Welcome to the last installment of Philly PR Girl Goes Global series! If you missed it, the series began with Jess’ England and Irish vacation and Victoria’s Paris and Mediterranean cruise. Today, Paulina shares her story of her second trip to Israel:
Two years ago, I embarked on my first foreign trip to the beautiful land of Israel for my a free ten-day trip called Birthright. I didn’t know what to expect but I didn’t dream that those ten days would turn into fifteen, which turned into twenty days and eventually turned into nine months. The magical land of Israel completely changed the person I am, and I knew I needed to show other young non-religious Jewish-Americans what this experience was all about.
I heard applying to be a staff member on a Birthright trip was hard, but I had no idea it was near impossible. After applying to six different organizations, I finally received the congratulatory email and had 5 weeks to prepare for my trip. Although my Birthright trip could not have been more fun, staffing is a whole other ballgame. After 45 introductory phone calls to the West Coast and memorizing every inch of our itinerary, it was time to meet my 43 participants at JFK.
I was eager to see parts of the country that I had never been to before on my last trip. Quickly after we made our way out of the airport, we began our 2-hour summit up the Israel National Trail for a 360-degree view of the Negev Desert, a gorgeous and vast portion of the country filled with rich history. As we arrived to the top, I was immediately overwhelmed with the comfort and familiar feeling of being in a country in which I share such a close relationship. After the hike, we ended the day at an organic farm called Shvil Hasalat, meaning “the salad path,” to indulge in fresh carrots, tomatoes, herbs, passion fruits, mangoes, and handmade pita bread. I had never experienced the agricultural side of Israel before, and it was amazing experiencing it for the first time with 43 other ecstatic faces.
The next three days in the desert were exhausting and very challenging with intense heat that resulted numerous trips to the hospital for dehydration, and yet it was unbelievably eye-opening. We rode camels into the sunset, slept under the stars, visited the natural and lush springs of Ein Gedi, covered our bodies in mud at the Dead Sea, and whitewater rafted in the Jordan River. It all felt like an extraordinary out of body experience.
It was finally time for a change of scenery, and we headed up north to prepare for the relaxing weekend of Shabbat. After learning about the spiritual roots of Kabbalah (from someone other than Madonna) in the ancient city of Tzfat, we spent the night on a “dance boat” and sailed the crystal blue waters on the Sea of Galilee. Before I knew it, there were only three days left in the trip and everyone was more than ready to take Tel Aviv and Jerusalem by storm. We devoured falafel, shopped in the outdoor flea market referred to as the Shuk, and barhopped on the infamous King George Street. Our last day was nothing short of an overload of emotions as we visited the Western Wall, Yad Vashem (the holocaust museum), and the cemetery for fallen soldiers. Amidst the tears, I was able to reflect on my experience on our way back to the airport. I realized the relationships I made and the knowledge I shared and learned over the course of ten short days was invaluable. It was even harder saying goodbye to the place I call home this time, but I can’t wait to head back to magnificent land of milk and honey.
Comment and let us know where you want to travel after reading our Global Series. If you want to experience the world right here in Philadelphia make sure you attend a Global Philly event! You’ll see the Philly PR Girl team there for sure!
