keep going, but it makes a big difference to spend a Shabbat with a host family or in a different city (which I hope to do a lot).  Religion for me is all about a personal connection, and I just hope that I continue and grow on a personal level.

10.  New experiences.  I love experiencing new places, cultures, and ideas.  I feel that I am either 'boring' or 'adventurous'.  As much as I do need my 'me' time, I also need to get out and do new things.  Everything that I'm doing here is new in some sense that does make things more exciting.  Even a simple walk around the city / campus allows for a new and exciting adventure.

10.  Peace.