Home is all around us.

I was never a person who woke up not knowing where they were. I always know exactly where I am. Yet for all the traveling I do, I still cannot fathom the physicality of it - of waking up in one city and going to sleep in another. It still blows my mind that all these worlds exist out there simultaneously. I love how travel makes new places real to the traveler, and how the existence of hundreds of peoples is realized.

I am still reeling from two days of non stop travel and 2 weeks of work, babysitting, school work, moving into my new apartment and catching up with the whole school, and have not yet processed Argentina, let alone Israel. They were both very separate, intense, and different experiences. There were some general things that I took away from the experiences...

There is no reason to not do what I want, when I want. This sounds very immature, but since I am naturally a strict self-regulating person, it's not! I have the power over so many decisions, and I can make them any way I choose. I can make things happen, or prevent them. Traveling does not allow you to be passive - something so refreshing after 2.5 years on a college campus where passivity comes rather easily. I wanted to work at this specific school in Buenos Aires, so I called until they picked up. I had spoken nonchalantly about visiting Kiah in Rio, so I booked a plane ticket. I needed to make friends once I landed in Tel Aviv, and I did. I wanted to see live music, so I called Maya and we went! It is strangely easy to feel incapacitated by freedom but I worked hard to make sure I wasn't.

I also learned to be nice to people, to trust them, and to accept the comings and goings of people in my life. I learned that I am capable of being friendly and outgoing when I try! Relationships of all kinds are always transitory and sometimes thats enough. Thinking to the sweet boy waiting for my bus with me in Buenos Aires, to Gonza and Maca, to Aileen, Daniele, Michelle and Maya, to Boots and Roman who lived across the hall, to seeing Raz for 20 minutes and running into Eyal biking to the gym on my walks home from work - all of these people have made these past 6 months incredible and vibrant. Thank you.

I learned that education and beauty can come in the most unexpected ways, and that the world truly is my classroom. So many times abroad I was so frustrated because I felt my peers were not getting a full educational experience and through this have learned how lucky I am to have an experience that stresses that the world is a place to learn, that this process is not (and CAN NOT) be restricted to a classroom. Related to that, I am coming to accept that I can only be responsible for my own learning and experiences, and whomever I can positively influence is a plus. But you must must must learn from everyone and everything you can. Visiting the community garden in Vidigal was huge for me - a little side trip Kate took me on a whim but changed my entire experience in Brasil. Listening to stories from the Windows kids had a similar effect. I really came to like those kids. I was so proud of them when we they presented for the British youth group.

Speaking of Kate, traveling makes you dependent on the hospitality of others, and this has made a huge impression on me (I have already hosted 3 little meal things at my apartment this year, and have attended them at 2 others). It is amazing how people go out of their way for you and take care of you when you are on the road. This is something that I find lacking in our culture at home - hospitality and generosity. I am striving to have more of this in my life. Thank you to everyone who helped me out - especially Kate hosting me for 5 days and showing me her inspirational life in Rio,  Gonzalo and Maca for completely integrating me into their lives in Buenos Aires, Nicky for cooking us dinner, Ronit and Raviv for hosting me in TLV and driving me around and feeding me, Maya for sharing her bed, friends and wifi with me when I lived in suburbia, that random boy at TAU for giving me a room in his apartment the night I had to stay in Ramat Aviv, and Rebecca for a beautiful conversation and cup of tea at the end of her time in Israel.

Traveling through 3 countries in 2 very different regions of the world where I feel a strong personal stake taught me a lot about my positionality as a traveler, as a woman, as a mixed race person and as an American. I am learning how I experience the world differently with all of these intersecting identities. I have less patience than ever for bleeding hearts, though. That's not so noble.

I wish I had pushed myself to get into the Negev, to see the Wall up close, to get out of Buenos Aires more. But at the end of the day, I lived by the Mediterranean Sea, rode motorcycles in Vidigal favela, went to underground trap parties in Buenos Aires, ate dinner in closed restaurants, partied on rooftops in Tel Aviv with people from all over the world, hiked to the top of Dois Imaos, took twice weekly buses down the famous Avenida de Mayo, and met the next generation of peace builders in Israel and Palestine. What a gift this life is. Eternal gratitude to my mother, who does everything to make this possible for me.

My "culture shock" is manifesting itself in small ways. I still do the 'hand under the chin' motion that signifies "I have no damn idea" in Argentina, I keep trying to open magazines and brochures backwards the Middle Eastern way, when asked if I wanted a receipt at the grocery story I answered "si-ken-YES" and told the old midwestern bus driver "todah rabah" after she gave me my transfer card (they don't even have transfers in Israel). I'm sure the coming weeks will bring new insights into my time abroad, and that the reality of my existence here in MN will hit a little harder.

Until the next post, I'll be wandering wide eyed in American supermarkets, relishing having a dresser and a closet all to myself, decorating my beautiful apartment with my amazing roommate Emily, doing homework in the last of the warm sunshine and working on an application that would sign me up for the adventure of a lifetime...cross your fingers for me!

“I am learning every day to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be to inspire me and not terrify me.”

—	Tracee Ellis Ross

"Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination." — Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies

Jerusalem

Halva - dessert made from sesame

spices and rosebuds at the market

merengue, tahini, pastries. 

more spices 

in the neighborhood outside damascus gate

rooftops in the old city

Went to Jerusalem to go to the markets and the kotel before leaving Israel in a week. Its all so beautiful, feels like a different country than Tel Aviv.

I've been blessed to have already seen many of the worlds incredible, busy and beautiful cities at the ripe old age of 20, but I'm so lucky that my favorite one is my own. I miss you, NY! Not even the mountains of Bogotá, the street food of Bangkok, the nightlife of Buenos Aires, the rhythm of Rio or the beaches of Tel Aviv can compare. (Thats a lie. Rio is pretty damn incredible.) 

Robert, me and Noah the other night at Cafe Dalia!

Sin amigos

In a few days I will be friendless in Tel Aviv for my remaining two weeks! It seems crazy to me that the time has flown by so quickly. I've managed to see several new parts of Israel, work at this crazy job, meet people from all over Europe and make a lot of new friends. I have learned a lot, but the Tel Aviv is incredibly hard to pop - no one wants to be the downer trying to talk about politics all the time. It is fascinating to me that so many people who live in and move to Tel Aviv consider themselves apolitical. How can you move to the most volatile region of the world and consider yourself removed from politics? Being able to cross this border is a political act. Regardless, as much as I am learning about the current reality and the conflict itself I am also learning about apathy.
Crunch time at work. I have a big grant application due in 2 weeks and then I have a few days before I fly to NYC. The plane lands in NYC at midnight and my flight to MN is the next day at 11 30 am. I won't be able to sleep which will ensure prolonged jet lag. Mac friends, be ready for me to be a weepy mess! I am already incredible stressed out - the new apartment, jumping straight into school and work and grant applications. I am trying not to think about it when I have the sea outside my window and this gorgeous city at my feet, but it's hard! I am thinking of taking a twice a week babysitting job at school - but can't decide if it would be a source of stress or fun.
I've been in a weird mood lately. The weather makes things difficult, I've been eating mainly fruit during the day because it's too hot for anything else, and I've been stood up several times so I am finished with people for the time being. (For the love of god, if you don't want to see someone, just make up an excuse and cancel. It's easy. I just did it to someone this morning! Don't just vanish. Israeli men transform into Houdini at a moments notice and just turn into thin air when they feel like it. So goddamn obnoxious.) The gruff Israeli manners (or lack thereof) is seriously wearing on me (the Midwest got to me more than I thought! I'm really upset by how mean people are here to strangers on the street, it's terrible) and it's too hot to motivate myself to do much. I also have no internet in my apartment which sucks because it cost an arm and a leg and a torso and I am losing valuable time I could be spending on various applications.
Last night was Noah's last night and his birthday! We went back to Cafe Dalia, where we went earlier in the week to listen to live jazz in their pebbly backyard. We met some Austrians, and between them, his Swiss roommate and German friends we had all 3 German dialects at the table and he was very happy. Then we went to the beach before going home a bit too late. This morning I walked all the way to Kikar Rabin to pick up a check before work, and then Maya and I had to go deposit it which was a quilombo like always - the bank here is survival of the fittest at workkkk.
This is Maya's last weekend here in Tel Aviv so we are trying to find fun things to do. Hopefully we have the energy to actually do them!

Recently

I've barely written since getting to Israel! I have officially moved into Tel Aviv into a nice big room close to the ocean and right at the end of the Shuk Carmel. Work is a little crazy because we are backed up and can't move forward with grant applications without next years budget. The weather is getting even hotter and more humid if this is possible!

Going to Ramallah and Haifa two weekends ago was fun and interesting. Ramallah was bizarre because it was empty (it's Ramadan, so people are inside away from the heat). We spoke with three people involved in politics to varying degrees and it was very interesting. We are not allowed to write or blog about what they said but a big take away message was that no one has more to lose or more to gain in peace negotiations than the Palestinians. We also visted Rawabi (see photo), the first planned Palestinian city in the West Bank. It's going to be huge and very modern - it reminded me of any planned development center in the states. A bit Disney-esque. They showed us this campy 3D video tour and we went into the huge gorgeous showroom (there were quite a few families there checking out properties actually). All very interesting. After going to the Gaza Border and then into Ramallah, it seems to me that not only Israel-Palestinian relations will need decades of work and dedication to fix, but Gazan-West Bank relations will also prove to be a huge challenge.

Haifa was fun. The evangelical Scandanavian guest house was a TRIP! All these christians who think Jews are the chosen people and the reason there are problems between muslims and jews is because the muslims are muslim and not christian. So it was challenging but interesting. It was really funny to have these conversations over dinner with a jewish guy leading shabbat without any idea of how to do it. And then all the graces. Oh dear lord. Noah was into it. Robert tried really hard to follow along. I tried really hard not to laugh. The next day we went up and down the mountain Haifa is on, had some good soup for lunch, and visited Noah's friends at Uni. of Haifa. All in all, it was a great trip because we had a lot of fun but I don't like Haifa much as a city. It seems like a bunch of small towns/strips of commercials ventures spotted up a mountain. The views are beautiful, the Arab Quarter was great, the Bahai gardens are stunning and the beaches are cleaner though, so to each their own. It is a lovely place.

Yesterday Noah and I took another venture out to Neve Shalom, a peace/co-existance village in between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It's difficult to get there, took about 2 hours on two buses but it was worth it! Our friend from school Tarik is volunteering there for a few weeks before moving onto other projects. Tarik helped found Shalaam at Macaleter. Amazingly, Neve Shalom is situated on a hill looking over what remains of his grandmothers old village (Tarik's paternal family is Palestinian). We walked up the hill to Neve Shalom, had a few little walking tours around the village, saw the schools and community centers, swam in the swimming pool (praise the LAWD) and had a nice little picnic on the roof of the volunteer compound. Then we hiked down the hill and up another one, where the Latrun monastery is. It is shockingly beautiful out there, only a 20 minute car drive outside the city. 

Other than that, I am going to work, going to the beach, sleeping alot, eating on a shoe string budget, walking around, meeting Noah and Elana as much as I can, etc. The other night Maya and I went to see these guys play at a bar near us on Rothschild and then we went out with the drummer and bassist afterwards. They were both very nice and sweet and had studied in America. Tonight I think Elana and I will go hear music at the port. I've been trying to do fellowship work but without internet at the apartment it's a bit difficult. 

Photos from Tel Aviv

Food at the retreat!

Kids at the beach

Couple in Jaffa

Musicians in Jaffa

This menu included spanish churros, argentine empenadas and mexican burritos...so not sure if its true south american flavor but what can you do?

Grafitti in Florentine

Juice at the shuck

Walking to the beach

South Tel Aviv

Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Quick Quick Updates/Copy Paste.

So much going on here! One week until I am officially a resident of Tel Aviv! Work is good and busy -  Noah is here and we went to hang out in Jaffa, which comes alive at night with his friend from TAU on tuesday. It was so beautiful down there! Currently working on a grant, and this is really difficult...now I see why people get legit paid to do this work. This weekend I am going on a J Street U trip to Ramallah and then friday night Noah, Robert (the friend, he is from Berlin) and I are going to Haifa to stay in a norwegian guest house and see the city. I'm excited! It's a really interesting place - a mixed city, right on the water.

I wrote this message to Nolberto, who is currently interning in Mexico City not sure what he is doing but anyway - whats up. Thought I would post it here. Wrote this a few weeks ago.

Being in Israel is a constant moral struggle. It is way to easy to live in Tel Aviv and love it (the ocean, the gorgeous Israelis omg, the style, the endless beautiful cafes always full of impossible chic people) and not even acknowledge that there is a conflict – but that does make it easier to understand the apathy plagueing so much of the Israeli public. So many people live here in the middle, sheltered from the lived reality in the north, south, east and west. The Prawer plan (the Bedouin thing) is heartbreaking – and the bedouins are fairly unorganized politically. The left-y people I work with hope that this will spur them into action. It’s also interesting of course to see the Palestinians take up their cause. My internship is with an org that works with youth – Israeli jewish, Israeli arab, and Palestinian from the west bank – and to see them is really inspiring. On our retreat one of the Israeli jewish girls said “once we learn to treat the Palestinians with respect, we will treat the bedouins with respect as well” – a simple concept, but so incredible that this can be articulated by a 15 year old and not a politician. But again, this is tel aviv and most people here think like this (and don’t act on it, thus the political climate we have now). Elana (also a mac student) is working at a similar org but in Jerusalem and she told me how she was canvassing and invited some Israeli jewish girls to an event to meet their arab neighbors (from east Jerusalem) and they laughed at her and walked away…those are the moments that I personally understand what blatant racism looks like. for my other internship (journalism) I’m writing about how Israel basically bullied some Eritrean asylum seekers to go back home to Eritrea (where they will be forced into military slavery, basically) from unlawful imprisonment, but then in my research find an article of how one IDF unit refused to send Sudanese refugees back across the border to Egypt because they knew the horrible treatment that waited for them there…it’s all quite difficult. But what I keep reminding myself – and will repeat again and again – is that the Israeli government does not enjoy widespread support of it’s citizens, and many citizens are unaware of these things (and when they are, they often act – there are protests all over about the prawer plan). Also, the amount of orgs doing incredible work is great (but underfunded). Combatants for Peace and Bereaved Families Circle are two of my favs – but it sucks that people must already be traumatized and damaged to open themselves to the other side. This does not excuse them – but this is a country with citizens like any other – concerned with schooling for their children and the insanely high cost of living. Perhaps because I am jewish and grew up with this jewish victim rhetoric, but I see trauma and residual trauma in both sides (both, as if there are two. There are at least five if we count the African immigrants and the Bedouins and this is ignoring the ultra orthodox and the druze) – mainly stemming from fear, forced violence, and ignorance from purposeful lack of information. It’s hard to accept, but people can only react and act from a place of their own reality – and here this is an extremely skewed reality, but can I really fault people for ignorance when the government works so hard to maintain it? One israeli jewish 16 year old told me that as part of the pen pal program that my org runs, he learned for the first time that suicide bombings are condemned by Islam – and it was clear that this is the moment that the Palestinians were humanized for him. Similarly, Palestinian kids at Elana’s org thought that the Torah mandated us to hate Arabs – and was surprised to learn that it does not. I like working with an org to work with youth – because they learn that they have partners and friends across the green line – especially important for the Israelis who are coming to terms with the reality of their military service…it will undoubtedly influence their behavior in uniform (one kid said “to refuse to go is the same as to go and do bad things. At least if I get sent to the border, I will treat the arabs better”). One of the hardest things for me here is to accept the way that people here live and think – and that even the most basic things (like understanding that no religion orders people to blow themselves up) that I understand intrinsically as a result of my childhood are huge realizations for people kept forcibly apart.

life updates

Haven't written anything in a while so here is a short run down of my life here in Savyon/Tel Aviv:

I had been living in Modi’in with Ronit, but then moved to Savyon with Raviv. I thought my commute would be easier but it is actually more difficult, because instead of taking one train I have to take several buses and walk quite a sizeable distance (although it is flat, and in Modi’in it’s uphill...) Raviv is very very generous and accommodating and has driven me to the city several times when he had meetings or plans there, and to the bus stop when he did not. He and his wife have been in France all week on vacation and then I was on my own with the crazy neighborhood cats!. I am incredibly grateful to both Ronit and Raviv for taking me in, for feeding me, for driving me around – it has been invaluable and amazing

So far, I have seen Eyal and Elana each once. Eyal and I got some ice coffee (its like coffee slush, and thank you!) in his neighborhood, Florentine. This is also where Maya lives and so far is my favorite part of the city. It’s like the Lower East Side but in Hebrew and with more stray cats. It’s quite charming. It was nice to see him again and hear about his nocturnal life as he prepares to move to Vienna for school come September. Elana is living more in the middle of the city near Rabin Sq with her very nice boyfriend named Amit. She cooked us pasta and it was SO nice to see her and hear about her semester, her  internship (which is incredible) and how it has been for her to live here for so long. She seems to be doing really really well. Noah arrived in Israel yesterday and I am so so so excited! Also Cooke, if you are reading it's been two weeks and this is getting out of control!

I am really enjoying myself here. It is hard to be here, linguistically and climate wise, but it is worth it. This city is so charming and seductive but at the same time I feel as though I am learning a lot. Life is a sociology experiment – which makes it endlessly fascinating, exhausting, exhiliterating and traumatic I suppose. I have been working reading guidelines for an EU grant, and the referenced EU documents, researching  all these cool documentaries we can screen and some interviews of speakers we could have in conjunction with them, and now I am doing some more concrete stuff for the EU thing. After work,Maya and I have been going to the beach and swimming in the Mediterranean ocean. You could say life is pretty good. Last week we went out with some of Raviv’s sons friends which should be hilarious if nothing else. Last night we went to Josh’s house (we work with him) where he lives with 7 other girls (all of them go to Yale) because he leaves Friday. Then we found a huge group from a hostel (2 argentines!) and went to Penguin, which is also where Eyal works. Tonight we go to Jerusalem for a J street trip to Sderot and the Gaza border. This week I started my job with +972 magazine with an article on the repatriation of Eritrean immigrants (my boss casually gave me the phone number for the UNHCR Rep here in Israel, unfortunately they have declined comment). I have many projects to start at work and much to learn. I spend a lot of time just walking, trying to map the city, and I can essentially navigate myself in Southern Tel Aviv – the grungiest part and so naturally my favorite. I paid a deposit this weekend on a beautiful big room overlooking the ocean near Shuk Carmel for next month. I still cannot believe that I am here, that I was in South America, that I have to go back to school, that this is my life!