Leaving Europe

Belgium

Just like when I was leaving Scotland, I write now during the final moments in Europe. In a few hours we will leave for the airport to fly to ISRAEL!! I’m so excited to be finally reaching the destination that I have been most excited for, but it’s a mixed feeling because we’re about to begin the final chapter of this life changing semester abroad. The dynamics of the trip are about to dramatically change as we enter the Middle East. We won’t be in a new city and new country every few days, but instead be living in Jerusalem for an entire month, we day and overnight trips throughout Israel and Palestine. SO STOKED!

Vatican

But at the same time it’s sad leaving Europe. I will never forget the last three or so months of the semester. 10 countries and 34 cities… in a single day we had breakfast in Poland, lunch in the Czech Republic, and dinner in Austria. God only knows how many cathedrals and castles we’ve been through! I want to somehow calculate how many hours we’ve spent on buses, but part of me never wants to know the exact numbers. 

Berlin

Favorites. I think Berlin was my favorite big city. There’s just something about it that really attracts me to it! I thought I would hate it because of it’s Nazi past, but the city has somehow redeemed itself. A close second would be Roma. I wasn’t a fan of Rome the first time I went, but this time around I had so much fun! Florence is still my favorite city in Europe, it’s perfect. Sienna was my favorite small town we went to, it’s Tuscan beauty is astonishing. The Germans and Italians were my favorite people too, and the French sucked. 

Paris

One of the moments that I know I will never in my life forget was when I stood on the sand of Omaha Beach in Normandy. We had just come from the American Cemetery, and I was filled with a sense of patriotism, grief, and humility. I will also never forget the feeling I had at the three concentration camps we visited: Sachsenhausen, Theresienstadt, and Auschwitz.  

Normandy

I've now tasted something like 43 new beers (I'm keeping track) and my goal is to hit 50 in Israel! Thanks to Gabe, I now have a new appreciation for art. We've studied art across the eras from Byzantine to Post-Modern. It's been a roller coaster ride through art gallery after gallery, sometimes I would hate it, but most of the time I loved it! I have a new favorite artist, Casper David Friedrich. He's a German Romantic painter his spiritual landscapes are life changing! Here's one of his most controversial: 

Dresden

Well it's transition time again. We have a late night flight from Athens to Tel Aviv, arriving around 1am. A few hours through crazy Israeli customs, then an hour bus drive to Jerusalem. Apparently we don't have a hotel booked for tonight, so we're going to crash on some couches at Jerusalem University College, our main hub for the month. I can't believe that this day has finally arrived! Israel, here I come!