Off to Israel!

I AM SO EXCITED FAMILY!!!! In just a matter of hours I will be on my way to the Madrid Airport to catch a flight to ASIA for my first time ever!!!! I'm going to be meeting up with my grandmother, mom, and sister in Israel, where we'll be touring around for nearly two weeks! Yay! It's not exactly the part of Asia I'd always had in mind, but it's a new place, and it's sure to be a whole new world! (Cue Aladdin and Jasmine singing here.)

The last few days have been absolutely nuts, what with having to pack my backpack for my summer trip, pack the rest of my stuff for California, move out of my flat/have a going away party, get myself and all my stuff to Sevilla, and then here, to Madrid. I finished work on Friday morning, and still have plenty to do around my room. I was so stressed out at one point, that instead of throwing out the rest of the blue semi-permanent hair dye I had left, I just threw it into my hair. With my bare hands. It looked like I'd mass-murdered some Smurfs. Great choice. >.< But, I got it all done, and then had an amazing last night in Écija...

I invited friends over to my place on Friday night so I could have a going away/using up some food/take what you want of what I'm leaving behind party. It turned out so great! I'd made curry and tempura, there were some other things on the table, and I'd set up the whole living room like a shop -- full of kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff, organizers, a hamper, clothes, shoes, accessories, craft stuff. Then, at one point, we had a free auction! Someone would hold something up and kind of advertise it, and then we'd all say who we thought it should go to, or someone would say they wanted it. There were no hostile moments from two people wanting the same thing, and it confirmed for me how truly amazing these women (and guys) are! Real blessings flowed all around that night!

It was a special evening, and a great way to finish out my time in the town. I didn't even have time to stop, feel, and cry the day I was leaving, because I was taking care of things and doing final visits/good-bye's till the very last second. But then I had an hour on the bus to let loose and allow the tears to fall.

Écija really wan't a place I wanted to be, and it took me a long time to learn how to love it, but it ended up being somewhere I am so unbelievably grateful to have been. Truly. The experience I had living there and spending time with the people I met was extraordinary, and I know I'll go back for visits often throughout my life.

Saturday in Sevilla continued just as well as Friday had started. I went out with friends, the ones I started my time in Andalucia with, and it was such a beauitful way to finish out my time in the south. Now, I'm in Madrid, and will be leaving at midnight on a flight to Istanbul. My flight to get me to Isreal is quite awful, but I'm hoping I'll sleep most of it. Then, tomorrow morning, I'll land in Asia, and be given what I've been asking for for a while: a chance to be somewhere that blows my mind because it's so different.

I've been living/traveling in Europe for a while now, and while I love it, I'm quite used to it. So I am really ready to go somewhere that has a different culture and vibe. Israel will be quite the experience!

We're going on a two-week organized tour of all the Biblical sites, and I am so happy to start my summer in this Christ-centered way. It's going to be just the right thing to get my summer going in a good, Godly direction, and I am so blessed by the chance to experience it.

I plan on writing while I travel, and will try to share as many photos as I can, too! I hope you all are ready for one wild adventure, because this summer is going to be it!

Here's a little sneak-peek at what's in the mix:

10 days touring Israel, 5 days in Istanbul, hitchhiking from Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to Split (Croatia) in two days, one week cruising around Croatia with my love, a couple friends, and hammocks, more time in Croatia by myself, a week roaming around Slovenia, the World Expo in Milan, more Italian exploration and seeing my friends, somehow/way making it back to Madrid around July 14, but definitely no later than July 16, because that's when I fly back to California.

So, as you can see, there's A LOT of adventure in up ahead, and I hope you're in the mood to join me for it! <3

Sending love, light, blessings & wonder to you all, and hoping you are living a life that satisfies your soul! I love you, family!

-Allie-Sun <3