So the holidays flew by and I had the opportunity to go to Israel in the month of January and kick off 2009 in an incredible way! It was one of those once in a life time experiences... so very hard to put words to the whole experience, other than saying, "It was AMAZING!"
Just to give you an idea of what the day to day was like, we traveled by bus all over the country, stayed at a total of 4 hotels, at each one we had 3 to a room. On the bus: 37 American participants in Taglit-Birthright Program all ages 22-26 from Los Angeles, 8 Israeli soldiers there to share the experience with us, 2 group leaders from LA employed by Birthright to make sure the trip goes smoothly, 1-2 Israeli armed guards (quantity depending on our location- in the North and Jerusalem we had to have more), one amazing profession tour guide, and hilarious bus driver. All 50 of us were on and off that bus like 12 times a day, and each time we boarded we had to "count off" to make sure we weren't forgetting anyone.
We visited sites such as Golan Heights, floated in the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, stayed in Bedouin camps, rode camels, climbed Masada...and so much more. It was often the moments in between the moments that I learned the most or had the personal connections. A highlight was visiting the Holocaust Museum and dancing with Holocaust Survivors. There is so much to say about the people, the state, the situation, the amazing beauty of the country...a quick blog is just my attempt to share the other side of Israel that is not often shown on CNN.
And now...back on the road, new and exciting leadership products for 2009, more conferences, friends and memories to be made.
