First Impressions: Israel

I'll admit, when I came off my airplane and started getting grilled, I wasn't sure how I felt about being here. But the gal was nice, ended up laughing with me because of my vague answers, and I walked away easily. Which was surprising in a way, since the conversation went a little something like this:

Security gal: Are you traveling alone?

Me: For right now I am. The rest of the group is coming later.

SG: And why aren't you with them right now?

Me: Because they're coming from the United States.

SG: Where are you coming from?

Me: Spain.

SG: For what reason did you come to Israel?

Me: Touring.

SG: And where are you going to be to visiting?

Me: The Biblical sights.

After that she just laughed and then let me pass. Thankfully I don’t exactly look like a threat to any country, so I’m not their usual target. If only they knew ;)

The woman behind the visa/passport check was not as kind, and if I hadn’t had my itinerary for the trip, I’m not sure she would have let me pass. I could have spent six hours waiting in the airport for the group detained, instead of sleeping in a chair using my luggage as a leg rest as I did. Thankfully it worked out the way it did. Then finally, the group showed up, and we were already off to tour!

But I’m not going to get into too many of the details of that right now, because our wake-up calls are all before 6:30am on this trip, which means I should have already been asleep an hour ago. I don’t actually know what time it is, and I barely know what day it is. Vacation Mode has taken over my mind, and I love it!

My first impressions of Israel and the Israeli people are all very positive ones. They seem to be incredibly kind, have a good sense of humor, and come from a very liberal country that is over-flowing with ABSOLUTELY AMAZING food, and generally really tan and good-looking men and women, not much to complain about so far. Woo!

The country is quite beautiful as well, with far more vegetation and green than I would have expected from a place that only averages 25 days of rain per year. I have been fully impressed by everything so far, but nothing beats the following things:

-Walking with my two feet where Jesus THE Christ Himself walked. OhMyGosh. Sometimes it’s hard to process it because there is a modern, new city standing there instead of an ancient village, but when I stop and think about it, I’m overcome with goose bumps. As a Christian, to be here in Israel seeing ruins that support, confirm and illustrate the stories I grew up hearing, is incredibly powerful stuff. Today, I swam in the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus performed some of His most-known miracles, gathered some of His disciples, and, pretty cool, walked on water. Also, I got baptized in the Jordan River. No big deal. :)

-THE FOOD THE FOOD THE FOOD! I’ve gotta admit, before coming here, I was thinking (and saying), “I don’t even know what they eat in Israel. What is Israeli cuisine?” I have endless photos to share with you guys later, but for now, let me just say this… I thought I was going to lose weight on this trip because we’d be walking so much, but since the average age in this group is about 55 our pace is pretty slow, and not only have we not been walking so much, but we have been eating buffets every single meal. And when I show you these buffets, you will lose your mind and understand better where I’m coming from. It’s delicious, all of it, and I could happily move here just for the food… and the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

I’m also pretty fond of being able to build up my collection of carry-on sized shampoos and conditioners for the rest of my summer backpacking trip, and embracing sleeping in a comfortable bed in a hotel each night. Perks of going on an organized tour, and things I rarely-to-never get to embrace when I travel alone, since I try to spend little-to-no money on accommodation and transport.

I am so excited I get to spend the next __ days exploring around this country that has captivated me so quickly! Hopefully I can get some posts down as we go through, but if this is the pace we're going to maintain, I'm not so sure about it. Shall see!

I hope you have an incredible day darlings!

Blessings, Love, Light & Wonder to all!

-Allie-Sun <3