This is the first official blog post from Israel!  I’m still getting settled in, so this will be just an overview of what the trip was like.  For the future I’ve got ideas for posts all lined up, including such topics as: Israeli “motorcycles”, the irony of the desert landscape, and differences in water sourcing and use compared to the United States. It promises to be fun; Stay tuned for more in the weeks ahead!

                The trek to Israel started with a 2 hour drive to Newark Airport, New Jersey, and lugging suitcases through check-in with my parents.  They stayed with me until about 2:15 PM EST, when we decided it was time to go through security.  I weaved through the security line, looking back at my parents, who hovered on the next floor up and were watching. After a minor hangup (I didn’t know I couldn’t put my external hard drive on top of my laptop) I passed through just fine and waved one last time to Mom and Dad.  Then I was off to my gate.  Interestingly, flights to Tel Aviv have an additional level of security, solely surrounding the specific gate.  I had to surrender my carryon bag for another search, and I was wanded down, presumably to check for hidden weapons.  I passed through quickly and with no trouble, and after almost 50 minutes of waiting, we were allowed on the plane.  My seat was arguably the worst on the aircraft: last row, aisle, right next to the galley and bathroom.  Due to this placement, I didn’t sleep much during the flight, despite my attempts.  However, I was seated next to some wonderful people, one who was Israeli going home, and the other who is a graduate student also studying in Israel, but not in my program.  Despite a late start, the plane landed right on time, and I was quickly in line for the Passport Control booths.  Eventually I presented my passport, and was allowed through in a matter of a minute, since I already had my visa to study for an extended period of time.  I picked up my baggage, slung my backpack on my shoulders, and set off for the next step of my journey, the train!

                I grabbed 200 NIS (New Israeli Sheqalim, about $55 US) and followed the signs to the train station, where I used an automatic system to buy a ticket for 14 NIS, which for a 20 minute train ride, isn’t bad.  The train came right on time, and I was waiting for the doors to open and take me to the Central Rail Station/Savidor-Merkaz.  Of course, no trip is perfect, and so something had to happen. As I was lifting my rather heavy suitcase onto the train, my foot slipped and I fell between the train and the platform.  It was more a blow to my ego than my leg, but another passenger helped me up and I proceeded to my seat.  With all my luggage, I got many looks, and not all of them were pleasant, but such is life. Needless to say, when I got off the train, I had learned my lesson. I was much more careful.  I will most likely have a lovely bruise for a few days, but I have internalized the rule the British put so eloquently—Mind The Gap!

                The train made it to the Central Station, and I made it off safely, and out of the main terminal.  I hovered just inside the exit turnstiles debating if I could really make it through, but figured after 15 minutes I would just have to make the leap of faith and try it. I barely squeezed through, and met up with one of the Institute’s coordinators just a minute later.  From there it was a flurry of greetings and boarding the bus to Jerusalem.  From the seats of the bus I could take a leisurely look at Tel Aviv and the approach to Jerusalem, however I have to admit my tiredness won out and I slept on the bus a great deal. We picked up more students in East Jerusalem, which I can only describe as “old”. Not old in a negative sense, but in every good sense of the word. It was old in such a magnificent way it is difficult to describe. I look forward to travelling to Jerusalem again, taking pictures, and then communicating the feel of such an ancient city. 

                We left Jerusalem and rode south, down some scarily twisting roads and into the true Negev Desert.  Before we entered the Arava area, we stopped for lunch at what I would call a rest area; a couple of food places, bathrooms, and a small store for forgotten necessities (which I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything that important yet!).  There I had my first taste of Israeli food: Falafel without the falafel.   Who knows why they didn’t have the trademark fried chickpea balls, but I got instead salad, humus, tahina, and pickles in a pita.  It took some getting used to, but by the third bite I was hooked.  Now I actually need to try the falafel!  After another 2 hours of driving, we pulled into Kibbutz Ketura around 4:45 PM local time, and moved right in. The attached pictures are of my room! My roommate is an American, going to a private college in Pennsylvania, and so far, we’re getting along fine.  We had dinner as a group and played an initial icebreaker game, and then we were allowed to go to bed. Thank goodness for that, because I was exhausted still, even after napping on the bus. Today we also had a packed schedule, which I'll go into in a further post. It's almost 2 AM here, so I'm going to bed!  Shalom!