Coming into Alexander Muss High School I had a lot of thoughts of what everything was going to be like.

Coming into Alexander Muss High School I had a lot of thoughts of what everything was going to be like. I go to Camp Louise during the summers, so a lot of my camp friends have been on this program before. Each of them would tell me about how Muss not only changed their lives, but made them more independent. I was so excited to experience everything they told me about when I arrived.

Now that I am on my third week, Alexander Muss has been everything that I hoped and dreamed it would be, plus so much more. At Alexander Muss, you don’t feel like a tourist but rather a traveler, you learn how to take care of yourself. Time management is crucial here. You are always on the go whether traveling around Israel, studying about Jewish history, or making sure you balance your time between hanging out with friends and keeping up with your studies. One of my goals was to gain a new sense of independence and I can easily say with confidence that I will become a better student both socially and academically after this program, leaving me prepared for college.

In this environment, you learn how to socialize with people from all over the world which is amazing exposure and experience for our futures. I’ve meet people from Australia at one of the youth hostels we have stayed in and met Germans at dinner. I love hearing about how other people live and seeing all different types of culture. Israel brings lots of people together from all over the world. You never know who you are going to meet even just when you’re walking down the streets in Hod Hasharon. I still have a lot of time in Israel and I hope to take advantage of this diverse place to learn a lot more about other cultures but also Israel’s amazing culture. This country is so special in so many ways. Something that really touched me was when we went to the Western Wall for Shabbat. I went with a group of girls on my trip to the women’s section and there was an extraordinary commotion. Everywhere I looked there was dancing: children and the elderly, Jewish and non-Jewish. It was so eye-opening to see how dedicated and connected people are at the Kotel. I think it is so nice to celebrate Shabbat with your family every Friday to Saturday. In Israel, everything shuts down and you just spend time with your family. When I get home, one of my goals is to celebrate Shabbat more with my family, because I think it is important to stop your life sometimes and just rest. I can’t wait to share this culture with my friends and family at home.

I really can’t describe how much fun I am having here and how many amazing friends have made. It seems crazy to me that I have only been here for three weeks. I excitedly anticipate the rest of my trip, because I know it’s going to be amazing.