Well, my bags are packed

Well, my bags are packed and I’m very ready to go.  Sitting in the airport in Philly I’ve spent more time waiting for planes than I have on them and I’m just ready to go in two hours!  I’ve got a phone number (but no phone yet) and I’ve got directions to Aunt Shirah’s house upon arrival, and I have a bag just barely under 50 pounds and two more carry ons… you can never take too many clothes, right?  Cause that’s literally all I packed.  Clothes and a hair straightener and nail polish but no toiletries and some awesome books that I’m super excited to read on the plane over (I crashed before we even took off on the plane to Philly so let’s hope this one is a little more productive).  I realized I left all my photos at home which is really frustrating because I’m such a photo person but worse things could have happened, like, at least I have my passport!  

Instead of going straight to Jerusalem to my apartment and meeting my 26 year old Israel roommate, David, I’m making a stop in Moshav Kfar Rut, a second home for me in Israel.  A Moshav is a small community neighborhood in Israel and my aunt and uncle were founding families on this one, and my aunt has decided to take me to a Kurdish pre-wedding Henna party on the Moshav.  I figure that will be a great introduction to my six weeks here, some nice time with aunt Shirah, and a fun blog post, if nothing else.  Let’s hope that goes smoothly and the bride-to-be allows me to get some cool Henna done and take some photos.  Maybe I'll do something on my foot to match cousin Mikki's real tattoo!  

--picture of the last time I got Henna would be here if the internet at the airport was not so awful--

I’ve applied to a trip to the West Bank, I’m in the planning stages of a trip to Petra, and on Friday morning I gotta wake up early and get on my feet to meet up with the Columbia Fellowship in Israel I’m a part of even though I missed their first two events.  Things are looking good, adventures are ready to be had, I’ll be seeing solider bro Jonah when he’s off from the army in a week, and I’m starting to hear kids in Terminal A scream “Ima Ima” so I know I’m in the right place.

Stay in touch, friends and family!  L'hitraot (see you later)!