As a young child, my parents made a point to introduce me to foreign cultures and languages either through travel, books, photos, or videos. This early onset brought with it a great burning desire to learn about foreign peoples, their lives, and their countries. The desire was quenched through history, anthropological, and language classes. However, I wanted something more. I wanted to experience what I had learned first-hand and have personal contact for more than a week with someone of a different ethnicity. This is when I first obtained the idea, the idea to study abroad when I went to college.
My first year at Brigham Young University held little room for any thought of a study abroad. New to college classes, I was buried in papers, readings, quizzes, and exams. It wasn't until the summer before my sophomore year that I first looked into studying abroad. In the beginning, I was geared toward going to Spain. However, with the class load I needed to take, I couldn't leave in the Winter, the only semester I could go with my Spanish experience. My dad then suggested I look into Jerusalem. With the idea of living in the Holy Land for over three months on my mind, I started the application process.
It wasn't until December 12, 2010, that I received the status of my application. I had been home with my family for the weekend and had come down to hear my older sister play the piano in church. I stopped by my apartment to check my mail on the way to her apartment, and there was the envelope in my mailbox. The size was a dead giveaway of my acceptance, but I was still afraid to open it. Once I met up with the rest of my family, I carefully slit open the white envelope. Shakily pulling out the papers, I glanced down at the first sentence: "Dear Michelle, you have been accepted..." My stomach did a flip and my heart began to beat rapidly. I had been accepted. To Jerusalem.
I leave for Tal Aviv on April 26, 2011. I have 97 days left to prepare for the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to live in a foreign country for close to four months among people I know little about. This blog has been created to record my adventures while in and around Israel... Let the games begin!
