It’s been one week since I left the magical world of Netflix and Google English for the Holyland, and within the past seven days I have come to several conclusions about Tel Aviv and the life I now expect to live while abroad.
First of all, I’m 85 percent sure that I’m actually in Florida. Instead of flying to the Middle East, I honestly believe that the pilot circled around the East Coast for 11 hours (which is just incredibly rude seeing as I was stuck in the middle seat in THE most cramped plane ever created) and slyly landed us in Boca. While it’s unclear whether there are more Jewish people in the Sunshine state or in Tel Aviv, the climate here has us all thinking that we accidentally signed up for a study abroad in Florida (or I’m still at GW: the provided cleaning service has followed me here…which I’m not complaining about). The best part of all is that while we’re essentially living the life of a retiree in perfect high-60 degree weather, the humidity in Israel is almost non-existent, so there’s no frizzy hair over here. That, and everyday is perfect for exploring.
Another perk to la vida abroad (a little Spanish there), is that my room has absolutely no hot water. I’ve officially entered the world of “roughing it,” and I must say, it’s great. I’m at a point in my life where a freezing cold shower everyday will really open my eyes to the world around me, and I can’t wait to see how flexible I become in the next five months. (If you haven’t caught on yet, this paragraph is dripping with sarcasm.)
But on a better note, being a visitor in another country is the best thing ever. My friends and I have officially overused the saying ‘sorry, I’m foreign’ to our own benefit. When it comes to translating nutrition labels, asking for directions, or learning how to flush a toilet in a public restroom, we’re never ashamed to approach a native Israeli for help…and with a confused glance, they’re somewhat always willing to go along with our antics.
After barely overcoming jetlag (my friends and I accidentally made a 7 a.m. bedtime the norm), I’ve tried exploring around the city everyday as much as possible. Not only have I stumbled upon the best rugelach, but Alex and I also found the cheapest water in town (and then decided to carry all 60 pounds of it for over a mile and a half back to campus).
The hardest adjustment thus far, though, is definitely the schedule. While in America the weekend is Saturday and Sunday, in Israel it’s Friday and Saturday—this is because Shabbat falls on Friday night and lasts until Saturday evening. That means that classes are Sunday through Thursday, completely throwing off everything I’m used to (i.e. after class on Sunday, I expect Monday night Bachelor to be on). And while we’re on the topic of classes, I am now two days deep into my month long Hebrew course. Apparently, I know more than just ‘I love you’; I can also say ‘Hebrew,’ ‘where,’ and ‘thank you’ just like a true Israeli…which means at this rate, I should be fluent by next year (maybe).
So overall, week one in Tel Aviv was a success. I learned the difference between hummus and tahini sauce, mastered the conversion from dollar to shekel, expanded my Hebrew vocabulary, and found love in a cup of Aroma iced coffee.
(As I’m writing this, our adopted stray cat Francis somehow found our room and casually walked in like he owned the place. Insert panic attack.)
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Catch up on my Israeli life:
Ma’a Salama America, Shalom Israel