The road is long and windy, like a good mystery unfolding, it twists and turns

Three of my roommates left for South Africa yesterday! It's down to just four of us now. Last night, some guys made a bonfire in a small cave in the desert. It took a long time to find in the pitch black but as I was lost, I couldn't help but admire how awesome the stars looked. After following some bird calls made by our friends, we found the cave and crawled in. People were cooking potatoes and grilling chicken in the fire and making peanut butter smores. Today I had to get up early so I could finish all my last minute errands for Rwanda before everything closed for Shabbat.I quickly did laundry, food shopping and packing and tonight were going out for my roommate Alana's birthday. Because there's only three bars/restaurants in Arad, we decided for her birthday we'd go bar hopping and have appetizers at one, dinner at another, and desert and drinks at the third. You gotta be creative in this small town! Tomorrow is my day of rest, along with the whole of Israel. Shabbat Shalom!

Wrapping it up in Arad

The best part of Arad, hands down, was my volunteering. Saying goodbye was so hard today but I left with a deep feeling of accomplishment and growth. The first time I walked into the gan I saw a plain, cold single room, a tall woman who spoke some weird language I didn't recognize, and crazy but adorable kids running around everywhere. Since then, the room has only brought me warmth,memories and laughter, the woman has only showed me inspiration and kindness, and although I've been thrown up on and been used as a giant tissue, I have fallen in love with each one of the children. With the kids only speaking Dinka, Arabic, and Hebrew, communication at first was a huge issue. But in some ways, I feel like the connections I have with the kids are more magical and beautiful because without words, we created something so special and unique. I've not only been exposed to a whole other world, but I have taken apart in it. I have made lasting connections here and I really think that Aboba will always remember the six American girls who got all the kids to sing and dance to"wakka wakka." Endings are always hard but so constant in life. The important experiences, I believe, will always stay with me and will continue to shape me into a more well rounded person. I'll never forget the memories at the Sudanese gan and how welcoming and wonderful their community let me in.

Next stop: Rwanda baby.

Last day at volunteering:( "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you." - Dr. Seuss

Akot, the baby, and his older sister Abulitee

Our group put together a basket full of food to give as a goodbye present. Here's a picture of them attacking it.. We also ordered pizza and pop for them! However, the idea of eating pizza the pointy way first was pretty foreign to them and they were dipping the pizza in their coke.

My volunteer group: Arielle,Rachel,Ilyssa,Elana,Me and Brinley. All of them are coming to Rwanda with me!

BEFORE OUR RENOVATIONS!

Peace written in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. We wanted to write it in Danka, the Southern Sudanese language, but none of them knew how to write in Danka! They only speak it.

This is Aboba after we gave her the gift basket and letter. As a way of showing thanks, she sang in her native language and danced around the gift it was the most wonderful , hilarious and sweetest thing in the world. She also kissed us a hundred times before we left. Happiness and thankfulness is universal in every language.I'm adopting her as my grandmother. She is the most selfless person I've ever met. Every day from 7 in the morning till 10 at night, she cares for all these children by herself. None of these children are her own nor does she get paid, but as a grandmother in a tight community, she proudly spends her days raising these kids. Never, in the countless hours that I worked at the gan, did I see her take a minutes break. Even when she ate, she shared her plate with the flock of kids surrounding her. Every day I'd hear her sing to the kids her high pitch native Dinka songs and am in such awe of her wonderful, beautiful spirit. She is truly an amazing, strong woman and these last couple of months I've learned so much from her.

Thank you/goodbye dinner

Aboba, the gan caretaker and grandmother of those two children, is on the right with the white dress. This father,Ring Deng, is the one I've been tutoring in English on the left. Abuli is the little girl in white, Akot is the baby, and the other boy,Yoseph, was too shy to be in the picture.

This is the wonderful family that invited me and the other volunteers to their house for a goodbye/thank you dinner. As you can see, they were so generous and made a huge amazing meal plus a big chocolate cake and tea afterwards. .Although their English isn't very good, they managed to tell us about their journey to Israel from Sudan and how they passed through Egypt and started their life here. They've been here for three years but plan on going back to Sudan in six months. Some more of their friends came to see us and as we left, they all crowded around the door and saying goodbye as we walked down the stairs. It was really heartwarming.The whole Sudanese community here has been so welcoming to us- they've showed so much appreciation and kindness and although they have it pretty rough, their generosity is amazing and they give back to us as much as they can. I'm so lucky that I got to be apart of this amazing community and I'll always remember the connections and memories that I have made here.

10 days till Rwanda

The countdown to Rwanda started months ago, but now that were down to just ten days, the trip is starting to feel real and tangible; just ask the palpable butterflies in my stomach keeping me up at night. Although we’ve had hours and hours of preparation and lectures, I can’t help but feel a little apprehensive to the immense journey that lies ahead of me. However, it’s comforting to know that the rest of the group also feels this trepidation and that were all in this together.

When Talia, our group leader, announced that we needed to raise 5,000 dollars, I honestly didn’t believe it was possible. But in just three short months, we surpassed our goal. This accomplishment alone says a lot about the character and dynamic of our group. Each person in this eclectic group significantly contributes in some way. The tenacious determination I see in all of them has really inspired me and pushed me to want to accomplish even more at the village. I believe that our group has the common feeling and responsibility for helping others and the desire to volunteer to better this world. I am amazed by the will and passion that these girls have, and over the course of the month we’ll be together, I believe that we’ll all learn a lot from each other and grow and mature as a group, as well as independently. 

I know that this trip is going to be one of a lifetime, and I’m so lucky to be able to face this excursion with such an amazing, spirited group. I really believe that we can make a lasting different and truly contribute to the village.

My collection

In Jerusalem I stumbled upon an old book store and to my surprise there were countless shelves of old national geographic magazines for only 2 shekels each!!! DREAM COME TRUE! I ended up buying 15 and they current sit in the living room of my apartment, allowing everyone to enjoy a glimpse of the magazines that expose the beauties and wonders of this magnificent world.

Small town

Me, my friend Ilyssa, and two of my roommates, Hannah and Alana, went and sat at a table outside of the bakery in the town square to chill, drink some coffee, and do art. The sun was just starting to set and we had just a small yellowish light coming from inside the bakery. We sat out there for a couple of hours, all of us contributing our art supplies. Alana writes beautiful poetry in her journal and takes pictures, Hannah drew a colorful design, Ilyssa drew a picture of Abul, one of the Sudanese kids from our daycare, and I drew a profile of Alana because she's absolutely gorgeous. My drawing did her no justice. The girl who works at the bakery offered us some chocolate mousse cake for free and some old ladies stopped walking to watch and admire our artwork:) It's very peaceful and extremely quiet except for the usual saxophone player. It's fun to sit and people watch because the culture in Arad is so diverse and ardent. There's the common Arabs with red checkered turbans, old Russian couples, dark Sudanese men(for some reason I never see the Sudanese women out) long,black haired Israelis, and dozens of colorful cats. I hear people speaking Arabic, Hebrew and Dinka. If I hear English, I know it's a year courser from my program. I see common faces everywhere, a definite plus of living in such a small town. If I go into a store just once, the worker will remember me and be even kinder the next time I walk in. Even after going to the gym for the first time, the owner acts like we've been friends forever- offering me tea, snacks, etc. I usually go in a group of girls and he always helps us with the machines, turns on the music we like, and always asks if were hydrated and doing okay. Anyways, after drawing, we went to the gym for about an hour, said Hi to all the regulars, and then did an aerobics class. The first week in Arad I went to a host family for Shabbat, and everyday at the gym I run into the mother there. I only met her once, but the first time she saw me there she came and kissed me and said "Why haven't you called we want you over for dinner again!!". This whole small town thing is awesome.

Morning

I'm going to start my entry with a quote that I find meaningful:  
Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself; I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.

Every day I walk through the town square to get to my volunteering. The first struggle in this excursion is the walk past the bakery. The delicious smell of chocolate berekas, honey croissants and white chocolate mochas is usually enough to drag me into the warm,inviting atmosphere of food heaven. I have tried walking on the other side of the square to avoid the temptations, but the smell pervades through the air for a good half a mile or so. Once I have successfully walked past the bakery without buying a bag of buttered pastries, Tokios, the best pizza place in town, is to my right. Although the smell isn't as torturing, big cheesy advertisements stick out and seam to mock my weakness for food. I'm proud to say I've only given in to Tokios a couple of times... My next battle is walking past the incense/hippi sweater store without buying a 10 shekle fabric or a colorful scarf. Mornings in the square are hectic- boys are skateboarding, parents are hurrying off to work, orthodox men are stampeding through (they always look like they're on such an important mission), and little muslim kids are walking to school,hands interlaced, with their Hannah Montana backpacks on. I finally get through the square and cross the street to the park where I see the same long bearded homeless man perched up on the bench. Everyday, he gives me a friendly wave and says, "Shalom,Boker Tov" which means "Hello,Good morning!". Even a small gesture goes a long way... without that greeting, I don't know if my mornings would be as superb. I know I can always count on him for that.

Today before walking into the apartment where the Sudanese daycare is run, I decided to buy lollipops for all of the kids. Although good intentions, this probably wasn't the best idea...  First off, the kids went wild. There were fifteen of them hitting and pushing each other to get to me, the lady with the candy. I handed them out as quickly as possible to squander any more possible chaos. After about ten minutes, all the kids faces and hands were shiny,sticky red, the floor and carpet was syrupy and one of the girls we call Nugget had the candy stuck in her hair. This was all cute and entertaining to watch untill later on, one of the older girls got to the center, smiled and said "mastik!" My eyes popped and panic washed through me because mastik means "gum".. and the most of the kids are three years old or less and could easily bite through the candy and choke. Me and the rest of the volunteers started running around chasing kids trying to grab the lollipops and squeeze gum out of their mouths. One by one we'd snatch a lollipop and the screams and crying would increase untill we finally managed to collect all of them. Crying didn't stop for a good half hour...Let me tell you that stealing candy from babies is everything but fun.... I still feel guilty seeing those sad faces. Lesson of the day is: Think more wisely before you try do a favor for someone because sometimes it will do more harm than good.

Life is good

2 of my roommates- Casey and Madison :)

Yesterday at around 5.00 me and my roommate Casey + 2 others realized we had nothing to do for the night so we grabbed a tent and stove, dressed in warm clothes, and took off to our backyard:the desert. It was already pitch black but we had the dim from the street lights nearby so we could pitch out tent and find fire wood. We made Chinese noodles, baked beans, and a weird type of noodle called pteeteena. We drank rum and coke and stargazed for a long time:)This morning we walked back to the apartment and Casey made us cheese omelettes with avocado, tomatoes, and potatoes.:) I love having a cook as a roommate.
I didn't get much sleep last night because it was freezing and there was a huge rock under my sleeping bag so I'm going to go take a nap. Also, tonight there is an Arabian themed party at the bar down the street from me.Life is good.

Day

Today I gave an English lesson to one of the Sudanese fathers. The lesson was about the difference between this that these and those. He also taught me some words in Danka, his language. After volunteering I did art in the desert with a couple of girls which was wonderful as always. Art has its way of relaxing me... I just got back from the gym and got a free boxing lesson. Man, it's exhausting. I also just realized that the distance on the treadmill is in kilometers and not miles, so I have been overestimating how much I've been running.... major disappointment. Right now I'm starving and thankfully my amazing roommate is a great chef and is making eggplant Parmesan,noodles,salad, and cookie cake !!!

I'll end my update with a quote that inspires me:
"Man is born only as a potential. Growing old is not growing up, growing physically is not growing spiritually. And unless you grow spiritually you are wasting a precious opportunity. Don't waste a single moment in anything else. Do the necessary things, the essential things, but pour more and more
energy into watchfulness, awareness." Osho

I am in love with the Sudanese kids.. I'm getting really sad that my time with them is almost over because I've made a connection with each of them and really know and understand them now. They are the cutest kids in the world and although they have it so hard, they are smiling and laughing and running around all the time. Even when I'm sick of them jumping and climbing all over me, they always seem to bring my spirits up. We sing English songs to them everyday and now most of them can sing the ABC's, Happy Birthday,Ring Around the Rosie, and Row your Boat. They're also picking up words and phrases from us. One of the girls named Anaqua repeated me when I said "Oh my god" the other week and now over and over again all she says is "oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"Haha it's so funny because it's the only English she knows. One of them we named "nugget" because she's like two feet tall and super round and ADORABLE and her head squishes into her neck. We named another one Winnie the Pooh because he has those kind,adorable eyes like pooh bear and he's always decked out in winnie the pooh clothes (mostly because he wears the same outfit everyday..). Another one is named Tuta and she's the biggest, strongest kid there so she always gets the toys she wants. She's sort of a bully though and hits and kicks the other kids a lot.Her brothers name is Eric and is also very strong and scary (He hits me on the head a lot randomly so I'm a little apprehensive around him) Ananana is the sweetest, smallest thing in the world.. she sleeps most of the day (i think she has some growing abnormality or disorder or something) but when she's awake she follows me around and insists I carry her around all day. Fetuma is a beauty and follows Bubba around all day and cries everytime she leaves the room. She hasn't opened up to me yet.. Mimi is so hyper and silly all the time and for some reason her nose is constantly running. Seriously. Sometimes I wonder how such a small girl can create such a huge stream of snot...Abul is crazy and makes me spin and throw her around all the time.. she has thee softest skin. I LOVE These kids and am sad to leave them:(

OUCH!

Yesterday I hiked for 7 STRAIGHT HOURS through the desert(it was roughly ten miles..) from Arad to the Dead Sea. It was a beautiful hike and we didn't see anyone or anything but mountains for hours and hours which feels really cool.. because for bit we felt like we were the only people in the world. I found a camel skull with the teeth.. it was cool. We met some people near the end who offered us shnitzel and pita and drinks and everything.. When we finally got to the dead sea, it was already pitch black and we were starving.. but the stove that young judaea provided for us ran out of gas so we couldn't cook the rice packets we brought! For dinner we ended up eating spoonfulls of peanut butter and cold beans.We camped out and it started raining and was FREEZING and we were packed like sardines in a small tent.. I woke up every hour and have actually never been more sore in my life.. I'm even hurting more than soccer tryouts week!!!!!!

Things I've learned here
-I'm risilient
-People are generally awesome if you give them a chance
-If i'm inside for too long, I go a little nuts.. my soul needs nature
-society is ADDICTED to computers (especially yearcoursers) and although I'm part of that loop too, it's starting to get really sad

and last but not least.... I'm going to Colorado next year!!!!!

photos by my roommate alana

Pops

Being with Papa all week made me so happy!!!!! I loved every second with him (except when we got in a fight in a falafal shop..) and it was nice getting away from everyone and spending time with someone so real . He is an amazing dad and I'll always always remember that week with just me and him:) He is a party animal though and I don't think I'll be able to keep up with him much longer! He has so much energy- he wants to play and run around outside all day, and party and drink scotch all night! Mom, you must be exhausted after all these years...

Love you guys. Happpyyy new year:))