Thanks for all the concern and the prayers from home, y’all - they mean the world to me! I’m staring straight in the face of the final countdown for summer 2006, Be’er Sheva edition. While now I have effectively dealt with the waves of depression that come when a change is on the horizon, I’m still not looking forward to the two days it will take me to get back to Arkansas. Bleh. Regardless, I had better begin gearing up for it because frankly, there is no stopping it. Now how in the hell am I supposed to pack all this shit? And now what you’ve all been waiting for, more humorous observations of the Holy Land: Milk in a Bag - okay folks, the carton is a thing of the past. Here in Israel, you ... read more

Excuse the long break from the blog - I've been filling every one of my days here with new and groundbreaking experiences! Also, internet access is slightly limited (I SHOULD be working right now...), but I will try my best to catch yall up. The last time we talked, I was heading to Jerusalem for a fun-filled weekend with old friends. And it was just that. Yossi and I checked into our hotel and met one of his Israeli friends and the coolest Italian diplomat, Nemo, for lunch and a tour of the Old City. Now, I've been here a handful of times, but I have never been to the Christian Quarter of the city. We headed through the Damascus Gate which leads into the Muslim Quarter right as afternoon prayers let out. What a CRAZY ... read more

Hello from another HOT day here in Be'er Sheva! It has been a long time, has it not? Reason being that last week was Shavuot, immediately followed by Shabbat which translates into everything being closed for like three days straight. Except for the creepy Russian taxi services ::shudders:: but we won't speak of that... Thursday found me waking up extremely late after a night out with my new Canadian friends - we explored some of the Old City and found a nice bar for a couple of drinks. They are living in the same place (Altshul), and they are working for Magen David Adom, the ambulance service (think Red Cross-ish - Adom means red and Magen David is the shield of David). I am officially the ONLY American living in Altshul, which makes meeting people an ... read more

Shalom y'all! We find our fearless traveler in Be'er Sheva, Israel, after a long flight, little sleep, and crappy airplane food. Actually, that's all in the past. I have slept long, eaten well, and I am now with my amazing friend, Gil, his family, and his girlfriend (who I adore!). They are taking great care of me, making sure I learn how to live like an Israeli. It's the craziest thing - everywhere I go, people think I'm Israeli...until I open my mouth. It's definitely an ego boost. I have a really good feeling about the Hebrew classes and how fast I will progress. I already understand so much better than I have. So, NYC was so much fun. I found the crazy Indian place I love on 1st Avenue, and Francesca, Ricardo, and I ate ... read more

So, here I am, eight hours before I leave Arkansas for 2.5 months. Am I nervous? Yes. Am I excited? Yes. Am I packed? Of course not. My flight leaves from Fort Smith tomorrow morning, and I will spend a few final days with my lovely Italian friends in New York City. It'll be a good relaxer before bouncing on to Israel for the summer. Saying goodbye to Francesca and Matteo will be so hard, but I am happy that this is how we are saying it. I will be living in Be'er Sheva, Israel working for the Maslan Rape Crisis Center. Basically, this town is in the middle of the desert, so I will quite literally be surrounded by sand and camels and sun. I'm not quite sure where I will be living yet, hopefully ... read more