I can't believe my one year's study in Israel had come to an end. It felt just like last week when I arrived in Jerusalem. Wasn't it just a few days ago when I went shopping in the chaotic Mahene Yehuda Market? Didn't I just introduce myself as a new student in film school? Now the year has come and gone so fast. I will never forget you Israel, my friends, and what God did for me while studying in the Holy Land.
As I embraced my four dearest friends for the last time at the airport, I knew this would probably be the last time I would see them. These four guys stuck with me through thick and thin over the year, and I will always be grateful for them. It was time for a new adventure now: the return home.
After an 11 hour plane flight from Tel Aviv, Israel to JFK, New York. I was so thankful to stretch my legs again, but not for 12 hours. Yes, that's right...I had a 12 hour overlay in New York. So what did I do? Well, I picked up my guitar and laptop, and I caught a train that ran to Manhattan. The first few hours were spent sight seeing. For the first time I experience ground zero, Ellis Island, and the Empire State Building. The last few hours were spent eating...McDonalds. Oh yes...after a year being out of the country, McDonald seemed almost the patriotic thing to do.
Once my flight touched down in Portland, OR, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of everything. I forgot how green and plush the Pacific Northwest is. The yellow sand and red sunset desert memories began to mix with green water fountains of trees and grass. I was back home. When culture shock just began to settle in, I saw the most friendly, familiar faces in the whole world. My family!
