Israel..you will be missed..

I have not taken the time to post my own entry thus far because I have been so busy enjoying every minute of this wonderful country. I will try to summarize my experience as best as possible but it will be hard to include all of the incredible things we have been through here. The first two weeks of this program were phenomenal. I learned so much and felt like I really immersed myself in the unique culture of this region. The impromptu debates between our tour guide and our speakers, the amazing cuisine, and the overwhelming hospitality we received from everyone has made me fall in love with this country. The following four week internship was difficult in that there was so much I wanted to experience and see and I felt like my time here was so short. While the the work I did at my internship was interesting the weekend adventures were the highlight of my week. Our first weekend trip to Haifa was so relaxing and fun. The people were incredibly nice, the food was amazing as always, and the beach was beautiful and relaxing. My favorite weekend however was when we ventured down to the south of Israel to Eilat. The first day we were down there we hopped over the border to Jordan to visit the ancient city of Petra. I would tell anyone who ever comes to Israel that you cannot leave without visiting this place. It was magnificently beautiful and the history and ancient architecture was just amazing. It was also really great to experience Arab culture which was warm and hospitable. On our second day in Eilat we went on a relaxing boat cruise on the Red Sea to a coral reef where we went snorkeling. Going back to our internship after this weekend was tough so we planned a relaxing trip to Tel Aviv for the following weekend. It happened to fall on the evening of White Night where the whole city of Tel Aviv stays up all night putting on concerts in the streets and the beach. It was so much fun and a great way to truly experience the vibrant nightlife of Tel Aviv. Our trip was cut short when I came down with a bad case of food poisoning, however I can now tell you that the hospitals in Israel are fabulous. We are spending our last week here finishing up all of the final things we wanted to do in Jerusalem and I am looking forward to spending my last day wandering the Old City. Israel is an amazing country and this program has been such an incredible experience. I can't wait to come back and visit again!