Dear Readers,
Thank you so much for sharing my adventure with me. I hope that my blog entries have given you insight as to what it’s like to be a foreign student in Israel and what it’s like to study abroad. For those of you who have studied abroad already, I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that it was an extremely valuable experience.
And for those of you who haven’t ever studied abroad, I hope that my blog has encouraged you to do so at some point in your life, whether it’s at Colby during a regular semester or a Janplan, or later on down the road. Not only do you learn about a new country and a new culture, but you also learn a lot about yourself and your own country. I’m not sure if I shared this on the blog, but I had a relapse, at the beginning of the semester, of a rare stomach infection that I had in the fall. Navigating the Israeli healthcare system made me realize how interested I am in healthcare, despite the fact that I have NEVER been a science person and I’m sure I never will be! Secondly, I learned how to fend for myself. I learned how to be more independent and how if there was something I wanted, I had to go for it. It sounds silly, but it’s true! Lastly, I feel like I’ve learned so much about America. I was talking to a friend earlier today and she was explaining the concept of suburbs in Israel, and how the suburbs here have been greatly influenced by American suburbs. I never realized that suburbs (and the idea of wanting to raise a family in the suburbs) was very much an American ideal.
In closing, I urge all of you to see as much of the world as you can. I know that this sounds very cliché, but being here has reaffirmed how much there is to see and what a diverse place the world is.
L’hitraot (Hebrew for see you later),
Charlotte
Dear Israel,
Thank you. There’s something about this place that makes me never want to leave. I’m having a hard time finding the words to express my feelings because there is so much that I want to say. These past 4 months have been some of the most incredible months of my life.
I was pleasantly surprised at how well I adjusted and how soon I felt at home. Because I knew my time here was limited, I sought to be outside as much as I could. Even if I spent a Saturday just hanging out in the park, sitting on the grass and breathing the air around me made me feel like I was fully present. CLICHÉ WARNING: I constantly felt the urge to roll around in the grass or to spread my arms out and put the moment in my pocket. I’ve never felt so relaxed and fully present as I’ve felt here. I hope that I can bring that feeling back to my life at home and at school.
I am impressed with how developed and how modern this country is. It boggles my mind how much this society has accomplished in only 60 years. Seeing all of the young people here makes me hopeful for the future and excited to see what is to come.
Please continue being the amazing country that you are and keep letting others have such life changing experiences!
Shalom until next time.
Charlotte