Hello everyone!! I just got into campus a few days ago and am still adjusting to my new life. It has been a really, really big change coming from America to here, and a wild ride. Campus life is a lot different from life back at home. For starters, I am not in my own house, with my own room, and my own family, who I miss very much. Instead, I am rooming with six other new people, and although they all seem extremely nice, and I believe I am going to become close friends with them in the future, I have only been here for three days, and I do not know anybody that well yet. Also, we have a curfew of 11:30, which is a perfectly reasonable time to go to sleep by my standards, but I am still not used to everyone saying “time for lights out!” School is very different here too. I have quite gotten into the swing of things yet, but today our classroom was in the middle of Tel Gezer, out in the open! I think the hardest part is wrapping my mind around the fact that I am going to be here for four months! It feels so crazy because I already really miss my family and am used to spending a really large amount of my time with them. I am slowly adjusting though!

Despite the fact that I have to take in all the new things I think it’s important to set goals for myself to achieve throughout this trip. Maybe it will even help me to adjust more smoothly. First, I hope to make friends with every single person on this trip, even if it’s not close friends. Since it has only been three days I don’t even know everyone’s name yet, and I haven’t had a conversation with everyone on the trip either. Even so, I think that a big part of this trip is going to be the relationships I develop with the people around me and that those relationships are going to greatly affect whether or not I have a positive experience. Additionally, I intend on staying in shape while I am here. I am going to try to run every morning, and the gym on campus isn’t open yet, but I hope to use that regularly as well. Also, there is a pool near our campus, and I hope to go swimming regularly in the pool for half an hour to an hour every day that I am allowed to. Finally, I hope to get good marks in all of my classes and keep up with my studies while here so that I am not behind when I return to America.

I know these goals may seem minuscule, but the beauty is in the details, and I really believe its these things that are going to make or break this trip and keep me stress-free. I truly hope that I adjust quickly and become comfortable soon! This is definitely a wonderful opportunity for growth and adventure!