I felt relatively confident about this experience until the second we started to taxi at JFK. I think there was just a moment where I realized that there was no taking anything back, and everything was very real and could go horribly wrong. Luckily, the feeling faded pretty fast after takeoff and I slept for a lot of the flight. We landed at Ben Gurion right around sunset, which is my absolute favorite time of day here. Seeing my favorite place in the beautiful light, resolidified my excitement and my optimism for this program. I really wish I could talk more about the next two days, but I was in a jet lagged haze for the most part. As we all settle into life here, it has been interesting to see what is challenging and what comes naturally to us. I am lucky, because my roommates and I all get along really well. From our first day together, we have been laughing non-stop. Our whole group is small, so we have bonded very quickly, and we all spend a lot of time together, studying, shopping, or just sitting together. I love our core class, even though it is 4 hours long. Before we got here, I was nervous that I would zone out for most of it, and it would feel like torture to sit for that long. I have never had a class this long, but I actually prefer it. In a class this long, I feel like I am able to understand each lesson deeply, and we still have time to ask questions. In the evenings, we have a few hours of free time, where we can go into town to grab food or anything we want. My favorite places so far ar Moshiko’s, which sells smoothies, and an Italian place called Pasta Mia. Our first big field trip was this week, and we had a lot packed into it. We went swimming in the springs at Sachne, where the little fish ate at our toes. After swimming, we drove to Mount Scopus, with a beautiful view of Jerusalem. While sitting, we had the powerful experience of singing, “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” while overlooking the city. The next day, we hiked the ancient settlement of Sataf, where they used the cave irrigation and terrace farming techniques that we learned about in class. Later that day, we waded through the waters of Hezekiah’s tunnels. I love our field trips because I feel like it makes our lessons come to life. It is as if you can really feel the history that we have learned about. I am so excited for the coming weeks, where we will hike Masada and swim in the Dead Sea, and experience Shabbat at the Kotel. I am so grateful to be here, and to be travelling my favorite country with such wonderful new people. I already feel at home on campus, and in my dorm. It is so exciting to wake up in my favorite country every day, and I can’t wait for the next two months.