I leave for Israel on Wednesday... The day after tomorrow. Im actually going to New York first for a week to put on a kids camp and get oriented before we head off to the Holy Land to serve.
In the midst of my last minute packing has been multiple things:
-a post-finals dirty room
-graduation
-applications to jobs
-applications to grad schools
-being a bridesmaid in my roommates wedding
I finished finals Thursday. Graduated Saturday. Went home with my parents Sunday. Flew back Thursday. Started wedding festivities Friday. Was a bridesmaid in my roommates wedding Saturday. Took a lazy day on Sunday and now its today, Monday. I have tomorrow to get everything together. Did I mention my flight leaves before 8am?! It will be an early morning for me.
Today I was messing around with my packing items and shot this:
It reminded me of how glamorous traveling is viewed and even how so many people view it in a sense of nostalgia. The only things im actually bringing with me to Israel from this photo are:
-passport
-earbuds
-contact case
-a single color of fingernail polish
-bronzer
-and a different pair of sunglasses than the ones shown
The purse is new and therefore I will not be traveling with it, the cash is 50 swiss franks, the coins are canadian, the perfume is... excessive and unnecessary, as are two colors of nail polish, and the pearls were just a fun touch I added. All in all I'm maybe actually taking 50% of this photo with me to travel. But I titled the photo "International Travel || Essentials". It encompasses the beauty we see as traveling. Although this is not at all a great photo, nor professional quality by any means, it still gets across the idea.
So, why all of the rambling? I'm not going to Israel for funsies, I mean YES!!! IM SUPER PUMPED TO GO AND I WILL STILL GET TO SEE SO MANY SITES!!! but I am going primarily to do service work, with a team of young people, around the country of Israel. In all of it's nostalgic glory, traveling is a beautiful eye opening thing. But, I packed all my clothes in my carry on today and it took up half of the suitcase. That's right. half. My ENTIRE wardrobe for 5 weeks in the Middle East.
When looking at the above photograph one doesnt see the insanely early mornings to make a flight, or the hours of packing and repacking, or the seemingly endless days of living out of a suitcase or backpack only to lug it somewhere else when the next early morning comes around.
Travel is "hard work".
But it is not only entirely worth it, but extremely rewarding.
New cultures and smells and colors and foods and architecture and landscapes and clothes and weather. All things new and undiscovered for the weary traveler.
All this to say. In the midst of my laborous service projects throughout Israel, I hope I never take for granted where I am.
In this time in my life I am pivoting. Like I said earlier, I just graduated college. And no, I do not have a job. I applied to two grad schools in London tonight. I just submitted the applications. Which is a whole different experience. Excitement and fear all wrapped up into a huge ball of feels.
Ive never experienced so much rejection in my life all at once. This school year has been one for the books. An ended relationship, ending my lifetime of being a student, being turned down not only by jobs im underqualified for, but jobs I could have done while I was in high school, and many other small things... Israel is the only thing that accepted me thus far. Im anxious to hear about grad school because I've never been turned away by a University before. I don't know how that will effect me. No grad school, no job, no apartment come July.
But, let us not get ahead of ourselves.
However, all of these "negative" things in my life give me such freedom. I'm single. So I can apply to grad school in London if I want to. I dont have a job lined up, so I can travel to Israel for half the summer if I want!
All in all. Israel seems like a fresh start, a new beginning.
Traveling with a purpose.
Something I hope to do for the rest of my life.
No comments:
Post a Comment