US AIRWAYS...

Oh, how I loathe thee. Thank you for making me stay in the Philadelphia Airport, WITHOUT a cell phone, for 10 hrs. In order to remember this day I bought this...

Thank you for the warm welcome America.

Hello Amerrrrrica.

Woah, where did the time go?
I'm currently sitting in the Philadelphia airport, on a white rocking chair, on the outskirts of the food court people watching. There are some things that I like. For instance, clean floors, normal fast food, people that speak english, and no creepy men winking at me. However, it shocked me when I saw so many "large" people. I had forgotten how BIG America is. Boy, I've only been away from Israel for about 16 hrs and I miss it so much. It kind of feels like I'm on a long field trip and that I'll be going back to the JC soon, but I know that reality will kick in soon and it will be hard.
It was hard to leave all of the amazing people I had met and come so close to and lived with for 4 months. It was hard to see the Dome of the Rock fade into the distance for the last time until I have no clue when. It was hard to say good bye to the beautiful Israeli architecture and the limestone they use for all of their buildings. It was hard to say good bye to the land I had traveled this whole semester and had come to know.
Not gonna lie, I'm way excited to see my family and be with them for 3 weeks and start school again in the fall, but it's hard to come back to reality. I'm starting a new phase in my life and that is just down right scary. I hope and pray I'll never forget this place. I'm pretty sure I won't because I will wear my ring everyday with the inscription in Hebrew that says ," Until We Meet Again." So Israel, I'll be seeing you. America, don't let me down.

3 days...

3 days until I leave this beautiful place. the amazing people I have met. shwarmas. Sam Booki Bakery. seeing fireworks every night. watching late night movies. my twin bed. the Call to Prayer. walking through the streets of the Old City. gelato. the Western Wall. The Dome of the Rock. $5 t-shirts. car horns. walking up hells hill. Mount Scopus. riding the bus around town. bargaining with shopkeepers. mint lemonade. the NU store. waffle bar & burger bar. sunsets over the city. breakfast's with Kim Chadwick. pillow talk. long bus rides. riding bus 75 for 5 shekels. walking up a million stairs just to get around the building. the land Jesus walked on. the place where the Savior suffered and died for my sins. the place that changed my life forever.

My Last Days...

I can't believe that I'm in the single digits until I fly back to the states. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was getting super excited to come to this beautiful place and live here for 4 months. It feels like I blinked and now I'm getting ready to come home. Since I have been here I have learned so much concerning the archaeology, geography, and history of the Holy Land and how it connects to the Bible. It is through this experience that just shows me even more how true the Bible is. For those who don't believe it just need to come here, give it a chance and study it, and I'm sure they will be convinced.

Besides going on amazing field trips and traveling all over the Near East from Turkey to Jordan, through the West Bank and all up and down Israel, it is the people that have made my experience so much more special. The professors here are GENIUS and without them I'm sure I wouldn't have learned as much as I have, but it's also the amazing students I have lived with these past 4 months. Everyday, 24 hrs a day, I am surrounded by these amazing people who teach me something new everyday. Whether its just to chill out and enjoy the sunset over the city or pushing me to learn more, I have changed because of them. Granted, all of us has butted heads from time to time, but over all we love each other and I'm sure we all feel that we were all supposed to be here at this time.

I will never forget Jerusalem and the way it has changed my spirit.

For your viewing pleasure...

So, I was planning on doing some super sweet posts about my adventures to Galilee, but school is a tad bit crazy right now for me to take a chunk of my time our and write about it. Therefore, I've decided to share some photo's, so you can get an idea of how much fun I had. ENJOY! :)

These Few Days...

Hey guys, I know I know, I am slacking on my blogging BUT I will update about my fabulous trip to Galilee this weekend. Before that event happens I wanted to share some pretty fun things that have happened in the past 2 days.

Yesterday (July 24,2011)

FREE DAY!

So, a bunch of us went to the Dome of the Rock. We got in pretty successfully until a guy caught me and said my skirt was too short. Lame. He told me to walk down the side walk to this man who was selling cover ups for I have no clue how much because I didn't care, but Kim Stone came up with a great idea.

Skirt Swap!

Kim and I went into this green box structure with windows that went down to my hips and tried to switch skirts super quick. Josiah was keeping watch when the door opened a little bit and Kim screamed, so naturally I screamed. The guy wasn't a fan of our screaming since we were on a holy site. After we changed we went to find the rest of our group and we found them talking to the security/police officers and we were totally confused...until we got over there.

When we walked over the officers were laughing at Joan because she was reporting lost shekels. Apparently, people in Israel when they see 100 shekels on the ground they just take it, but not us! They were so confused as to why she was giving back the sheks, but she knew her integrity was more than 100 sheks (about $30).

After the Dome we went to go see our good friend Shaban, so Kim and I could change back, and he always gives us free drinks. Then we asked him where we could go to get some yummy shwarma's and he was like, "FOLLOW ME!" So, we followed and he took us on this top secret back way around the city all the way to Damascus gate and it was the greatest thing! Then he took us into the back of this shwarma/falafel place and we got the best shwarma of my life! My day was off to a fantastic start.

Finally, we had to make our way up to West Jerusalem because we had to go to the Israel Museum for a paper we have to write, but on our way we made a quick stop to a play ground. Can I just tell you that I love swings. I LOVE SWINGS. I also found out that when you go on a teeter-totter you need to do it with someone your size or else its no fun...Joan

We made our way up to the Israel Museum and we had a great time! While we were in the Dead Sea Scrolls part of the Museum we ran into a lady who was from Florida. Not only was she from Florida, but she lives like 5 mins from me! She lives in Aberdeen. Here and I chatted for a fews minutes and I wish I would've gotten her name,but we were on a schedule. We had to make through the Museum in like 3.5 hrs. It was totally worth it. When we were done, Angela, Sharla, and I got on a bus and made our way home and when we got home I watched Gone with the Wind for the first time. The only thing great about that movie is Clark Gable...what a stud.

Favorite Line: "Quite frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." haha LOVE Clark Gable

Today (July 25, 2011)

We had a super fun field trip today in the Old City. We went to the Wohl Museum where we saw excavated houses from the 1st century, the Burnt House Museum, and then we went to the Davidson Center. At the Davidson Center we were able to walk right outside the Temple Mount walls. We walked on the road to the Pool of Siloam, took pictures on the pinnacle that Christ could've stood on when he was tempted by Satan to jump, and sat on the steps that Jesus could've walked on when coming in and our of the Temple.

A highlight on the steps was when we were done we all decided to sing, "Nearer, My God, To Thee" and this man just stopped and shush everyone around him so he could listen to us. I love that. Wherever we go, if we sing, we make people stop in their tracks and they just watch us.

Now, time for the exciting part of the day. Angela, Joan, Josh and I were planning on going to the Ariel Center today, but we found out that the english tour started at 12pm and we got done with our field trip at 11:45. We quickly took our pictures on the steps and in front of the temple gates and sprinted to the Ariel Center. We got there with 1 min to spare. Boy, were we sweaty! After a fun time at the museum we went to Sam Booki (an amazing bakery) and got a huge chocolate donut, walked through the city to Herod's gate and got a taxi for 5 sheks each. All in all, today was a great day.

Now, I'm sitting in my stench, watching Breakfast at Tiffany's, and procrastinating homework. Oh, the life of a student in the Jerusalem Center.

HAPPY 8TH OF JULY!

As you may or may not know, we celebrated Christmas on the 4th of July in Bethlehem, so when would we celebrate the Birth of America? Obviously it would be 4 days later! It was SO much fun! Apple pie, corn on the cob, hot dogs and most importantly hamburgers WITH cheese!!! I was SO excited...hmmmhmm good.

Along with delicious food we had fun party music, face painting, and three legged races. What more could you ask for when celebrating the Independence of America in Israel? To top off the night the local Palestinians decided to shoot off some fireworks from their cars because they were super jealous they weren't partying with us.

Did I mention that some lucky boys got some sweet lovin' from me & Ashley? Happy Independence Day to them! :)