My first week in Tel Aviv is over and it’s been, for lack of a better word, a complete whirlwind. I don’t even know where to start at this point but I’ll try my best. Overall, I’m thrilled to be here. The transition from extreme homesickness to relative comfort has been surprisingly swift, but not without its challenges.

The main challenge so far in Tel Aviv has been learning to let go. Letting go of routine and giving in to chaos. Letting go of sadness because there isn’t any room for it. Letting go of your inhibitions and learning to say yes to any opportunity that comes through the door. Trying to recreate any semblance of normal life is paralyzing and is pretty much a waste of time, so here I am, giving in to the city and letting it guide me instead of me trying to make any sense out of it.

The program started with an eventful uber ride into Jerusalem, with a driver that didn’t speak any English, a broken gps, backing up into traffic because we were in the wrong lane, and a lot of shouting, but we made it in one piece! Overall, we are a group of 60 people from all over the world with extremely diverse interests, but with a lot of common ground. The second day of orientation featured a food tour through the Mechane Yehuda market and a visit to the Old City. I froze my butt off but it was a great way to kickstart the program.

On Wednesday, we arrived in Tel Aviv and moved into our accommodations at Beit Leni. The building is right in the heart of the city and is walkable to pretty much anything worth walking to! Dizengoff Mall is nearly next door and Shuk HaCarmel is less than a ten minute walk away. There are countless bars, clubs and cafes and the beach is fairly close by too. Slowly slowly I’m learning my way around. And eating everything. I literally cannot stop eating here. Even something as simple as vegetables tastes ten times better than at home.

On our first night, we went to a bar called Pesaz and there ended up being a really incredible band playing. It was all instrumental but the lead trumpet player was really impressive. After a few drinks, we headed back with our clothing smelling like cigarettes, but in high spirits. The rest of the week consisted of going out every night and eating everything in sight.

My time here so far has been jam packed that I can’t recount everything. It also didn’t help that I couldn’t get my computer to connect to the internet here until today, so this post is a little bit late, but everything is settling into place. Here are a few more images from the last week.

Well, I’m finally in Israel. I’ve actually been here since Thursday but there hasn’t been too much happening yet to warrant a post. I’ve mostly been trying to adjust, but it’s been a lot more difficult psychologically than I anticipated. I’d like to be able to look back at this post at the end of my experience and reflect back on the transition, and although I initially wanted to document mostly the exciting parts of my journey for my family and friends, this blog is just as much for my own reflections.

Getting to Israel went off without much trouble. I was kind of peeved at EL AL, but I forgot that they handle things like true Israelis… in that it was a complete balagan. I managed to get pulled out of the boarding line to be ‘profiled’ and ended up being one of the last on the plane, had my carry-on forcibly taken away to be checked and found someone else sitting in my seat. The food was halfway decent though.

The first place I went after I landed was to my grandparents, like I usually do, and was promptly fed. My grandmother’s cooking is the best, and she even made her own Baklava, which was probably the best I have ever had. And when I finished that, she tried to feed me more. In my usual fashion, I immediately had a nap and tried to relax some.

The jet lag when I first get to Israel is always the worst. I was so excited when I woke up at 8 AM the next day like a normal human being, but the following day was a disaster.

Anyway, on Friday, my cousin Niv and his girlfriend took me out into Tel Aviv. We went to HaTachana, an old train station that has since been converted into a public space. There was a market going on that had some really unique, hipster-ish jewelry along with several vegan food booths. We all tried the vegan shawarma and agreed that the taste was pretty spot on. I definitely plan on going back to the area to check it out another time.

After that, we walked to Shuk HaCarmel for some hummus. In between the produce stands, we walked into what was formerly a synagogue (It still had the stained glass windows in front) and got in line for some delicious hummus. I never actually realized that people eat it like a meal. Mine was a mix of traditional hummus and another bean hummus, served with an egg, onions, pickles and some charif. Freakin’ delicious! Not to mention, the pita was pretty awesome too. We finished up the day with Shabbat dinner at my grandmother’s with the entire family.

It was really great to see everybody and to see how much my younger cousins have grown, but it was also strange. My Hebrew is really rusty (even more rusty with my jet lag) and I kind of felt that I didn’t have much of a place in any conversation. I love my family but it will definitely be an adjustment actually being an active part in it.

As much as I’m happy about being here, I’m having an insanely hard time with the thought of actually living here. In my mind, I expected to feel the same way I do when I’m here on vacation, but then I realize it isn’t just a vacation and that’s when I start freaking out. I had my life together back home. I was comfortable and confident and independent. Now I’m just lost. I know that when my program starts tomorrow, I’ll feel a lot better, but its still daunting to think that I have to relearn how to live my life. But I guess that’s why I’m here in the first place– to learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

To be honest, I’ve cried every day since Monday. Every day is slightly better than the last, but I’m still very homesick. However, I did have a moment of clarity last night. My cousin invited me out to celebrate his girlfriend’s sister’s birthday, and we ended up going to a cool little local bar. The group was comprised of international students studying at Tel Aviv University, and they all spoke English. I ended up having a great time and it gave me a glimpse of the good times ahead.

Tomorrow, I head to Jerusalem for orientation and my journey can really begin. Wish me luck.