Tel Aviv and Jet Lag... What a daymare!

So, I've been in Tel Aviv for about 2 days and I have to say that I am totally messed up. That first day I "napped" from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm and boy and i having regrets! Not that I could have done it any differently without an alarm clock...

Both nights so far I have slept from 12:30 until 3:30... about the reverse time of my usual day nap when I didn't get enough sleep the night before. And all day I've been falling asleep... or almost falling asleep. In the very least, i've been totally lethargic and can't move from like 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning until at least 4:00 in the afternoon.

On a happier note- Last night was my really good friend's wedding. It was soo exciting!! She is the first one of my friends who are really my age to get married. I had tears in my eyes when I saw her (also because I didn't get to see her the whole summer) and I cried during the chuppah... My friend was so beautiful, she looked so happy, and I'm sooooo happy for her! She deserves every bit of that happiness! Poo poo poo...

I can't explain what the difference was being that she is a good friend... but it was all so personal. It was so different even from Sarah's wedding in the sense that- when Sarah got engaged and married, i didn't feel that it affected my 'marriageable age status' because she chose to get married so young and I am still on the younger end of things. But when my friend got married, and I was looking around to all my other friends who are dating and wishing to be married too, I thought to myself- "am I missing something?" "So is this it? is this what we're all going to be doing now?"

lol- and as all you facebookers may have seen, i traveled alone by buses to the wedding and back so I was very nervous about getting lost, so I asked for people to say a perek of Tehillim for me b/c it was sooo bound to happen. And the prayers worked and Hashem sent people to guide me at every step of the trip. So thanx to whoever said those prakim of Tehillim. :)

Tonight I go back to Jerualem and school. I am very excited to be back. (yawn) And I can't think of anything more to say but i'm trying not to fall asleep so i should write more. Maybe i'll go finish packing up to go to Jerusalem.

Thanx for reading everyone! Imy"H i'll keep updating when I can!

Love, Shayne

Back To Israel

9-4-11

I said goodbye to Mindy about an hour and a half ago and I am now sitting at the gate in JFK… I want to send a shout out to the JJ and Adeena Weiss famly in Far Rockaway NY for hosting me over the weekend.

My flight is a 7 hour trip that will become 12 by the time I get to London. In London I will hang out at the airport and entertain myself for 12 hours. I’ll let you know all about that when it happens J

In general- I am calm. I have everything I need and I know what I am doing. In about 36 hours, I will be in Tel Aviv.

9-5-11

I am in London and yet I haven't left the airport. In my way of thinking, it's not really worth getting lost and missing my flight to Tel Aviv for 8 hours spent touring around a country I have absolutely no interest in. I mean, if there was something arranged and it was safe to go, it would be cool to see things like Buckingham Palace and Big Ben.... but staying in the airport was good enough for me. I spent 4 out of the 12 hours hanging out in the bathroom... changing cloths, rearranging my carry-ons, etc. Spent an hour and a half getting a coffee and looking for wifi. 1 hour writing random stuff on my laptop. A half hour coloring in my coloring book- yes i have a coloring book :) A half hour touring the airport and the rest of the time reading a book I bought out of sheer desperation.

All in all, that was my London experience and soon I will be getting on a plane to Tel Aviv. Hurray!!

9-6-11

I have just gotten into Tel Aviv. Uncle Chaim picked me up from the airport and I am exhausted! I didn't sleep at all on the plane after take off... but I did sleep from boarding until take off :} which was about a whole of 25 minutes- maybe.

The important thing (YAWN) is that i'm here in Israel. I finally made it, safe and sound. Bad plane experiences and good ones. Annoying airport waits and stressful security checks. I'm here and I think i'm going to take a nap.

Traveling to New York

September 1, 7:40 a.m.

The sun is shining brilliantly through the giant airport windows of DCA, and the caffeine that is running through my veins has me alert and appreciating every moment of it. My first leg of the trip is done. I am now sitting in the D.C. airport at the gate for my next flight. On which I will be flying first class… J not because I booked a first class ticket… but because it ended up being cheaper than paying for 2 suitcases.

The plane I just got off of was a 12 row plane. That means 48 seats. Anyone who travels a lot will know that this is a small plane. When we deplaned, we walked down the cockpit stairway straight down onto the runway, the way you see the president always does on TV. It was very cool. Of my stay here, the only thing I learned about Washington D.C. is that there are a lot of trees… and Olympic sized pools. The gates are filled with kiosks and nice things for sale like any tourist spot. My next flight leaves in about an hour and a half...

September 2, 6:56 p.m.

The second flight was really nice and comfortable. First class is almost worth the extra money just for the bigger seats :) When i got into the airport Mindy picked me up and we went to her house in Far Rockaway which is where i am now and will be staying until Sunday evening. Yesterday I went with her to Queens College and got to see the school campus while Mindy was in class. It was interesting how many different types of Jewish people went there and how they all interacted with one another.

New York is very different from Detroit and its an experience being here... even more than going to the catskills for 2 months. It's something i would have to get used to.

Have a Great Shabbos Everyone! I Love You!!

Shayne