Hey y’all! This Sunday marks three weeks since I left home to study abroad in Tel Aviv, Israel. Coming here, I had no idea what to expect. Although I grew up Jewish, Hebrew was not a language spoken around me and the sabbath was not a sabbath but just another day of the week. I knew Israel would not only bring my awareness to a culture that I have long been curious to learn about, but spending a semester in Tel Aviv would be the experience of a lifetime.
My program is slightly different than many other study abroad programs. Before I can even take classes at Tel Aviv University, I have to complete Ulpan, or an intensive Hebrew study course for seven weeks. Every Sunday thru Thursday, from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm, I am learning both grammatical and conversational Hebrew. While learning Hebrew at Rollins was helpful for this, learning a language is an entirely new experience when you are surrounded by it at bus stops, coffee shops, malls, beaches, and everywhere you look. I can hail a cab, give them my destination, and ask how much it will cost before I look like a tourist. My biggest accomplishment so far has been the two TAU students who asked me for directions in Hebrew. I couldn’t help them, but I was flattered they thought I knew what I was doing and that I spoke Hebrew.
At TAU, I live with three other girls who are also doing the semester program. My roommate is a junior at UPenn, and our suitemates attend Vassar College and Binghamton University. Before I arrived in Tel Aviv, I had no idea who I was living with or where for that matter. I was definitely nervous that I would get here and not have a place to stay, but our living situation could not be better. 
Because we only have class until 1 o’clock right now, we have plenty of time to explore the country. This week alone I drove an ATV through the Jerusalem Mountains, saw the Bahai Gardens in Haifa, the grottoes in Rosh HaNikra, Caesarea, and Acre. I also have had my fair share of hummus, falafel, pita, and fresh squeezed orange juice.
I am so excited to see what the rest of this semester holds. Studying abroad is something I have always wanted to do, and a huge reason I chose to attend Rollins back in 2015 was because of how many students study abroad every semester. This past winter I did a once in a lifetime field study led by Dr. McLaren and Dr. Arun Gandhi. I have found myself recently comparing my time in India to my life here in Israel. My program ends in January, so already that is way different than a winter break field study. Also, in Israel I am kinda on my own. By studying abroad in Israel, I hope to become a more independent traveler and understand as much as I can about this diverse country. It is beautiful to me how so many different people can love one land as much as they do. I have already fallen in love with the people, the culture, and the lifestyle.
!ליילה טוב מישראל