Short and Sweet

Hi everybody!

This will be a quick update since it's 2 AM here in Israel and I am about to PASS OUT. But I didn't want to leave you hanging for more than two days, so here goes!

• I spent most of yesterday (Wednesday) recuperating from a vacation of little sleep, minimal exercise, and way too much unhealthy food! 

Not quite conducive to a healthy diet 

Including baklava, which actually originates from Turkey and not Greece, to my surprise.

Pistachio baklava, om nom nom

It was a great day though to catch up with my host family and to readjust to my home.

Orit wearing a costume my mom sent that I used to wear as a little girl! How adorable!?

• I made the very tough decision to go back to Boston early and in time for the beginning of Harvard's fall semester instead of hanging in Israel for two extra weeks in order to attend the International Counter-Terrorism Conference. It was difficult to decide, but my priority at this point in time is graduating from Harvard with the highest GPA possible, and the stress alone that I'd accumulate those first two missed weeks would hinder that goal. So, I'll be back in America August 28th! Still plentyyyy of time to explore (:

• Tonight was "White Night," which is an annual festival in Tel Aviv to kick off summer. In Hebrew, it's Laiva Lavan, which is equivalent to "all-nighter" in English. There are tons of outdoor concerts, fun activities, and a bunch of cultural events. Now, if you know me superficially, you'll know I absolutely love to party. You will see me at final clubs (or frats) at least 4 nights a week, saying hi to everybody in the room and dancing to my fave songs. If you know me even a little better than superficially--you'll know I actually HATE HATE HATE partying!!! I went out a lot this past year to make friends, to push myself out of my comfort zone, and to prove to myself that I could. But honestly, I hate it. The music, the crowds, the smell of smoke and beer--I literally shudder as I think of it. But I KNEW I needed to go out tonight, to get the experience. So I met up with the other interns at an American bar called Mike's Place for some good ol' quality coworker time. (The other interns, I should say, are FABULOUS--hilarious, intelligent, knowledgeable, and so fun.) I was so glad to spend time with them--but it was getting late (aka 11 o' clock), there was a person at the bar smoking, and I really, really, really wanted to sleep. So after a few hours of hanging out, I headed back home. And thank God I did: the bus on the way back passed a HUGE crowd of teenagers mobbing around a loud concert in a packed park. Basically, my worst nightmare. 

Thank you thank you thank you for letting me be on this bus

• Seriously, though, I'm beginning to really understand my own limits as a young adult--I push my limits of comfort and solitariness while respecting my need to duck out a little early every once in a while. I don't think that is a situation unique to being abroad; I think it's more a matter of growing up and understanding what you as an individual can actually handle. But maybe I'm just getting philosophical in my exhaustion. 

It's already my weekend, so I have a few fun things planned that I'll be sure to write about over the next few days! But now... it's time for sleep

Peace and Love,

Aubs