Masa, one year later...

One year ago, September 1, 2014, I headed back for my third trip to Israel. This time I was to be there for a little over five months doing an internship through a Masa program in Tel Aviv. I knew the moment I left from my first trip that this was something I had to do and I was so excited the moment had finally arrived. 

Since my program didn't start until the 8th, my friend, Dan, and his very soon to be wife graciously let me stay with them. My program's timing and my friend's wedding were perfect because he was to be married the week I arrived and I was able to attend the wedding. My first Jewish and Israeli wedding!

At the engagement party...

In Moroccan culture, they put henna in the palm of your hand and you're supposed to find your soulmate within the time period that the stain is visible.

The next week, I moved into my apartment in an alley way between Hertzl and Derach Yafo. I shared a small studio apartment with another girl about 6 years older than me. There were 4 other participants who lived in two other studios in the same building as me as well. Not too far away was Levinsky, which is where most of our social gatherings happened. Then there was Lunz, Motskin, Nachum HaNavi, and a couple of other places that I can't remember now. 

Sun rise from my window

My humble abode.

We had quite a few "getting to know you" meetings and for most of us, we just clicked. Birthright shows how quickly you can become best friends with someone in the span of 10 days, and Masa…well, we get 5 whole months together. 38 people from all over the world, now living in the vibrant city of Tel Aviv, quickly becoming best friends and family.

We celebrated my 29th birthday by going to Max Brenner.

29.

One day after Ulpan.

Lady GaGa concert.

Thanks, mom!

We took trips together. We had weekly enrichments. We took ulpan (Hebrew classes) together. We had potluck Shabbats. We spent time at the beach. We partied. We celebrated the holidays and birthdays. It was truly amazing how close we all became.

Empty streets on Yom Kippur

Ein Gedi

The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea

Jordan River float

Halloween

Rainy day in Jerusalem 

My (September) group and some of the October group in Jerusalem

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving with the family

In Yafo with Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean Sea behind us.

Girl's day in Yafo

Hike in the Negev

Camel riders

Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu at the Masa Convention

We even had a prom in the parking garage of Levinsky HQ

goat-skis

Oliver's birthday at Tangier 

New Year's Eve

My silly frandz.

We met a lot at a hookah cafe for a little girl time.

I started out at one internship that I was so excited about only to be disappointed because it wasn't what I thought it would be…they weren't prepared for me. I moved on to a different internship and it was great. I worked for a website called The Culture Trip posting content written by writers from all over the world and letting the people who they wrote about know they have been featured on the website. Some days it was humdrum, but it was different than anything I'd ever done and I quite liked it. 

During our program, we had a week off from work. I took mine a couple of weeks after everyone else because I wanted to go to Germany to see a band, Taking Back Sunday, in Berlin and a friend in Frankfurt. 

Christmas Market in Frankfurt

Taking Back Sunday in Berlin

Train station in Frankfurt

With my friend (middle) and her friend (left) in Frankfurt

The hardest part was saying good-bye. We'll most likely never be in the same place all at once ever again, but so far a lot of us have stayed in touch.

Secret Shlomo <3

Six months later (from the end of the program that is), I still crave Israel. I miss my friends, my home. Even though I know Israel wouldn't be the same without them now, I do know it would be an amazing place to call home. And surprisingly quite a few of my friends have made aliyah or are there on a work visa.

Saying "Good-bye" is hard to do...

Probably my biggest regret is not keeping a journal of my time there. But I guess it's an experience that I experienced for myself and my heart will never forget. I have never been more me or any happier than when I was there. I'm not sure if it was my friends or Israel, but that's quite a liberating feeling. Not saying I couldn't be "me" before, but I felt more…free. It was the best half year of my life.

My last day at the Mediterranean Sea

Here's a short video my friend Karen made about our time together...

And a longer one made by Sarah (Ro) it's about 18 minutes long...hard to sum up 5 months of awesomeness, but between these two videos you might get an idea :)