My transition in two parts

8/2/2009

   I find the transition from one big experience to the next to be an intensely stressful period of revelation. In my case on July 31st, 2009 I began to part from the comfort of my friends, family, and house (I say house because home is where you make it). I found the extra attention in my last week to be both strange and uncomfortable. I wanted to slip away leaving everyone and everything preserved in the normalcy of summer... now I will have all of my freshest home memories falling into the bittersweet 'good bye' category. However, in the end, I do appreciate all of the attention, I feel loved and it forced me to recognize that this is a big step, an experience that I should chew 36 times and process, instead of in one big gulp washed down with a cup of nonchalant juice. [revelation: enjoy the process even if it may be taxing, the means as oppose to the ends, this is essentially what traveling should be about]

   I left from New York City and ventured to Munich where I had a layover for two hours. The food on the airplane was actually delicious. Flying Lufthansa is the way to go! While the food was surprisingly refreshing the double frisking in the airport and the exchange rate of US to euros was not. I found that I was actually all alone on my trip, no other students from my program decided to hop on the flight. Fortunately, I was saved from a long and lonely voyage to Haifa University by my good family friends. And now here I am in Israel, it is hot, hot, hot.  I enjoyed a lovely home-cooked meal after three plane-cooked ones. I have not slept in well over 24 hours but I am wired with excitement and fresh new tastes. I take comfort in knowing that at least the physical transportation part of the transition has ceased. I now look forward to bringing in the balance (aka overcoming my jet lag) I already feel at home here, but the real test comes tomorrow when I take my placement exam for the language Ulpan... basically admitting to them that I know nothing ( I wish I knew how to say 'nothing' in Hebrew, at least then there would be a little irony to it!)

-Maya