a broad abroad

Day 1: London Well, I made it. I had left with a feeling that I somehow would never make it here. I couldn’t envision myself physically in London or Paris, and so when I left I was convinced the plane would be crashing en route.   Needless to say, that didn’t happen.   My first impression of London was of a town that was green and lush and covered in moss despite it being the middle of December. The sky was thick and gray and much like I envisioned it would be from reading Harry Potter.   In London, the tube has funny names. Everything has funny names. I took the Piccadilly line to Cockfosters. There was the Jubilee line and the Waterloo line.   The conductors said things like "mind the doors! Tippy-top now!" I could buy tipples if I were thirsty. Everyone was wearing pea-coats and toting worn old briefcases.  It was magic. The first thing I did was take a free walking tour through Covent Garden. I love these tours. They are a great primer for w...

And came back with much more than that. I'll be posting these in chronological order (sorry so late!). ***     For the past few years, I have had writer's block. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me, words coming easily as a way to express what I don't convey well when speaking. I have struggled for inspiration for a while, feeling like most of my thoughts were too private or too uninteresting to share in a public forum. But I am glad to share it with others now. Part of the appeal of writing is that I can share my thoughts, which I am excited to do on my first solo trip. My darling friend Melissa, who has taken many solo backpacking trips on her own, recently inspired me to do the same. So I looked for the cheapest flight on Google flights and booked it. The first question I get is, "where are you going?!" The answer is "London and Paris." This exchange is generally followed by "who are you going with?...

Final thoughts: This trip encompassed a lot of firsts for me!   Some of them were big and exciting firsts (experiencing Jewish culture, camping, hiking!) and some of them were ridiculous and silly firsts (eating passion fruits, going to the bathroom behind a tree!).  I made friends.   I drank three gallons of water a day.   I didn’t faint in the heat.   I ate food with my dirty hands.   I went to every gas station bathroom along the highway. I ate hummus with every single meal.   I learned a lot of history.   I laughed and cried.   Here is everywhere we traveled within Israel: I feel very fortunate that I could experience a side of my heritage that I have never explored before. I love opening my mind to new experiences and cultures and I know that I am super lucky to have gone on this trip. Here are some Hebrew words I learned: Thank you: todah Good morning: bokhil tov Where is the bathroom?:  ...