From the moment I arrived in Israel, I knew that this country is so incredibly different from the United States.

From the moment I arrived in Israel, I knew that this country is so incredibly different from the United States.

The first and most obvious thing that I noticed was the weather. If I could describe Seattle weather in one word, it would be, crummy. During most of the year, the sky is grey and it is not very warm. On the other hand, I have already gotten so used to the warm weather here, that when I walked outside this morning, and it was 75 degrees, I was cold. I am thoroughly enjoying the warm weather here and so far the lack of rain.

Another noticeable difference is the way people interact with each other. In Seattle, many people are very passive aggressive. If someone does not like or want something, they are less up front about it. In Israel, instead of hinting at what they want, and hoping someone will notice, the people are very upfront about it. To some Americans, this type of culture might come of as rude.This can be a bit startling, but I am slowly getting used to it. 

One of my favorite things about Israel that is drastically different from America, is how embedded Judaism is into everyday life. For instance the weekend here is over Shabbat and not over Sunday. This allows everyone to observe the Sabbath in the way they like, and is also a reminder to take a break for those who may be less concerned with keeping Shabbat. Because much of the food is Kosher, even those who do not usually practice eating Kosher, have the opportunity to do so without much effort. It is small things like this that make Israel so special, and so different from the United States.