Eilatttttttt

Eilat. Red Sea.

I've come to realize that when you are having fun, you forget to post on your blog. A couple weekends ago I went on a mini vacation to Eilat! Eilat is the southernmost city in Israel, right by the Red Sea. It was perfect beach weather, which was great because the main reason you go to Eilat is to sunbathe on the beach. Oh, and you don't have to pay taxes, so that's a plus, too (although I didn't take advantage of this opportunity... which is why I must go back haha). The weekend was beautiful and super relaxing - the type of weekend that gears you up and makes you feel ready to take on your regular life of classes and reading (sad).

In order to get to Eilat I took a bus from Tel Aviv to Beer Sheva, where I met up with my friend. We proceeded to take the bus to Eilat from there. This was the first time that I had seen so many soldiers at once in one concentrated area (it made sense because we were in a central bus station, a lot of people going different places), and my friend asked me what my impression was regarding the soldiers and the fact that a lot of them had their M-16s on them. This was not the first time somebody had asked me what I thought about soldiers because of course coming from California it's not that common to see soldiers in uniform just catching the next bus with you, especially with their rifles swung around them like just another backpack. But (oddly?) enough the soldiers here didn't phase me. I didn't have to get used to seeing them around. They're just a fact of life in my head. Maybe I'm ok with it because I was initially excited at the prospect of seeing a lot of cute soldier guys (I have since come to realize that the soldiers here are between 18 and 20 for the most part, so yeah, pass). But honestly I would rather feel indifferent towards the presence of soldiers in everyday life than feel uneasy about it like maybe some other people.

Sunbathing in October; Eilat. And temps are still high in Tel Aviv!

Quick update on my Hebrew: Everybody speaks English here. Which means I don't get much practice. But that's not to say that I know enough to even take advantage of the fact that everybody speaks Hebrew as well (I only have Hebrew class once a week on Sundays for 2 1/2 hours... meaning not a lot of class at all). So really I just need to keep learning more on my own, force Hebrew into my daily conversations, and not be afraid to sound like a doofus in the process. 

Now I'm preparing for Jerusalem... I will be heading into J'lem tomorrow for the weekend. I am really excited. I need a break from this city that never sleeps (literally). Don't get me wrong, I love Tel Aviv, and I will update soon describing my time here, but I'm ready for a city that slows down a little. Therefore... tomorrow in Jerusalem. Yalla!