Cheers to the Weekend

My past two days on the job have been exhausting but incredible. I'm basically given six hours a day to explore the internet and learn everything there is to know about terrorism. A daunting task, surely--but WOW. It's incredible to be given the time to learn simply for the sake of learning without stressing over wasting time or procrastinating from other tasks. That being said, it can be horrific reading about ISIS and their shameful, hateful acts for a significant part of my day. It seems so wasteful--killing oneself and others for the sake of appeasing a "loving" god? How depressing. But one can only hope that the work being done by people like me (hold the applause) will one day eradicate, or at least deter, such actions. It feels relevant and important and fulfilling to contribute even in a small way to such work.

I try to refrain from giving myself too many of these.

I've given myself the task of learning the Hebrew alphabet! See, languages like Hebrew, and Arabic, and Chinese are crazy, because they use completely different letters than the Romantic and Germanic languages. Like, at least when you're dying of thirst in Mexico, you can sound out the word "a-g-u-a" and be like, hm aqua, blue, water, seems legit, I'm headed wherever that word is pointing. With Hebrew, the letters are just COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Like, square squiggle rounded-box line. Like ya, good luck with that.

Actual picture of me attempting to read public transportation signs

But so far, I've learned eight of twenty-two letters (GO ME) and can sound out the first or last syllable of basically every word. (omg, I think that word is something something "mah!" yeah, Aubs!) But I mean, hey. We've all gotta start somewhere.

I've started planning some trips with the other interns in my office. We are going to start exploring Tel Aviv and hopefully Jerusalem this weekend--which, by the way, starts on Fridays in Israel, so it's officially the weekend! 

Will I still have friends if I dance like this?

It still seems so surreal that I'm across the world, in a country like beautiful Israel. I'm miles from where Jesus walked! I'm a short bike ride from the Mediterranean!! I'm on the border of the country with pyramids!!! (Looking back at those sentences, I realize my buildup was probably out of order... Oops.)

my b, big J, ilyily

But seriously guys... I'm in Israel. It's an absolute paradise. The sun kisses my skin as I walk a short five minutes to the bus stop. Leafy trees hang over the sidewalks, and round bumblebees lazily buzz around the flowers. The suburbs are quaint, and clean, and homey. I love it here. 

I'm planning on biking to the beach tomorrow to catch some rays. SO excited to feel the sand beneath my toes and dip into the turquoise water! 

This is Herzliya Beach, and that's me jumping into the waves

Til next time,

Counter-terrorist Californian Aubs