I hear Jerusalem bells ringing...

Today was an exhausting day. It was the first day of classes and I only had two classes, but I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night and they were both morning classes. Then, after lunch I couldn’t get back to sleep for a nap, so I just laid on the bed for a while. This afternoon about 6 of us went into the marketplace and I tried this chocolate pastry thing that was really good. I also got a free sample of sesame paste and it was very sugary and disgusting. Good thing I had a bottle of water to wash it down. The fruit seemed really cheap, so if I ever need a good snack I know where to go! (Well, I wasn’t paying that close of attention as to how we got there).

Anyways, on our way back we ran into a group of the guys going to get school supplies, so we turned around and went with them. I ended up getting a couple more spiral notebooks because I only had one and I have four classes. They weren’t cheap like the walmart ones though, they were about $2.50 for two of them. Luckily, on our way there we stopped at a moneychanger so that I could get some SHEKELS!!!

Shekels are about the equivalent to the U.S. quarter. So the notebooks were 10 shekels. This is what 10 shekels looks like.

Here are my 50 shekels. (I’m a high roller, I know.)

And this is 5.

I’m hoping to be in good shape soon. Every time I go to class and come back to my room, I have to climb like 60 stairs. I’m not exaggerating. To go to the bathroom I have go up and down 33 of them. I counted. They’re pretty steep too. Now that its been a couple days, my legs are kind of sore.

I’m also hoping to get better pictures up here. I’m stalling with these lame ones until I remember to take my camera into the city. I’m putting my camera in my purse right now…

I made it!

I made it here and it is absolutely beautiful! Most of the buildings are super old and made of stone. This is a picture I took from the roof of our building. In the very center of the picture you can see the city wall around the Old City of Jerusalem. It's actually a lot closer than it looks. My room is right next to the roof. I have to climb a lot of stairs to get there, but it is so worth it. 

I've tried to upload pictures for the past couple days and it takes like a year to get each one up, so I'm only putting these two up for now. The picture to the left is my dorm room. There were two bunk beds for the two of us, so we took the top mattresses and put them on the bottom for extra cushion and then used the top for storage. There is a mural of Jesus on the ceiling, I'll have to post of a picture of that later.

Anyways, the campus is absolutely gorgeous. The building is so old and its all made of stone. There are gardens with grapes growing over the little patio area. I didn't realize how close the school was to the Old City. It is like a 2 minute walk because we are right outside the wall on Mount Zion, but we have to walk to Jaffa Gate to get in. Today we had a little tour through the Old City and it was AWESOME. We walked a ton of stairs and got on rooftops in different places to see the valleys and buildings around us. We also went to the site of Christ's burial (or where most people believe it to be), the believed site of the Last Supper, and other really neat places. I got to walk in a tomb that would have been like the one Jesus was put in. There were so many places to see and so many great views of the city. Too bad I forgot to bring my camera. :( I'll get pictures later, since all of the places were free to go in and they're like 5 minutes away.

We went on a scavenger hunt through the city and I tried a falafel. It wasn't great. I don't think I'll be getting another soon. The pita bread in the market was good though. I went to church this morning at St. Andrew's Scottish Church and it was good. We all drank out of the same cup for communion and I had never done that before. There was also wine instead of grape juice, so that was pretty nasty. But overall it was a great experience.

I start classes tomorrow, but I only have two and I'm done by noon.

Sorry this update is so scatter-brained. I'll try to make them flow better in the future.

Anyways, I'll update later when I have better pictures to put up, but for now this will have to do.

the day before.

It is about 1:30 am Thursday morning. I leave today. I'm getting crunched for time.

My stuff is currently strewn across the floor of our den, far from organized. Empty suitcases are sitting in the corner of the room. The maps that I have been hastily marking up cover the coffee table with many colored markers sitting on top. In the corner of the coffee table is a white sheet of paper with a list of about 20 items that I have scribbled on it in an attempt to remember them when I wake up.

Today is going to be so exciting. I'm having breakfast with cousins in the morning. Then I'll go shopping with my list of last-minute things. When I'm done, my last hours home will be spent throwing everything that is on the floor of the den into the suitcases. Then its off to Charlotte to meet up with Elicia (another JUC student on my flight) before flying to Philly and then the day will end while I'm in the air headed toward Tel Aviv. Ah. So unreal.

Ok, well its about time for me to get some sleep, if I can.

8 days...

left of summer break.

to mark maps, to shop for next semester, to pack everything I'll need in the next three months.

to say goodbyes.

until I get on a plane headed for Tel Aviv.

Yikes. I don't know what I'm getting myself into. But I'm getting excited.

The emails from JUC are getting more frequent as the semester gets closer. Yesterday I got an email with the schedule for orientation weekend. It made me feel like I was a freshman all over again. I love it.

A photo scavenger hunt of Jerusalem? Bring it on.

The last photo scavenger hunt I did was of Oak Ridge, NC when I was in high school. (I'm pretty sure I was with Jon T., Katherine Medlin, Kyle, maybe Tyler? and I don't know who else, but on our way back to the church we recorded ourselves singing "We are the Champions," and then ended up being smoked by the other teams... We also drove all the way to the elementary school to get a picture on a playground, completely forgetting that there is a playground in the backyard of the church we started at. Oops. Good times.) Hardly the same.

Anyways, JUC sent me some maps at the beginning of the summer. They also sent a 98-page workbook with instructions on readings from the Bible with corresponding map-markings that I am supposed to complete before I arrive. And if you know me, you also know that I haven't started yet. But, like always, I plan on starting today. :)

Preparation for this trip is making me depressed that I won't be going to Taylor. That I won't be seeing my friends in two weeks. That I won't be living with them and doing all of the fun Taylor (and 1st West) traditions at the beginning of the year. That I won't see Airband. That I won't be with family for Thanksgiving.

But I've also really enjoyed preparing for this trip. The anticipation is part of the fun. Sure, I'll miss all of the great things at Taylor in the Fall, but I know that great things are in store for me in Israel.

I can't wait to meet all new people and see all new (actually, very old) places, and have completely new experiences.