A Melange of Thoughts

So, it's been a while. I keep meaning to write but there is no focus to my writing. So I put it off and put it off. And I have a million other things to do. What have I been doing, you ask?

• Writing the kindergarten curriculum for Forest Trail Academy
• Prepping for my classes (Year 3 history, science, art, English, Year 4 & 5 Advanced English, Preschool English immersion)
• Writing graduate papers
• Running
• Cleaning
• Wash 
• Rinse
• Repeat

Let's be fair here and mention I took mucho vacation this summer. But that is why I am a teacher! I GET the vacation. But not with multiple jobs- I am always working.

So looking ahead. Tomorrow should be a great day. I am taking advantage of the fact that I live in Switzerland and that a friend is passing through to go for a day-long hike. It should be a good day. I am staying the night on a mountain hostel then coming back Friday for new teacher orientation. Phew. I am tired. Are you tired?

I have been thinking lots of things lately. Most of it is a melange (is that an English word?). First, I think about the role technology plays in our life. Sometimes I curse it - my computer seems to control me - and other times I love it - like when I get to skype my friends and family. 

I have also been thinking that maybe I have taken on too much. Is anyone in this crowd of 3 who reads this blog surprised? I am not. I KNOW I take on too much and I continue to do it. I am a consistent over-achiever and I can't stop myself. Plus I love all of my opportunities right now. Which one would I say no to? It would be too difficult to say.

Next, I am thinking about planning. Not a single plan, but planning in general. As much as I try to plan my life, we really have no idea. Will I be here for 1 year? For 4? Will I go to America? England? Scotland? Netherlands? Canada? I have to be honest and say I have no idea. We will go where jobs take us. So why plan, and then end up disappointed when the plans don't turn out? Better to go where the wind blows and take each opportunity as it comes.

Finally, I went to see the fireworks in Geneva last weekend. They were absolutely amazing, better than most American 4th of July celebrations. But between these amazing beautiful displays of light, I could hear the ducks and swans (and babies!) squacking and quacking for dear life. They were frightened out of their minds. What were these incredibly loud sounds? Was their world falling to pieces? I know they are just animals, but I felt terrible for them anyways. Then I started thinking about all the things in life that we do - they might be pretty and flashy - that cause a frightening or disrupting bang in someone else's life. The worst part is we never even know it so we can't fix it. Just something to think about.

Now it's late (as always) and I've got an early train to Grimmelwald. Until next time...

Conclusion of Birthright, NY, Homr

I am sitting backwards on a train traveling from Basel to Bern. From there, I will get to pick up all 5 of my bags and change to a train that ends in Lausanne. It is a long end to a long few months of travel. I feel like I have been on the go and living out of my suitcase from the end of May when I headed to America for the wedding. Now I have had the adventure of going to Israel and it was amazing. I will not give a very detailed account of our last four days because for one,  am exhausted, and for two I couldn’t describe all of it – we just saw and did too much. I will point out some of my highlights and thoughts along the way.

It has been a long time since I have done a group trip somewhere, especially with people my own age. Sure it was a wide range (18-26) and I was on the upper edge of that range, but it was sure an experience. There are definitely people that went on that trip that I want to see again. So with that in mind, after Jerusalem we headed to the desert with our Israel soldiers. We stopped first at an overlook of the Dead Sea and miles of sand dunes. Beautiful.  Next we arrived at the Bedouin tents to learn a bit about their culture and old ways. Finally they let us ride camels out into the desert. It was a bit scary getting on, and a bumpy ride, but definitely something I will remember. We were only on the camels for about 20 minutes but that was enough time for me. We later had a bonfire, learned some pop songs (in Hebrew!) from our soldiers, performed our songs then finally slept. The next morning was the hike to Massada!

We woke up at 4:15 to head out for Massada. A stomach bug had been going around and I had it. I didn’t feel great, but I did the best I could. We made it up to the top of Massada for sunrise and my camera battery died. This is the problem with camping – no outlets! We then got a tour of Massada from our amazing guide Negev. If you don’t know about Massada you should look into it, it is a very interesting place. We finally hiked back down and headed out towards our next mini hike which took us to a waterfall. It was the first time I had been cool in a week, and it felt great. As usual we were hurried along to our next destination, the DEAD SEA!

This is something that is on my bucket list. I have always wanted to visit the Dead Sea and I was actually going! The Dead Sea is shrinking every year. The water that feeds into the Dead Sea is decreasing every year as people upstream use more and more. When the resort was first built, it was right next to the water. When we visited you had to ten minute shuttle to get to the water (or walk for 15-20 minutes in scorching heat). Once you get to the shore the sand is burning hot, and under the water there is no sand, only salt deposits that are sharp and cutting. You have to be careful because you don’t want to get a cut. Salty water stings, but the Dead Sea water kills. The water is full of minerals and, well, salt of course. It almost felt like baby oil and made my skin feel so soft. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. It wasn’t just salty, it was… I don’t even know the taste: terrible, gross, disgusting. This was just another reason to not end up with the water in your mouth. It made the Pacific taste like fresh water! My friend Marisa and I floated for half an hour or so, but the water was not refreshing and cool. It was like a hot salty, smelly bath. But it was still amazing to float. I am not a floater. I ALWAYS sink and for the first time I couldn’t stop floating. I tried to put my feet on the ground and I just flipped over to my stomach. It was ridiculous but a lot of fun. Out time eventually ran out so we headed to the mudbaths, rinsed with sulfur water, salt water and finally freshwater then showered and headed out. We said goodbye to our soliders and our bus started driving even deeper into the Desert. We were in the heart of the Negev. Unlike the touristy Bedouin tents, there was only one other group near us at these campsites. We were given permission to wander away and find a quiet place to sleep under the stars. We were exhausted and after a quick campfire I headed to bed. The sky was incredible. The stars filled the sky and in each one I saw planets, galaxies, a whole universe. It took me a while to sleep, and even when I did I kept waking up to stare at the sky. I eventually woke up right before sunrise, grabbed a few photos and got ready for that morning’s hike. It was another beautiful little trek up a medium rocky ridge with a few good rock climbing areas. It was nice just to be in nature without a ton of people. Next thing we knew we were back on the bus heading to Tel Aviv. It was a long drive, and we were all thankful that Israel is a small country.

Tel Aviv was so much different than the other cities. It is not pretty, there is not beautiful architecture or history. But the people in Tel Aviv are interesting, secular, and mostly young. The night life is crazy even on a Wednesday. We got to see Tel Aviv’s independence hall, learn about the night Israel declared its independence, and walk a bit through the downtown protest regarding rent-control. It is interesting, although I suppose not surprising, that Israel is so much more than it is portrayed on the news. There are so many things happening in Israel, and I am sure in many other countries as well, that we never hear about it because it is not shocking, terrible, news. People in Israel  are just living their lives like everyone else. So when we went out for our first night on the town we were all excited to see the real Tel Aviv. Our soldiers brought us to their favorite bar on the beach, then to a nearby club with great music and dancing. On Wednesday, it was absolutely packed and difficult to push in. But we all got in there and brought our own 45 person party. I had a blast! There was lots of dancing to both American and Israeli music. Before we knew it our time was up and our last night in Israel was over.

Our final day in Israel was long but very interesting. We saw a few more market places, and eventually headed to Jaffa, the old port near Tel Aviv. Jaffa is significant because it used to be the place that Jews first arrived when they headed to Jerusalem. Jews were not welcome in Jaffa as it was an Arab city. Because of this, Tel Aviv was founded in the sand dunes nearby as the Jewish port town. Jaffa is still certainly charming with nice hills and a town filled with winding alleyways, archways, paths and cubbyholes. I wish we could have spent hours there, but we were running out of time in Israel. We had our goodbye dinner and the airport. That was the end of our adventure,  and after arriving at New York we hugged and parted ways.

I am still in awe that the trip was free. Yes, we paid one meal a day, and we had to be in NY, but 10 days of food, accommodation, activities and a roundtrip, nonstop ticket to Tel Aviv from NY is pretty amazing. They didn’t skimp – we did many adventurous things, many interesting experiences. I hope all my Jewish friends are also able to take advantage of this trip, it is so incredible and FREE!

So after all this excitement I got to see my parents in NY. They flew in from Chicago so we could spend a few days together. I was pretty jet-lagged and had some work to do, but it was great just to hang out with them and have them around. Sometimes even if you aren’t doing anything particular it is nice just to be with someone. I like spending time with my parents so although we didn’t do anything particularly exciting, it was so relaxing to just be with them. Again our time together ended too quickly, and now I am almost home.

I am excited that after a taxi, 2 planes, 2 busses, and 2 trains I will finally be home. I have decided not to start work until tomorrow when I am refreshed. Traveling is exhausting! I am thankful that we are not going anywhere big for a while. I need some time to just get back into routine.

I will say that I am definitely excited to get back to Israel someday as from Geneva it is only a 3 hour flight and will cost $160 roundtrip. I will say one thing about Switzerland, it really is in the middle of many interesting places. I would like to go to Egypt too, but at the moment it is not the best idea. That government and system looks ready to collapse any day now.

\

Well I’ve got to get my 500 bags together to change trains. Is it nap time yet?

Rememberance

This trip is fantastic- we are doing amazing things everyday. Today was different than the rest. It was not an "extreme" day in the outdoorsy aspect, but in the emotional aspect it was very extreme. Let me start by introducing my friends. In our group we have 40 people coming from 3 countries and 30 states. We come from wide and far to explore our Jewish heritage. This is also the least religious Jewish group I have ever met. It makes them quite interesting.

So today we went to Yom Hashoah, the holocaust remembrance museum. It was very powerful for many of us, as we were armed with a knowledgeable guide and powerful testimonies, pictures, and explanations. 1.5 million children, 6 million Jews total, and countless more minorities were murdered in the holocaust. It was very emotional as we weaved through the museum starting with WWI and ending with the reconstruction of the lives of those who lived.

We also we fortunate enough to hear a holocaust survivor story. He was young during the holocaust, and luck let him live. Really, he told the story of life the holocaust - finding family, a home, love, safety. We tend to think that as soon as someone is liberated they are okay. This is not the case. Many more people suffered because after being released from the concentration camp they had no where to go, nothing to build on, nothing at all.

After a quick lunch we went to Mt. Herzal, the military cemetery attached to the holocaust museum. It showed the fighting and courage and vision of the people to create a Jewish state. Do I believe that Israel always makes the right choices? No, of course not. Do I always agree with them? No I sure don't. But after the museum I realize how important it is to have a place that accepts Jews, no matter what. After the holocaust only Great Britain and another country in South America who strived to give people hope.

Today was very heavy, but important. Why do we remember? Why are we still fighting? This is what we should always ask ourselves here in Israel.

Israel Days 1-3

July 20, 2011

It has been an eventful 3 (three already?!) days here on my birthright trip. I will do  quick overview of the last few days then go into detail about my favorite parts.

So I showed up to the airport on July 16, a few minutes late – it takes a LONG time to get across NY to JFK! Then I met a few people from my trip and checked in. After through security and a few beers I was making new friends. There are 40 people on my trip, and it is not easy to keep track of their names. We ended up in the waiting area and the loading for the plane was 2 hours late. They made us go back through security again, then finally onto the plane. By this time I was exhausted because I was still on Swiss time and my body was telling me that it was 3:30am. After a lot of sleeping, movie watching, more sleeping, we finally touched down in Israel about 2pm the next day. Somehow, the airlines (Delta! Yuck!) managed not to lose my bags and we all got our stamps to welcome us into Israel. We dropped our things on the bus, exchanged our money, and did a little intro session with an Amazing Israel representative. He told us a little bit about the birthright gift, and it is pretty incredible. Birthright sends 30,000 Jews every year to Israel. It has an alumni base of over 500,000. They are looking to increase funding for next year. Each participant costs around 5K. Where do they get the money, you ask? 1/3 of it is funded by the Israeli government, and every year it is the first piece of funding that is passed by parliament. Another 1/3 comes from generous individual donors around the U.S. and Israel. The final 1/3 comes from local Jewish communities. If you grew up in L.A., they ask the local Jewish community there to donate. It is a pretty big thing. After learning more about birthright, the dos and don’ts of the trip, safety, etc. we were introduced to our personal safety and medic. He is with us at all times with a HUGE first aid kit, and a rifle, just in case. We also have a large air-conditioned bus and bus driver that is always on the bus (to make sure no one wanders in or around it). The rest of the first day was driving up north the Galiee area and the city of Tiberias, checking in, picking rooms, dinner, and then the m&m get to know you game. By this time I knew about 40% of people’s names. It is not easy in such a big group! Finally it was bedtime and my room slept quite soundly.

Morning came early on June 20^th with multiple wake-up calls at 5:45, 5:55, and finally my alarm at 6am. We had breakfast at 6:30 (when I accidentally ate a bowl of cream cheese that looked and tasted a lot like Greek yogurt) then hopped on our bus and headed out. We were off for our big hike, and we needed to get there before the heat wave. The hike was great – we went from the top of a canyon, down, and across the river. Then we passed some of the most beautiful rock formations, waterfalls with rainbows, pools, streams, plants, fish and more. There were several times when you needed both hands to hold onto the metal bars that were handholds in order to make it around a cliff corner. It was definitely an adventure. At one point we put all of our stuff in waterproof bags (that’s me!) or just brought our stuff into the water. We had to jump in by a waterfall and swim through the deep pools to get to the other side. We had even brought our own lifeguard! We felt refreshed after that swim and finished the hike, returning to the cliff side that we had started at. We ended up further down the river but we had gone up as much as we went down. I forgot how much I love hiking!

Next on our itinerary was a trip to see the Syrian border. We learned more about the war in 1978(?), also known as Yom Kippur war because Syria and Egypt attacked Israal on the Jewish holiday, the highest holiday, of Yom Kippur. After that history, they pointed out the border and discussed the fortifications. I still think the DMZ is more fortified, but they claimed differently. Apparently now that I have an Israeli stamp in my passport I can’t go into Syria. Oh, shucks.

Our final stop of the day was the Golan Winery just south of the lookout point to Syria. We got an over view of the winery, a few wine tastings, and one of the most interesting guides ever. His ear hair was longer that my pinky toe and he smelled his wine in the best way. He tut-tut-tutted us whenever he suggested something we shouldn’t do. He was hilarious and I want to take him back with me! We finished the tour and I bought some wine to bring home, and then headed back to our hotel to rest. Next up is dinner and a cultural program.

So you may be wondering – does amazing Israel have an ulterior motive? They have already told us that they want Jews to feel connected to Israel, but they want to make us informed and more knowledgeable about here. They did tell us, however, that this is NOT a vacation. This is an adventure, a journey, a learning experience. We are not spending 10 days on a beach getting drunk. We have jammed-packed adventure filled days, and we need to take advantage of it. After all, it is a free gift. I agree, I am taking advantage of every moment. It is fantastic! And no, I am not fanatically Jewish yet – no one on my trip is. But I make no promises in a few days (just kidding!).

NY Life

After a short stop at home, I have arrived at my next destination – New York. I got here the evening before last on the most comfortable transatlantic flight ever. I was upgraded for FREE. We had buckets of leg room, leg and foot rests, and those big, ear-covering, noise-cancelling headphones to use. It felt like business class, and was quick and enjoyable. I guess that’s what happens when you only fly to NY and not LA.

So I arrived in NY, not refreshed, but not cramped, hot and grumpy either. I grabbed a cab (typical NY) to my hostel in Brooklyn. The hostel was small and quiet, which is exactly what I wanted. I nearly fell into bed I was so tired. I woke up the next morning on my own at 6am, fresh and ready for the day. I called Paul to chat (it was, after all, noon in Switzerland). He was STILL asleep! That made me feel at least I hadn’t conformed to NY time too badly, if I was in Switzerland that Sunday, I probably would have been sleeping too. After a quick chat, we said goodbye and I started working. I wanted to get as much work done as possible before I fly out again.

Despite all my work, I did make it out into NY City yesterday. I have only been to NY once before, back when I was in college. We saw all the touristy things like the bridges, the statue of liberty, empire state building, central park, and the met. This time I got off the subway about 10 blocks from my destination so I could just walk around, see the real city. I have come to the conclusion that NY is NOT a place I want to live. It is VERY dirty, and smells quite bad. People leave there trash everywhere and the smells just come up off the street to attack you, like rotten eggs and dirty socks. Another part of NY I could do without is all the noise. Saturday night it sounded like there was a party outside of my dorm room. People were yelling, horns were beeping, music was playing. I understand it was 12:30 on Saturday and most people were just starting their party, but I needed to sleep! Maybe I am spoiled in Switzerland. It is very quiet after ten pm, and the streets are clean and smell free. I don’t know if this is a product of the people who live there, or of the government that hushes people who are loud and cleans up after the messy ones.

Despite not wanting to live here, NYC is sure interesting to visit. There is some very interesting graffiti in Brooklyn, the kind that belongs in an art museum. The people who are here dress the weirdest I have ever seen. They wear things I would not be caught dead in outside of my house. Actually, I wouldn’t be caught dead OWNING these pieces of clothing. I know I am not exactly fashion savvy, and my idea of going crazy is… well… jeans and a slightly more interesting t-shirt. I have seen people here wearing jeans cut off around the bikini line, ridiculously high shoes, tons of flower patterned dresses of all shapes and sizes, shorts and skirts that are 2 inches too short. Does this mean Switzerland is very conservative, while NY is very risky? Or a little bit of both? I will have to discuss this with my parents when they come to meet me after the trip.

Speaking of the trip, I leave today! I have been so excited for this ever since I was notified that I was given a place. It seemed like it took forever to get to this place, but it also took a moment. Isn’t that funny how time moves like that sometimes? Well all my bags are packed, with the exception of the clothes I need to wear today. The clothes I am wearing on the plane are the same ones from when I travelled here on Saturday and wore around NY yesterday. They definitely  need a good washing, so I got my clothes together and headed down to the local Laundromat. Despite the fact that a yelp commenter claimed they were open 24 hours, I have just walked six blocks to find them very decidedly closed. Until 7am. Oh did I mention I woke up at 5:30? I am starting to like waking early. So here I am, sitting at a bagel shop in Brooklyn. I am eating a delicious everything bagel with plain cream cheese. I forgot how much I love bagels and cream cheese. I know they really aren’t so good for me so I guess I should be grateful that I can’t buy them in Switzerland.

But again, I get sidetracked. So I leave today but my clothes are all dirty. I plan to head to the Laundromat and quickly do my small load. Head back to the hostel, get some more work done, then at noon I have to check out. I don’t need to be at the airport until 3:30, so I am not sure what I should do for those three hours. I certainly don’t want to walk around NYC in this heat with massive backpack on my back. Either way, this evening I will be on my way to Israel. On a Delta flight (ew). But still, going to Israel will be fantastic. I promise to update my blog whenever I have internet. Now I’ve got 15 more minutes before the Laundromat opens so I will finish my yummy bagel and head out. Life is pretty good J

Traveling

Surprise! I am sitting in another airport. Am I the only one who feels like we spend 25% of our lives traveling? People commute to and from work, to and from stores, to and from activities, and in my case, to and from countries and continents. It is my second trip to America in 2 months, and I will be returning again in August to see my grandparents and watch my cousin Dave finally marry Cassie. And as joyful as it is to see family, I sometimes feel like a permanent fixture on the buses, trains, and planes in Switzerland.  


I wonder how much extra time I would get to do things if I just stayed at home. I do work from home in the summers, and it is nice waking up in my pjs and not having to commute anywhere. But then I get bitten by the travel bug and I am back on a plane.


I actually quite enjoy travelling. Well I don't like the security checkpoint, passport control or waiting for the flights, connecting to buses and trains. But I do like when I am on an international flight, with in-flight (in the seat in front of me), and I can just relax. I am small enough that I have plenty of space in the seats, and I can sleep on the tray-tables. When I have a good book I can read for 8 hours straight and not feel guilty. I should have taken an international flight after Harry Potter 7 came out :)


I also really like getting to a new destination (especially when they speak English and have sushi!). There are so many interesting places out there, and I have only seen a very small fraction of them. I think someone should invent a teleporter so we can just instantly arrive wherever we need to go. Think of how much time would be saved!


So tonight I will be in NY, and I am going to try my hardest to stay on the Swiss schedule. This means sleeping earlier and waking up earlier, but I don't want to be even more jet-lagged when I fly back to Israel on Monday. This is another problem with travel - my body is always very confused. When I flew home for the wedding, I kept waking up between 4-5 a.m., ready to go. The problem was no one else had started their day. I will continue to update on the effects of back to back international flights. It is going to be interesting. 


Oh I almost forgot - I am flying economy premier (whatever that means). I got upgraded just because I have a frequent flyer card. I am hoping for business class on my way back. Cross your fingers! 


My next update will be in NY. America, here I come!

It's been a while since I've posted, and I don't want to be one of those people. You know those people - the ones who start a blog, write a few entries, then disappear. Writing in my blog has been on my "to-do" list for the last two weeks. I'm not really sure if it should be something on a to-do list, but it sure reminds me that its there.


These last two weeks it has been wonderful to be home. I have a lot of work to do and I have been stuck behind my computer, but it is nice to get things done. But this is not what my post is about.


Paul and I watched a thunderstorm this weekend. It was one of those incredible storms that starts in Geneva and moves across the lake until it is suddenly upon us with hail and big buckets of water. The sky was banging pots and pans and the clouds were lit up in flashes of forked plasma. But that is not what my post is about either. As I was standing there with Paul, watching the raging storm move closer to us, at first on the porch and then with our noses pressed against the glass as the storm moved closer, I had that strange thought that I get every now and then.


How the heck did I get here?


 I don't mean that in a bad way at all. I mean that in a holy cow I live in a different country, with a different language, and I am an ocean and a continent away from my family and friends. I mean really, how does anyone get where they are in life? What it really comes down to is just a series of choices. We make choices, every day, nearly every moment, about what we want to do. I often forget that little fact. Here are some of the choices I made today: 


What time should I wake up in the morning? (this morning I chose to get up at 8:15) What should I eat for breakfast? (a banana and some cereal) What should I work on first? (week 4 postings for GW) When should I eat lunch? What should I eat? Should I go for a run? Should I spend 10 minutes on Facebook or StumbleUpon? Should I work on LA8 or SS8? Should I watch Harry Potter 7 Part 1, before going to the theatre to watch Part 2? Should I buy candy for the movie? Should we walk home or take the train? (life can be difficult when you are indecisive!)


Do you see what I am getting at here? All of these little choices really add up, but it seems sometimes we ignore them. We have good intentions, but we make lots of little bad choice. Sometimes I am very unproductive because I choose to watch T.V. or use a number of social networking sites instead of doing my work. Sometimes I choose to sleep an extra two hours instead of running, or I stay up too late and I am tired the next day. Why do we make the wrong choice when we know it is wrong? Because RIGHT NOW it feels right. In an hour I will think - why did I just eat that Mars Ice Cream Bar? But right now it tastes absolutely delicious. 


So often people only focus on the big life choices. Don't get me wrong, those also can drastically change your life. Take for example the day I decided to move to Switzerland. I knew I had to travel and get out into the world before I was tied down and owned stuff. So I made the decision, found a job, and ended up here. That set off another chain of choices that eventually led to me meeting Paul, getting married, and in the end, sitting in this chair, typing about choices. I think a lot of people are afraid of making choices. They are afraid of what might be out there in the unknown. They are making the choice to stay in their current life. A current life that they are often unhappy or unsatisfied with. They chose that life over and over again. Every day they choose to live the way they do.


I have a lot of friends that say "I wish I could move to a new place!" Well it was a choice, and it took a lot of effort, but I believe if any of my friends really REALLY wanted it enough they would find a way. One of my friends, Kathleen, has made the choice to move to Denver. I can tell she really wants it. She understands it isn't going to be easy, but most of life isn't easy. I also understand that it is easier said than done. People have student loans, debts, jobs, significant others, blah blah blah. There is always an excuse. (Life is also full of excuses). In the end it all comes down to choice. I'm not saying it is practical for someone with 30K in student debt to pick up and run out of the country. I'm saying that you can search for a job that is based overseas, or travels, or anything. Move somewhere that makes you happy. Find a yoga class. Change your life. There are a million future choices out there. You can't make a choice that you don't know about. So get out there. Find those opportunities, and make those choices. In a few years you might be in Switzerland on your balcony overlooking lake Geneva watching a thunderstorm as it passes overhead. 


Wow I just reread this post and I'm thinking it could be a graduation speech... almost. Time for some sleep :)