2 Weeks!!

Hey all!!

Hope your holidays were wonderful, mine sure was.

I spent time with my family at our Hanukkah party, not all of my cousins were there but it was still great to be with everyone, and talk about my Israel plans.

I got some great presents (all for Israel!!); a new camera, a purse, a dress for Shabbat when I am there, an appointment to get a hair cut. All things that I really need, and considering that I am already going to Israel which is expensive in itself, I didn't get a large amount of gifts, which I am very OK about.

I have also been spending time with my friends. A lot of hanging out at peoples houses, chillin, and talking about the past semester. All of my friends are going to miss me, but I assured them that I will have SKYPE and facebook, and that they can send me messages any time. I think that they also know that this means a lot to me and my future and I know that I have their full support.

My friend Samar has also been coming over and helping me with my packing. She tells me all the things that I REALLY need to bring, instead of the things that I want to bring. It was an hours worth of me saying "Sam, I need to bring a pair of comfy black pants," and then she would say "EM!!, we already put aside 2 pairs of comfy pants, and a pair of sweatpants for you, you don't need any more," and of course I would give her a sad face, and say "but these are different!!" she would then proceed to throw me a dirty look and I would just laugh and say "OK FINE!!." I have a feeling I am going to thank her later, because we actually got a lot done, and I feel OK about my packing arrangements.

I know that I will also have my friend Kristina to come over and help me with actually putting my clothes and such into those space bag things, of which my mom likes to call "shrinky dinks." This is probably the best part of all of this, my friends telling me to do one thing and my mom questioning it, and then ending up agreeing with my friends instead of her own daughter, it's been pretty funny, and I am saving every moment I can.

I hope that everyone had a great holiday, and I will write again soon!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

xoxoxo

Emfish

Only 3 more weeks!!!

Hey All!!!
So this is the first time I have ever done a blog, it is very weird and I will probably not do very well with it..hehe..but I am soo very excited that I get to share my experience with the people that I love, and are so proud of all that I have accomplished before going on the most fulfilling journey of my life. So let's get started!!
Wagner College wanted me to answer some questions on as to some of my feelings before going to Israel, and once I have finished those I will get to some good stuff!!

1) My fears: I would say that the only fear I have is being away from home. It is different when I am at school and I can contact my mom or dad or friends if I really need them, but in Israel I don't know how much I am going to be able to talk to the people that help me through any homesickness that I would be having. Yes, I will have the Internet (obviously), and snail mail, and so on, but it's not the same as an hour long conversation, talking in depth about what I have been up to.
I have no fear of terrorism, or violence, and I definitely do not have fear of not knowing anyone in Israel. I have family in Jerusalem, and A LOT of close friends near by that I will be hangin out with.
2)Expectations: I don't know what my true expectations are at this point. I obviously want to have a good time. I want to put myself right into the culture,and learn as much as I can. I am going to be taking some great classes involving Israel's history through the arts, and I will be learning as much as I can as far as the religious aspects of Israel. I will learn the language, and hopefully come back to the states with a new frame of mind. Other then that, I feel that if I have too many expectations I will be disappointed, and at this point I want to take things as they come, and try new things.
3)What I will miss: I guess the things that I will miss about school are my friends, especially my roommate who has been there for me every step of the way (I LOVE YOU SARAH!!), I will miss my Towers Ladies, Earth Floor Gang, Theatre Friends, and others that I have met alond the way. I will definitely miss NYC, and the rush it gives me when I step off the Ferry (that could also be motion sickness, but I don't know for sure anymore). As far as missing the U.S. I will miss not being around for Obama's first true steps of being our new President, but I am sure I will still be informed why in Israel. It is honestly hard for me to say what I will miss of the states as a whole, I am sure there are many things, and the people that truly know me will probably know exactly what I will miss.
4)How will Study Abroad change me: I don't really know. I could say it will make me a mature adult, but then again I already think that I am. Or that I will learn more about another country that I have never truly learned about, but again I have been to Israel twice already. I believe that change will come when it wants to. I am sure that I am going to have experiences that will change my mindset about the culture in Israel, or even me. I don't like to think that I will change because that seems like such a black and white discussion. I think that the only way of know if Study Abroad will change me is if the people that I love see a change in me that I don't see.

That's all for know, I will probably write again very soon, and I hope that everyone will enjoy the things that I have posted now, and will enjoy in the future.
Happy Holidays!!!

xoxoxoxo
EmFish