It is currently my last week in Natick. While it is scary to think that I am leaving my home for four months, the excitement of the journey to come is far greater than any fear I have. I have only just returned home from being a camp counselor a couple days ago, and here I am, packing up to leave once again, for twice as long. Whenever people find out that I am spending the semester in Israel, the first questions they always ask are, “That’s a long time. Are you nervous? Are you sure you’re ready?” The answers are: yes, I am nervous, but who wouldn’t be? I’ve never been away from home for so long. But it’s a good kind of nervous. And yes, of course I’m ready for this. I feel like everything in my life has prepared me for this trip. All of my years at various camps, and all of my leadership positions, such as leads in plays, being a camp counselor, and being selected as one of the three presidents for my temple’s youth group, have all made me as ready as I could be for this moment. I am more excited than I have been in a long time. Everyone that I know that has been on this trip has absolutely loved it. My expectations are high, but I’m sure that they will be easily met. I can’t wait to have a great time, and explore such an amazing country with people who I hope will soon become my best friends. I have never been away from home for this long, so that brings me slight fear, but I know that everything will turn out okay, if not amazing. I hope to learn all about my culture, all about my history, and just be able to take in the country of Israel for what it is. As for why I chose to apply for the fellowship, it just seemed obvious. I’ve always wanted to spend a semester abroad, and when I heard that I could do that for free, while also educating others on what it means to be Jewish and spend time in Israel, it was a no-brainer for me. The opportunity to learn what it means to be a leader is also absolutely amazing. My parents also said that there was no way that we could afford the trip, so the fellowship was my only option for travelling abroad. And I am honestly so happy that I got it. If I hadn’t been able to go on this trip, I would have been heartbroken. I can’t wait to embark on such an exciting and hopefully life-changing journey. The bells are ringing, you ready?