Sharon Herzlia

... so holy with so much history. And as I move closer to it, a religious Jew, complete with his suit and beard and hat, stops me and asks me if I want to wrap Tefillin. This isn't normally my thing, but sometimes you have to say what the hell, and if I'm going to do it once I may as well do it at the holiest place in the world. So he puts the boxes on my arm and my head and binds the rope around my forearm and I say some blessings. And with ...

... it because of my hamstring problems. It feels good to have been pushed physically and more importantly mentally. Seeing the country by bike has made me more in awe of the Miracle that is Israel. (Even in the rain.) I cant wait to do it again next year, and maybe one of my kids will join me, that would be a real incredible experience. And a final thank you for all of your support.

... though I had the best of both worlds. No, not a falafel and orange soda, but good thinking. I was going to be living in another country and I had my Chicago girl.<br> Play time was over, it was time to get to work. I had arranged to volunteer on an organic farm just north of Askelon, in the outskirts of Yavne a few months prior. The farm was actually on a Moshav, which is a modern day version of a Kibbutz (Communal farm). This program was arranged through ...

... wonderful place was to tell you all that Gaza is so much more than the representation on the news, that in fact only 30% of the population truly believe in Hamas (I haven't met anyone who likes them), that in fact they still make jokes and laugh (one of my host "sisters" I dubbed "Little Joker" on the first day), that in fact they are not anti-Semitic or against all of the people of Israel. They just want their right to live as free human beings.<br><br>Peace-salaam-shalom

... When I finally get there, I realize it is not the city I was expecting. It feels more like a beach resort than an economic capital. On top of that, it is rather dirty and noisy (like Amman or Damascus). May be Tel Aviv is not the nicest city in the Middle East, but it has an open vibe, people is cool and tolerant, and it has a laissez-faire atmosphere that I was missing after spending 4 weeks in muslim countries. Perfect for someone like me in the need ...

... guys.<br><br><br> Yitzchak's family <br><br>Brendan and I were both sleeping the night at his place, so he invited over his entire family to see us, including my aunt Sara and her husband Marcel. I haven't spoken Hebrew much since high school, and was surprised how much I remembered, but Brendan puts me to shame. The adults flatter my abilities by mostly speaking to me in English and Brendan in Hebrew.<br><br>Yitzhak's little grandchildren are gorgeous! Although some ...

... I'm hoping I'll get to know some of them well, cook a bit, travel around, etc. I have to remember to call the Mexican Jew that Gutty a.k.a. Little Harry put me in touch with. Same with DVA's friend in the Holy City. I might also try Ulpan here. I slept like a log. Not that I was tired. My nights as fraternity president taught me never to sleep. By the way, I'm sleeping in Israel now. Let that sink in. I need to remember to see the stars ...

... go, I get a drunk voicemail from Ari saying "Nikki... I want a Wii... bring me a Wii if you have time!!!". Little did I know that these things were still hard to find. I made a few phone calls to Targets in the area and found one - but when I got there, they had just sold it 5 minutes earlier. After searching their computers for another close by and about to give up, a guy comes out of the back with a random box of 3 that didnt even exist ...

... long lost friends. It was good to swap stories. We were all presented with certificates and a plaque in a red velvet box to remind us of our travels, though we also have hundreds of photos and hours of video footage which will entertain us in the winter. Peter writes ... The past two months have certainly been an unforgettable experience and we have many photos to reflect on as well as friendships to maintain. There remains a three-day ...

... have decided to spend the day at the beach, south of Tel-Aviv. They tell me the beach will be empty. I am quite surprised but they explain that today is a working day for the Israelis. Yesterday, Saturday, the Shabbath, was their one weekend day. So their work week is 6 days long. Must be tough! We drive to Rishon LeZiyyon. My friend's husband is a quick driver: it takes us only one hour to reach the beach, which as predicted, is empty but for another couple ...