JERUSALEM

I had never been out of the country before, but now I live here.

It's so strange to be here, but at the same time I feel really at home. A few things about this place:

It's really hilly here. When we flew into Tel Aviv a few days ago, the land was really flat, but once we got to Jerusalem there were all these hills and valleys. It's pretty, but it's not so fun when you have to walk to the Old City or West Jerusalem.

There are a million stairs. And not just in the center, where we have to go up 3 flights of stairs just to eat in the cafeteria, but in the city as well. I'm hoping I come home in really good shape.

I love the Jerusalem Center more than any building in the world. You can look out of any window and see a great view of the Old City and West Jerusalem.

Even our classrooms have a great view, which can make it hard to concentrate on learning.

Prayer calls go off at all hours of the day (even at 4:30 in the morning), and everyone thinks they're just so cool.

Jerusalem is different than I thought it would be. But in a good way. I guess I thought it would be like it was in Christ's time, and the Old City kind of is, but it is more modern than I thought. There are Orthodox Jews and Devout Muslims dressed traditionally, markets that look like the ones in Aladdin, and Jesus sandals all over, but there are also regular people in regular (sometimes stylish) clothes, cars and buses, street performers and shops that sell gelato...it's pretty neat to see the two different worlds just streets apart.

I love it here and I've only been here 3 days.