Life...GO!

 "Life goes by so fast, you only want to do what you think is right. Close your eyes and it's past, story of my life..."

-Social Distortion

Truer words have never been sung. My mom has always told me to relish my life while I was young, and I responded as most children do "sure, sure." I should've listened... I can't believe college is over, its shocking. It didn't hit me throughout graduation, all the goodbyes, finals, and even moving out that it was over. It was the drive out of Ithaca that did me in. I had no time to digest the transition, not even a free day in Ithaca after finals were over. My last final was on Tuesday at 1:30 pm and I immediately went up to my room, packed my car, and was on the road by 4:30pm. That was it. Yesterday, I drove down to NYC for my last meeting before my Aliyah, met my friend Bryan in PA, and drove down to Charleston; where I am now. 

In ten days I will be leaving the US to gain citizenship in the country of Israel. In the two weeks from when I arrive to when I start my ulpan I will need to visit numerous government offices to finalize my citizenship so I can begin my life in Israel. 

For those of you who know the following, please bear with me...

What I am doing is called "making aliyah." Aliyah in hebrew literally means "to go up." In Judaism when you get called to the torah, you are getting an Aliyah. I am "going up" physically and spiritually to live in the land of Israel. This is symbolic of course, as judaism usually is...

An ulpan is an intensive hebrew program that new immigrants (olim) use to network and get assimilated into Israeli culture, and of course learn hebrew. There are all different kinds of ulpanim (plural of ulpan), some are on a kibbutz (communal farm), at Universities, or full time living and learning like I'm doing. I will be living at Ulpan Etzion in Jerusalem studying hebrew 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 5 months. Everyone at the ulpan are post college singles from all over the world just like myself. It should be a great way to get started and make friends in Israel! The ulpan program starts on January 15th, two weeks after I arrive in Israel. 

There is much more to explain about my trip, but I will leave it for later. 

-Yonaton