Hey folks,
It's been awhile since the last post, first due to a lack of much to report and then due to a very busy past few days which has kept me from spending time in front of the good old computer.
Since my last post, I had to say a lot of goodbyes, some of them with a sigh of relief, and others with a heavy heart. The Oranim group that started their program in August completed their 5 month tenure and the majority have headed back to the U.S and Canada. With only 6 weeks left in my own program at the time of their departure, it made it quite difficult to have to say my farewells and now be adapting to the arrival of a new group and a new living situation. But mostly, I found it tough cause some of my closest friends were part of their group, especially two of my roommates who I shared a bedroom with for the past 3 and a half months. I know it might be awhile before I see them again and I've really enjoyed their friendship. I will cherish the memories of hookah sessions on the balcony overlooking the city, copious amounts of card games, bonfires at the beach, sharing good music, and just good ol' argument for sport with my roommate Zach. If you ever read this Zach, I reiterate that the Star Wars prequels' storylines cannot be compared to all classic literature!!!
After saying my goodbyes, I had my 9 days off from the program, free from volunteering and free to travel around the country. I spent a few days in Tel-Aviv with my cousin Shira and her husband Omer, enjoying great food, watching True Grit, and catching up on some well deserved sleep and then headed to Haifa for a few days to spend some time with my aunt and uncle, where I did pretty much more of the same and got their help in further prep for my trip to the far east. After that, I returned to Ashdod and spent some time with friends in the city. The original plan was to do a hike at the end of my week off, but after looking at the cost for my friend and I to travel and do the hike, it wasn't worth the 400 shekels for us so we chilled in the city instead. I watched a few more movies including The American, 127 Hours, Leaves Of Grass, and The Fighter, all highly recommended!
The past few nights I have been tossing and turning and having nightmares, although I can never remember what they're about when I wake up in the morning. I think this is due to fact that I have had some anxiety about having a new living situation so late in the program, the stress of moving, and I have been worrying about a job interview I had today for a summer camp job in Israel this summer. I also have penned-up anxiety about the fact that my future over the next 6 or 7 months is not completely planned out for me and this is new for me. I'm used to having a plan in life and there is an exploratory part of my brain that is incredibly excited for my trip to SEA, the adventures it will bring, and the memories it will provide me with, however, the OCD part of my brain nags at me about not knowing the date I'm heading home and not having a job, a place to live, or a reserve in my bank account when I finally do land in Vancouver.
Today was by far one of the craziest days I've had since leaving home so far! I started with 4 hours at school alone because my partner didn't show up and neglected to notify me or my teacher. This meant that the teacher gave me some extra students to alleviate their disappointment in not getting a private English block. Great for the kids, but more stress and work for me! I then headed back to the villa, packed up all of my stuff and moved it to my new apartment (amidst nagging from one of my program supervisors), had a shower and took off to Kefar Sava for my job interview with E-Camp. It takes a little over an hour to get from Ashdod to Tel-Aviv by bus, where I thought I was catching a bus straight to the offices for the interview. Unfortunately, there was some miscommunication and they neglected to tell me that the bus was from the train station and not the bus station. I talked to Information, and the woman seemed very helpful when I told her the address and wrote me the directions by bus. It was supposed to take about an hour and fifteen minutes to get there, but after an hour and a half, I was getting nervous. My interview was at 5:00PM and I got off the bus exactly on time, except it really didn't look right, mainly cause the bus driver assured me it was my stop and I was on a bridge on the highway! I called the office only to find out the woman at information was completely wrong and I had to take two buses back in the opposite direction and it would take me close to an hour. Thankfully, they were both understanding and apologetic for the bad directions, and I arrived at the interview chuckling and not too phased by the situation.
The interview went quite well and 8 hours, 9 buses, and 65 shekels later, I arrived safely back in Ashdod! I haven't had the chance to unpack yet, and I'm typing this late at night, but my head is swirling with thoughts about the day and the new start I have tomorrow. I'm now getting quite excited for my new roommates to show up, 4 girls from a new program coming from the US and the UK, and I already know my other two roommates 'cause they're from my own program. It's time for new beginnings and at this point in my life, that is something I'm embracing more than ever! I think I'll sleep well tonight...
Ciao for now,
Max
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