J-Rae in Jeru

I promised Bronwyn I would make that the title of my first post. I'm pretty sure I love it more than I can stand. :)

Today I went to the Garden Tomb.

:)

It was great because it was the first time we've left the center since getting here. They're still working on our security card things that allow us to leave, so we haven't been able to explore the gorgeous city that we stare at all day yet.

But today after church (Saturday is the Sabbath here - love it!), we all walked about 25 minutes to the Garden Tomb. And that's when I started to truly fall in love with this experience. Walking through the bustling streets of a foreign city is definitely one of the coolest things I have ever done. I seriously was like, "This is so cool!!" every 2 seconds (while keeping a tight grip on my purse, haha!). Everyone talks about the smells of Jerusalem, and they are so right!! I love the smells of all the spices. They're stuck on my clothes and I don't even care, haha.

I can tell it's going to be a little hard for me to blog while I'm here, because 1) I'm not supposed to upload pictures here at the Center... takes too long or something... so I have to go to Hebrew University (10 minutes away) to do that, and 2) Well, it's kind of hard to put number 2 into words, haha. Usually when I blog it's so light and airy and funny, but this experience is crazy and awesome and deep! And very personal. So it's difficult for some reason to provide the summaries that I know people want (especially because that would just feel like a repeat of my journaling that takes so long to do). My main goal while I'm here is to soak in every moment and figure out why I'm here. I tend to think a lot of things are due to chance... but I just can't believe that my being in the Holy Land is due to chance. How could it be??? I'm where Jesus lived!!!

Can I admit something? I didn't blog the first few days I was here because, truthfully, I was really sad. And I still don't know why. Maybe jet lag, maybe the transition to a new country, maybe woman problems (hey... they're real!!),  maybe getting used to a bunch of new people. But it was something I couldn't shake and it was really bothering me. Don't get me wrong - flying here and traveling with our huge group was SO fun and exciting and I loved every second of it. I loved seeing Israel from the airplane window, and feeling the plane touch down on this foreign soil, and smiling to myself because I did it!!! I made it here. I thought of Sadie's note (which I'll have to share/explain later) where she convinced me to apply to the program last minute and she said that the best case scenario would be that I'd find myself in Jerusalem in January - "Such a good story!!" Yes. Such a good story. :) :) :) I loved driving from the airport to the Jerusalem Center, up, up, up the hills, ears popping all the way. I loved touring the JC and getting so excited about all the amazing places we are going to visit. I loved the crazy random intense snowfall that we got the first night here (first time here in 10 years!) and imagining how exciting that was for all of the locals. But for some reason I was unexplainably sad the last couple of days, so that's why I didn't write. I didn't want to admit that I wasn't having the most magically perfect time ever... but I've come to accept that this is going to be a growing experience and that it's okay to be unexplainably sad sometimes. (I hate being unexplainably sad. Can you say annoying??)

Today cheered me up though - I think I just needed to get out. And church always lifts my spirits. I wonder if maybe I needed to be humbled at the beginning of this, to be reminded that I'm extremely lucky to be here and that I need to be focused on the right things. Maybe?? I don't know. Making sense of emotions is really hard. Haha. But today was happy, and I'm grateful. :) Also, I feel awkward asking this, but if you wanted to say a little prayer for me, I'd be super grateful. My biggest fear is that my amazing experiences will somehow be tainted by the random sad grey film that sometimes comes over my mind. Seriously, sorry if this is awkward for anyone, but my resolutions for 2013 are to 1) Face the future with faith, and 2) Be more vulnerable. So this is me, being more vulnerable and asking for a little help. Thanks. :)

I'm SO. EXCITED. for all of the amazing places I get to go this semester!! I wrote in my journal that I'm already sad about how soon we have to go home, haha. I know I'm going to miss this so much. I've heard so many people say that this experience changed their lives. Even after being here for a day or two, I still wasn't convinced that this experience would change my life, but today I'm starting to believe whole-heartedly that it will. (And that I'm going to HATE going home. Haha. /:)

The food is amazing. There are always new and delicious meals in the Oasis (cafeteria), including cool local foods, but the pita bread and incredible chocolately spread that I smother on it are available every day and might be the best thing of my life. And because we only eat three times a day, I've seriously already dropped 5 pounds haha. The beauty of not snacking, and eating HEALTHY foods. I ain't complainin'!! ;)

School is NOT a cakewalk here!! But it's fun studying with everyone. And we get to go on a field trip every week, so that's cool I guess. ;)

I'm loving it here. Unexplainable sad days and all. I know I'm SO lucky to be here and I'm so eager to soak in every moment and not let anything pass by without me LOVING IT. My roommates are great (we had our first bonding night last night over bad date stories... classic), my teachers are great (and their children!!), and all of the faculty here and their wives are so great. Everyone in the group is so friendly and when we were on the plane ride over, I was seriously shocked that I had only known these people for a few hours. I'm so excited to see how deep our friendships become, and I'm really glad that everyone here is genuine and including so far. Also, I'M OLD! Hahaha there are so many 19 year old girls here! When did I get to be 22?? My roommates are 19, 19, and 20. And basically I'm old. The end.

I love you all and hope you're having a great semester so far. Thanks for being patient with me and for sending me love and encouragement. :) I can't wait to blog with pictures!!! You will die. ;)

Until next time! (Hopefully really soon! Hurry up security cards!!)

Love love loooove,

Jennie