It’s always difficult getting back into the swing of things after a nice, long vacation. For instance, my fingers have lost touch with QWERTY, thus it’s taking me nearly twice as long to do anything online. Not like we didn’t have internet access in the desert (we did), but I consciously tried to stay away from it all. Admittedly, it was nice – and surprise surprise, the world still goes on.

Touring a country the size of New Jersey brought a lot of things into perspective; I learned so much about myself, my people and my life moving forward. There is so much swirling around in my head, I don’t know where to start. Oh wait, how about a Top 10 list! 

Top 10 Learnings from Israel

1. Schwarma and falafel are staples in the tourists diet; locals rarely indulge
2. Hummus is the equivalent of salt/ketchup in the US – served at every meal
3. Exploding cows are the best kind of chocolate (pop rocks in a milk chocolate candy bar)
4. Loaded AK-47s are as common as messenger bags amongst 18-21 year olds
5. Said guns have customized straps that accommodate a cell phone carrier
6. Peepee levan is a good thing. Hat, water, camera
7. Camels make hideous crying noises. So do donkeys
8. The Dead Sea helps you learn about cuts you never knew you had
9. It takes less than 45 seconds to sprint across the street to a market to purchase beer – when you know you won’t get any for days
10. Israeli men are gorgeous!!

I made so many awesome friends, memories and most importantly – “learned and experienced.” It’s strange being back stateside. After a 36 hour trip home from Tel Aviv to NYC to Minneapolis to KC, it’s good to be back, yet it feels like something is missing.  I awoke late in the night/early in the morning at home and had no clue where I was. It sure didn’t look like a kibbutz… 

With fond memories at the top of mind, for me it’s back to the real world. Where I have to try hard to find schwarma, my inbox overfloweth and the most challenging thing I’ve faced is trying to find the bottom of my inbox while staying current with new Facebook activity: friend requests, tagging, and inappropriate comments – I love it! It’s as close as I can stay to my new MOT friends at the time, and for the time being, I’ll take it. I just hope they recognize me the next time we see each other – sans dark circles and permanent bags.