Throughout the past two months here in Israel, we have gone on many tiyulim. We’ve hiked mountains, swam in natural springs, explored new cities, ate amazing food, you name it, we’ve done it.

The trip I was most nervous about was Yam Le Yam, hiking from the Mediterranean Sea to the Kineret over the course of four days. Never in a million years would I have thought that it would be the tiyul I’ve loved the most.

As much complaining as I did throughout the tiyul, it was really an amazing trip and one I’ll likely never forget. We started with an opening ceremony at the Mediterranean Sea where we filled up a bottle with the sea water, which by the end of the trip, everyone had carried, and then poured into the Kineret. We don’t count the day where someone *cough cough* Moshe *cough cough* accidentally left it in their overnight bag which was then taken by the company we worked with to the next campground.

The four days were spent sweating, swimming, climbing, and bonding. One thing I loved most about the trip was that each day you had so much time to just talk with everyone around you. No one was off limits, and due to everyone’s different hiking speeds, everyone was scattered and I got a chance to talk and bond with people who I never would have thought would now be some of my closest friends.

Each day a new theme was introduced to us- awareness, togetherness, responsibility, and individuality. Day one’s theme was a reminder to me to look up every so often and admire the view, to be aware that I was on the top of mountains, something you sometimes forget to do when you’ve been hiking for six hours.

The theme of togetherness played out throughout the whole trip, not just day two. Hiking across a country brings people together in ways that other experiences don’t. You’re with the same forty something people every minute of the four days you’re together, and you learn a lot about the people you’re with. New friendships and memories are made and the group’s dynamic was completely changed by the end of it.

To understand what responsibility means, we studied the Hebrew word for it, אחריות. If you break down the word, you come to realize that you have to be responsible for yourself, your brother, others, as well as to know when to lead, and when to take a step back. Only then can you truly be responsible. Sometimes we forget that we all need to take a part in being there for each other and to look out for one another, and this trip definitely reminded me to take responsibility for myself and those around me.

The last theme was focusing on ourselves. We get caught up in the craziness of our lives and forget to take time to relax and take a break from the rest of the world. We started the day off by hiking in silence for the first hour and a half. At times it was hard because I was so used to talking with my friends while we walked, but it let me admire my surroundings and focus on being present in the moment.

Overall, the experience was quite incredible. I made so many new memories and bonded with people I never thought I would become close with. I will never forget the both fun and hard times nor the people I experienced them with thanks to this trip. It’s amazing to be on a program where hiking across the country is a normal school day and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to travel and be in Israel with people that I love.