Thursday, May 13, 2010

The Long Awaited Completion and Moving On

Well, it has been a year since I started this blog, and I haven't updated it for like 9 months ha. Oops. Well, I am here to finish my trip to Jerusalem, although I would be surprised if anyone ever checked my blog any more. I am also starting a new blog for just my daily life. I'm not sure what it will be, but i'll post the address here.
Sum up of Jerusalem:
the 4 months I spent in the Holy Land were the best 4 months of my life. The last 7 weeks of the study abroad were the happiest 7 weeks of my life. I look at pictures even now and I see the immense joy I felt captured on my face. I didn't know I could look so happy. Even though I am broke and struggling now, I wouldn't trade my Jerusalem experience for anything. It was adn is worth every cent and every hardship that has resulted of it. Galilee was the most amazing place and it was my favorite, even though I did not expect it to be. There is a special spirit at Galilee that cannot be explained, only experienced. It was amazing. I loved Jordan. i love the Middle East and the people there. I used to think of jerusalem daily, and multiple times in each day, but i do not think of it as much anymore. I will always miss Jerusalem, the Holy Land, but most of all I will always the feelings I had all summer that resulted from the 68 other students and the staff that I lived with 24/7 for 4 months. They are some of the most incredible people I have ever met and I miss them all. I hope adn pray that I never forget the lessons I learned and especially the feelings I felt.
PETRA: Hot, not enough water to drink, coolest bathroom I've ever seen, AMAZING, so intriguing, beautiful, and oh man oh man I just can't describe it. p.s. I realized at the end of the day that I was getting really dehydrated, so I told Kristen to keep an eye on me in case I passed out, misjudged a step and fell off a cliff (serious), or did anything crazy ha.


Dead Sea Mud. We found and dug it up all by ourselves. The Dead Sea is crazy cool ha. It is super warm, extremely salty, it burns, and you float. It also ruined my $100 shoes because I forgot my crappy sandals that I dragged all the way from Boise, ID, USA at home in my room in the JC. Everyone needs to experience floating in the Dead Sea.

Harry Potter in Jerusalem :) Assigned seating and an intermission...man that movie was an experience ha.


Even in the Holy Land on an amazing study abroad I still struggle to stay awake in class, even on a field trip in an old castle.


Boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. Best field trip/day ever.


We went snorkeling at the Red Sea after finals were over. Did I mention I saw a sea snake (I hate snakes, but sea snakes are worse) and when I was in Hawaii I found out that the sea snake I saw is super poisonous? I almost died...


I got style. 'Nuf said.


haha

Sea of Galilee. We played on the beach and in the sea every day basically. The water acts like a gentle ocean, but is warm and fresh water. It kind of trips you up ha.


Finals week was ridiculous and we all went a little crazy. How to solve the problem? Study creatively :) How about you have to answer the study question right before you can jump into the pile of bean bags while getting your picture taken?


I helped paint a mural in a children's hospital in Jerusalem.


:)


Man, that Dome sure is heavy.


The Dome of the Rock. Yes, I saw it every day, but it wasn't until the second to last day I was in Jerusalem that I made it onto the Temple Mount.


We are known as "The Mormons" who attended "The Mormon University"


The Western Wall. A place of learning (for me).


The Garden Tomb. It is a beautiful place.


McDonalds in Tel Aviv. I was looking great that day (minus the sunburn ha)


The Private Section of the Garden of Gethsemane