Where dates grow on trees.

I can’t even begin to describe what is happening right now.  I’m still kind of in awe at where I am and what I get to do for the next few months.  

I’ll start somewhat towards the beginning.  The process of getting to Israel was somewhat long and difficult, it seemed like we were traveling forever.  After four flights and layovers I was thrilled to finally arrive in Tel Aviv.  What was somewhat less thrilling was the fact that I arrived in Tel Aviv with no luggage.  What makes the finding process a little more difficult is that it could be in any of the four major airports that I made my way through to get here.  Here’s to praying that it will come soon, because mooching razors, shampoo, socks, and toothpaste only stays a fun get-to-know-you game for so long.  Luckily, past students have left clothes here to be donated via church humanitarian services so we can use those while we are waiting for our own cloths.  Unluckily, I wear the most impossible sizes, I guess no one who wears a 29/30 wants to donate pants.  

Anyways, the first night we got here we took a tour around the center and tried to get acquainted with this amazing building.  More on that later.  Sister Harris was my tour guide, she and her husband live up in Tiberius and come down for major events, like our arrival.  She is awesome and I was lucky enough to have her give me a tour of the city today.  Later that night we had to stay awake and go meet with our professors and listen to the first school day syllabus talks...let me just say that they could probably make a Survivor challenge modeled after that.  Make the contestants travel for 24 hours, change to opposite time zones and then have them try and stay awake while learning about the syllabus.  Impossible.  To be fair all of the professors that I have met so far are incredible, both academically and personally.  They are all very welcoming and nice.  After that, we went to our rooms to “unpack” its a relatively easy thing to do when you have nothing, so I went to bed.

This morning we woke and ate breakfast (the food is amazing here, I will definitely be able to get used to this gourmet restaurant feeding me breakfast lunch and dinner) then we had some more orientation meetings before we had our first walk to and through the city.  I was amazed at everything around me.  Everything is so close, it looks like a long ways away, but its just a short walk and you are at Damascus gate, ready to get your Israel on.  I would discuss what its like, and I will, but I feel like I should wait until I’m even more acquainted with what its like.  We just did a basic get your bearings type thing.  So more on that later, but the city is incredible, its just old and awesome.  Anyways, I’ll write more later and hopefully at some point I can put up pictures, but class starts tomorrow and so I thought I’d get the intro out there so I can write about the cool stuff later.

I’ll end with a quote and possible new slogan for this program from today’s city walk.  “BYU Jerusalem, where dates grow on trees.”  I think thats probably pretty accurate.  

Anyways, things are going well, and I’m loving it.  You can call me Spence (my mandated Jerusalem nickname) or Spencer, but don’t call me Shirley.