Living in Israel is such a different experience from living in America, it’s hard to go into it without any advice or guidance. The main thing that differs from being a student in Israel to being a student in America is the tiyulim. Going on a tiyul can be a hard experience, but it is always rewarding in the end. They tend to be long, hot, dry, and you never get enough sleep the night before. But after living here and experiencing these tiyulim for almost two months, I definitely have picked up a few tricks.

First, get enough sleep the night before, and sit next to someone who will let you sleep on the bus (and maybe even let you sleep on them). The days are long, and there is a ton of walking, so sleep is vital in having a good experience. Go to bed immediately at lights out, if not before. Don’t spend time talking to your roommates, because you’ll regret that in the morning when you have to wake up at six. Then on the bus, sit next to someone quiet (or no one at all), plug in your headphones, and sleep. I always take naps on the bus, even if the ride is under an hour. The day just tires me out so much, that in order to keep myself from passing out in the middle of an archaeological site, I need as much sleep as possible. I made a playlist specifically for long bus rides. It’s made of songs that I love, but that I won’t be tempted to sing along to, so it’s easy to fall asleep.

Another thing I’ve picked up while living here is bring water, especially on hikes, and drink when you need it. One thing I wish I’d brought is one of those Camelbak water backpacks, which has water that you can drink directly from your bag with a straw. It doesn’t slow you down, so you can drink water without having to stop and take an entire water bottle out of your bag. Most of the tiyulim are out in the hot sun, and it is easy to get dehydrated here, so bring the amount of water that they tell you, and drink it when you feel you need it.

I think one of the most important things you’ll need on tiyulim is a positive attitude. There are many long walks, hard hikes, and activities that just don’t sound like so much fun. But focus on the positive, and your experience will immediately improve. I’ve found that the people on my program who constantly complain on tiyulim are the ones that end up having the worst time, whereas the ones who went into it with positivity had a much better time on the trip. The tiyul will only be as good as you want it to be, so if you have a negative outlook on what it’s going to be like, then you’ll never have a good time on a tiyul.

Throughout the past two months, I’ve really noticed that these three things are really important in having a good time on the tiyulim. Sleep, water, and attitude will change a trip from the worst tiyul ever to the best. You control how your tiyul is going to go, so I suggest you take advantage of it.