Getting Started

8/31/11 11:30 PM GMT+2

This is day 2 in Israel, and it feels like we've been here so much longer.  While I was initially worried about all of the changes, everything is good.  Our group of 92 people is split up into 3 groups based on 2nd semester tracks; thus, so far I have spent most of my time with other future kibbutzniks.  Our kibbutz group is being led by the madrichim Rachel and Ira. 

We are divided into 2 buildings (old and new).  All of my group is in the old building, along with some girls going to Karmiel (others are going to Yerucham 2nd sem.). I am on the top floor, which is the 3rd floor, so I get the privelege of walking up and down 6 flights of stairs daily to go to floor -3 next door to daven each morning. I have 2 roommates (Suzanne and Leah, both of whom are awesome), and I am oh so happy to say that we have our own bathroom, even though the fuse blown earlier today led to a lack of eletricity making bathroom activities somewhat difficult.

So far, we've pretty much only had orientation-type meetings, ice-breakers, and a brief tour of the area around Beit Nativ.  We've also had some "opportunity time," as our program director says there is no free time during this program.  During my opportunity time, I have done such things as find internet, create this blog, and go to the supermarket across the street for my first experience as an independent-like adult.  At this very moment, I am using my opportunity time to write as well as talk with my friends Mia, Maddie, Barry, and Natanya.

Tomorrow I start at the Yeshiva, and I cannot wait for this new set of newness.  Most of all, I cannot wait for the ability to truly experience Israel.  I already have loose plans to go camping with a few people, explore quite a few stores and restaurants on Ben Yehuda, and travel to other cities.

Trivia: It got really cold tonight.

Lifnei (Before) Nativ

8/31/11 12:00 AM CST

[What I currently remember of what I wrote on the plane at above time in a notebook which is currently a building and 3 floors away.]

I just officially decided on Monday morning, hours before leaving for Ohare, that I would create a blog to keep family and friends informed of what I am doing in Israel.  Sorry for the delay in creating/posting, but I have fairly little internet access.

For those who do not know, I am participating in a gap year program called Nativ, which is Hebrew for path (so I have hopefully eliminated any confusion about the blog name implying a distance can be measured in time).  I will spend 9 months in Israel, 1^st semester studying at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem and 2^nd semester living and working at Kibbutz Ein Tzurim.  Throughout the program, I will do community service, participate in leadership seminars, and go on tiyulim (tours), as well as be able to explore the country.

My current plan for the blog is to post approximately every week, hopefully with impeccable spelling and grammar.  I will tell of what I see, hear, do, and learn.

And, to hopefully make this more amusing, I will end each post with some sort of trivia that may possibly but not necessarily be important to the general public.

Trivia: How many times was I asked to got back to my seat (as in leave friends 5 rows in front of me) on my El Al flight?  Too many times to count.