Everyone said that getting into and out of Israel is the hardest part of your travel. I beg to differ. Philadelphia wouldn't let us leave unless we (temporarily, hopefully) changed our tickets, to come back after only 3 months instead of 3 1/2. It took 2 hours for Matt, Brittany and me to figure that out and check our bags. We flew to Rome, where we had a 2 hour lay-over until our flight with El Al, the Israeli Airline. The entire time was taken up by the interrogation that El Al's security did with each of us, as well as rummaging through our checked bags. We actually got to go outside and smell the Rome air though :) (didnt smell any different).
After tedious questions concerning our knowledge of anyone who lives in or around Israel, what school we go to in the US, what the American Institute is (JUC), what we are studying, why we bought the tickets we did, and if anything in our bags does not belong to us, we boarded, and had the best plane food I've ever eaten. An omlette along with fruit, cottage cheese and a roll.
The Tel Aviv airport did not take as long as anticipated. One of my checked bags did not get transfered in time to EL AL in Rome so I'm still waiting on that, but Tel Aviv gave me a toiletries kit to help compensate for the delay. This kit contained everything you could imagine--from tiny toothpaste, to a shirt and shorts, to a tiny sewing kit!! Incredible. America wouldnt provide anything like that.
JUC is amazing. You walk out back of the old stone building, built in 1853, and look out over the courtyard with colorful plants, and a tremendous view of the south side of jerusalem. Everything that I have ever read about in scripture during my life is miles away from where I sit. My room (i learned today) is literally where the edge of the old city walls of Jerusalem used to be! I woke up this morning, and on my way to the showers I walked outside where you can hear the rooster crowing.
God is so good, and He always find ways to surprise me and make me feel foolish for getting frustrated and not fully trusting.
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mmm, an omelette on a plane! wow! and a shirt and shorts! did your bags arrive yet?
ReplyDeletethat must be an absolutely amazing feeling to sit so near to all of this history...i can't wait to hear about every experience!
It must be amazing to actually be there. Thanks for blogging about your trip and first days there.
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