Bye Bye, Ariella ):

So sad. Ariella, one of the host family's daughters who is closest in age to me, just left for her summer volunteering trip to Ethiopia. She will be coming back to Israel two days after I leave for Boston, so we won't see each other again this summer. Having to say goodbye to one of the family members I've come to love over the last few weeks gave me a little taste of what it will be like to leave for good in two months.

Bye bye Rel ):

Wow. This summer is just flying by. It makes me feel guilty about wasting even a single moment while I am here! Today, though, I decided to give myself a break. I laid out in the sun to catch some rays and get my summer tan then went to the nearby country club to dip into the pool with Atara and Michal (two other daughters). It's interesting being in such a modest country. I wouldn't say that my two-piece bikini was abnormal in the setting... but I wasn't in the majority. Most teens were wearing one pieces of shirts and shorts. At first I felt a little uncomfortable baring so much skin...

Hello, yes, this is my stomach, hi

Then I stopped caring and was like yeah whatever, I'm getting my color on. But it was DEFINITELY a different experience from feeling like the more conservative beach-goer.

Also, I had a pretty hilarious Aubrey moment yesterday. The fam decided to eat some dessert after a delicious homemade dinner, and we got out the Ben and Jerry cartons that had been purchased the day before. I shuffled through the bowls in the cabinets to grab one I felt was suitable. The one I grabbed seemed a tiny bit too large, but I mean, you might as well err on the side of caution for an ice cream bowl. I turn around to see Ariella grabbed everybody some plastic bowls--THAT WERE THE SIZE OF THIMBLES. It was pretty hysterical because typical me, getting an ice cream bowl that is literally 15 times bigger than everyone else's.

Not even sorry.

Over the past two days, the host family and I have been talking a lot about some pretty heavy issues--religion, terrorism, politics, and such. It's pretty exciting for two reasons. First of all, I get to hear different opinions and different points of view. It's especially awesome when I realize that our views don't even diverge that much on certain topics. We believe in a God of love, One that should bring joy to believers; we have similar thoughts on rights and humanity; and we agree on issues of identity. It's pretty fascinating to be in a place thousands of miles away from home and still feel understood. It's also exciting to discuss these things, because we all feel comfortable talking about such touchy subjects. I'm part of the fam, woooo! You can barely tell I'm not actually a Jewish Israeli.

If I stay quiet, they won't even tell I'm different.

Then all of a sudden one of the girls will say something in Hebrew or the sushi order is wrong and one of the girls has to call and complain and everybody bursts into laughter over a Hebrew phrase and I'm like

But overall--I feel like I'm fitting in.

I had a lot of plans for the upcoming weekend, but they all fell through--classic. I will probably be taking a day-trip into Tel Aviv tomorrow to explore the city and the beautiful, world-renowned beaches. The lack of public transportation on Friday nights and Saturdays really limits the ability to take short two-day trips over the weekend! However, it will be nice to spend another Shabbat with the family (: 

Love,

Sun-Drained Aubs