Five years ago. Can you picture it? Where were you five years ago? Who were you? Who did you want to be?

I can.

I was a teenager dreaming of the numerous ways I could take on this big, bad world. I had an abstract concept of who I was and no idea of who I wanted to be. All I knew was I didn’t belong where I was. Five years ago that dream came true because I got to spend the last semester of high school in a land far, far away. My home was to be Israel and I was to make all of these amazing friends. Those four months changed my life, suddenly I had a better idea of who I was, and some idea of who I wanted to be. I left Israel with the thought I’d be back some day, but I didn’t know some day would come during my five year anniversary.

When I decided to go to high school in Israel I forfeited my right to a Taglit Birthright trip. If you haven’t heard of it before, Taglit Birthright allows young adults from 18-26 to go to Israel for ten days for FREE. It’s this unique opportunity for people who have never been before. However, this past February Taglit decided to change its rules and I suddenly became eligible again. My best friend and I made a split second decision to apply for this past summer. Why not? It’s this free trip and even better, we’d be together. I’m not someone who’s thrilled with traveling with others, especially with big groups, but you can’t say no to free, right?

Okay, so some of you may be saying to yourself that I took advantage of the system. In some ways, maybe I did, but my experience over this summer made me look at Israel from a different set of goggles. The last time I was here it was all about being part of this big group and talking about your feelings. It was about living here and yet still feeling like tourists. It was a time when my best friend lived thirty seconds away but I wasn’t allowed to leave the kibbutz without my group. Birthright is still group travel. It’s still a set of rules to be followed, but it’s designed for an older crowd. It’s designed to have a bit more freedom and for you to ask new questions.

I didn’t see new places with my group, other than the restaurants we visited (I was on a culinary trip). However, I saw them through new goggles. I watched all of my new friends see these places for the first time, experience the new tastes and go through the culture shocks. I was there for their first falafel and when they got lost in the shuk. I felt like a tourist and a native at the same time. I already knew the twists that were coming. I knew how beautiful the sunrise at Masada would be. I knew what to expect and yet I didn’t.

I had come into Birthright thinking I’d be miserable. When I was here during high school, we all hated the Birthright crowds that came through our kibbutz. They were loud, rowdy people who didn’t even give us the time of day. We just wanted them to leave and have our kibbutz to ourselves. Honestly, my group was probably a bit rowdy at times and maybe I didn’t love the experience while I was having it, but looking back at it I’m glad I did it. I know a lot of people who say Birthright isn’t for them for one reason or another. I understand there are a lot of reasons to dislike Birthright, but speaking as someone who did, don’t turn your back on such a unique opportunity. To those people reading this who are considering Birthright, do it. It may be a bit rushed, you may not get any sleep, but it’s something you will never forget.

You’re never going to forget the first time you see the sunrise at Masada. You won’t forget feeling the Red Sea on your feet for the first time. You won’t forgot your amazement at the complex and complicated city of Jerusalem. You’re never going to forget how you felt just simply being at the Western Wall for the first time. I promise you, take the leap because before you know it you’ll be on the plane home craving your next adventure to this amazing land.

(Okay, so maybe my plane ride was to Paris after Birthright, but I still know what that plane ride feels like and trust me it’s a hard one).

Where is your next adventure to?

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