During the last couple of days I been thinking about the trip and what it meant. Right now i am sitting in the last plane of the trip from philly to miami.
Its funny how life plays you around. On the flight from TLV to Philly I changed my sit to a mom whom wanted to sit next to her kid and end up sitting next to a guy who was traveling with his family to detroit. We spoke a lot and when he was telling me his life story and how he end up in the biology field he said¨ you need to enjoy the journey, it not the destination would not make sense.
And its true! for the last 80 days i been on a journey of self discovery. Not that i went into this trip looking for something specific, but yes, into finding my self and where is it that i am in life at my almost 31 years of age.
I keep thinking and i cant believe 80 days went by! not 10, 20 or 30, 80 days!!! in a nut shell each and everyone of those days gave me a lesson to learn and a memory to treasure.
I took 40 amazing kids to israel for their first time! it was the best group I had ever led! they wanted to play, learn and have fun in the most pure way! they let mejoke around with-at them, we learnt together and each of them showed me a way to their heart.
Then... then came turkey! as a woman, solo traveler! what an experience! yes, its safe, yes, noone speaks english, yes its cheap, but most of all, yes it is super fun and beautiful! i fell in love with a culture as far and different as mine, i understood a different way of living that has similar values us we do. I met wonderful people who became friends and I am better by having them in my life.
I enjoyed the pleasure of having no plans, doing nothing, have no internet and feel wonderful. I was able to make peace with my self and understand that it is ok to enjoy time in bed, that it is ok not to have plans and have an amazing time by the surprises that life gives you. I learned to trust people who you just met, because they are also trusting you and why not... everyone is as guilty until proven the other way
And then, after a month of traveling, one night I got the most fullfiling hug I did not relizaed i missed until i got it. I met with my aunt and uncle that I chose. How wonderful it was not only seeing them, spending time, and just sharing stories, ctaching up, as normal as if we were in miami or ba... but no, we were in zagreb, croatia! who would have said! priceless to spend every minute with them, and then off to more adventures.
La guapa arrived with new vibes and plenty of attitude to have a good time. laughing was part of the daily menu. we drove up and down, east and west around croatia. we saw the most beautiful sunsets, drove in the most undriven roads, talked trying to solve the most random world issues and become strong advocates for love and life.
One day (weeks before this journey begun) I decided it was time to get back to the basics. To try to understand a bit deeper on why we as jew do the things we do and the meaning behind things. I enroll at pardes! no, im not becoming more observant, yes i loved every single minute of it. it was challenging as few things in life have been. was it perfect_ yes, i got out of it what i needed. i was placed out of my comfort zone in many aspects-- finding a study partner - thank you joey and boss- i met wodnerful teachers who are willing to alwways sit with you listen to your perspective, learn something new and have lots of paatoence to help you grow as a human being. thak you yaffa, nechama, mike.
Of course, with been in israel comes meeting and spending time with old friends. we wwent to school toegther , some of us were good friends others were just school friendss, with every trip we become closer and i treausre each of our conversation. i thinnk that without been aware we took turns and shared played therapist, we had the mmost honest and sincere covnersation without been afraid of been judge. we put thinggs out in the table and take pleasure into listening to each other as time never went by. what i think we do not realize is that time does go by, and times brigns us closeer together making us stronger and wiser.
There are the friends i made in israel. sharing work stuff, our private lives, and that connection with strangers that always makes you stronger. it does takes me sometime to maake new friends when i am in a big group of peoplpe. may be 3 weeks is too short and soemtimes too much. i take my time to open up and feel comfortable calling aand meeting people, but when i do i know it is the right one! i met wonderful friends at pardes, many of which i am sure we will continue crossing our paths and why not continnuing learnign together.
I read, and read, and read! was taken into differnt worlds by words that gave meaning and built scenaries to the most beautiful love stories. each and every of those story madde me aware of how the world is and those realities we built in order not to be fully tthere. but if i am certain of what i learnt is that we need to let the reality sink in. there is no better feeling than feeling alive. and if we fail, so what_ we take the opportunity and wwe learn. and if we fell again, even better we will continue learnign.
But most of all i thank my self for having the courage of making and taking the decisions i feel i am rigght. i thank myself for understaidng that been scare is ok, and if I am confident that thhis is the right choice no one will be able to bring me down. i thank my slef for been able to continously challenge my slef taking my self out of my coomofrt zone to learn and grow, to feel and live, to experince and realize.
This journey has been a great! one to treasure since the moment i made the deicsion, i bought the ticket, every hotel i booked, every meal i had, every dollar i spent, every conversation i had, every person i met, every new day, every bus-plane-train ride, every book i read, every souvenir i bought, every beer i shared, every magnum i had, every word spoken, every language learned, because each of one of those memories of its own its what makes this journey so increddible. becasue the growth i went thru it so personal that i feel different.
I bet it is no coincidence that i decided to go into this journey right before starting my 3 ddecade. beacause as someone recently told me. i am 30
I raise my glass and click save in my memory to always been able to make the decision that feels right for me! to many more journeys like this one!!!
