My love for Israel started when I was twelve years old and visited Israel for the first time. I went with my family and some friends to become a Bat Mitzvah. We did the regular sight-seeing mixed with B'nai Mitzvot services. It was cool to see the places I learned about in my Jewish day school classes in real life.
My favorite Israel experience was studying abroad at Tel Aviv University during my sophomore year in college. It was a whole new Israel experience for me. We studied, we partied, and we lived like Israelis. I made lifelong friends during this time. I loved going to the grocery store early Friday morning to buy my fresh challah and food for Shabbat, which I cooked almost every week. I got to work on my Hebrew (I became fluent) and enjoyed messing with the cab drivers who were looking to increase their fares for tourists. I didn't want to come home at the end of the semester and was ready to stay until my parents voiced their opinion.
I have been to Israel a total of 13 times. During my last trip, leading a Birthright group, I never felt more at home than I did then. My last night there, I stood on the boardwalk in Tel Aviv to watch the sunset. I saw the green flash as the sun fell below the horizon and something sparked inside of me. Within a month of being back in the US, I had completed my paperwork for aliyah and was approved by the Jewish Agency for Israel to receive my visa. I am at my happiest when I am in Israel and I am looking forward to calling Israel my home.
I know there is still a lot to accomplish before the move in mid-March but as THE day gets closer, I get more and more excited. I hope you will enjoy being a part of this journey with me.
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