Throughout our time in Israel, I kept listening to one song over and over again. It was an obscure Jason Mraz song, deep in his library, entitled "Dream Life of Rand McNally." It wasn't for any reason in particular except that I really enjoy the song. It didn't carry any special meaning, and I'm still not quite sure what he's singing about. In fact, I'm a huge fan of Jason Mraz and I couldn't tell you what a single lyric to any one of his songs mean. But now, listening to it again in my state of decompression, one of the lines is sticking with me, something I can really relate to my experience in Israel:
"But one more thing before I go//There's never been any place quite like this home//For once in a lifetime baby, I'd be foolish not to stay"
It's hard to encapsulate all my feelings about Israel and our trip into one blog post, so I'm going to let that lyric do most of my talking, but I'll give some more analysis a shot. Throughout the trip, Rabbi Levi kept reiterating to us a lesson that taught that everybody has a deeper side to them, an inner crust that you rarely see. It was a lesson that stuck with me throughout the entire trip, and led me to fully appreciate Israel and the heart of our birthright experience.
I've long lived according to the philosophy that it's not about what you're doing, but who you do it with. A place, however beautiful it is, is only so much so as the people you travel with, and who you share these experiences with. I came into this trip with trepidation. Did I want to be with so many people from Binghamton? I was kind of looking for a more diverse crowd. Would this be okay? It didn't take long for me to realize that yes, it would be okay. In fact, it would be better than any other crop of kids and staff on any other birthright trip. Israel was made by the people I traveled with and every single student, soldier, and staff member gave me something to remember and take back with me from Israel.
Would rafting on the Jordan River have been fun if Allie didn't narrate the experience in a British accent? Would our bus rides have been as entertaining if Jason wasn't taunting our Israeli staff on the microphone? Would Yad Vashem have been as meaningful if Rachel and Greg didn't share stories of survival from their own families? Would our night out in Tel Aviv and day in the Kotel been as fun if it wasn't Alexa's and Kat's birthdays? Would we have learned as much if Jeff wasn't constantly contesting everything we were taught?
You could answer yes to all of these questions, but if you did, then you didn't have the experience I had. All 39 students, eight soldiers, Robbie, Shir, Ruth, Rabbi Levi, Shira, and Ronen added something special to this trip. I can't explain how fortunate I feel to have traveled with such an amazing cast of characters.
So here I sit in my living room, just me and my dog Scrappy, still decompressing from our 11-hour flight. With a whole lot of new friends, a changed perspective, and an amazing 10-day experience under my belt, I sit tired (surprised?), but satisfied. I hope too much time doesn't go by before I get to sit under the Mediterranean sun in our homeland again.
ב"ה