DREAM

I swear I was gone all summer.  But, somehow that whole experience seems unreal. I have pictures of being there, but as I'm laying in my OWN bed (hallelujah) i think back on what i was doing and where i was doing it just 10 days ago. i was halfway around the world. and i was there for a long time. maybe not long to an RM, but long to me especially since it wasn't in utah or california, or anywhere remotely familiar.  being home is good.  it's like i never left. that's what i love about my home.  i come back and it's so comfortable, so easy.

i'm leaving for utah in a week! here's to year numero quatro at byu.  have i really been there that long?

and that's how it's done

i'm done.
no more field trips.
no more finals.

the past 2 days have been filled with walking, walking, and more walking around jerusalem as we've focused on the last week of Christ's life.  This has been the richest experience of my life.

I have one last free day tomorrow. i'm taking pictures all over town.
I leave here at 2 AM tomorrow night. i guess that's technically thursday morning.

ma'asalaame al-quds

8 days

we had our last out of jerusalem field trip to masada, ein gedi, the dead sea, and qumran
it was 115 degrees and 90% humidity
i almost died. almost.
i had a free dead sea scrub, i saw the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found (qumran), i hiked (again) the wilderness that David hid in from Solomon (ein gedi), and i was so hot that i didn't pay attention to what was said at Masada. 

I'm nearly done with all my shopping. Finals are the next big thing and those will be done in 2 days.  

The BYU arabic students arrived and they're staying for a few days. it's really refreshing to see new faces.  it's also really weird to see new faces.  

i got an email from my Anatomy supervisor. Luckily i've got 2 weeks at home to read anatomy while i lay out, but still, school- real school- is already coming this fast? where did my summer go? i didn't have a real summer. i had the most intense, non-relaxing summer of my life. it's been EXTRA good, but it was not relaxing in any way, shape, or form.  I feel overwhelmed.  i'd rather not spend the majority of my september with dead guys.   

petra

i spent 4 days in jordan. 2 in petra and 2 in amman. some highlights included:

a turkish bath- i sat in a steam room for 45min+ then had some young jordanian guy pour buckets of water over me. i was only wearing a measly little sheet. interesting experience to say the least.
petra- this place is stunning! we hiked all day..i bought jewelry from the bedouins there. i rode a horse coming out of the siq- the famous canyon that opens up to the treasury (the main picture you have in your head when you think of petra. if you have ever really thought about petra). the rock there is... inspiring. really. i want to paint and paint and paint until i can't paint any longer.
big macs- now, i'm not a huge mickey dees  fan, but leaving the country for a few months really does something to you. is it ironic that the first big mac i've ever tried i bought in jordan? yes, it is. and i really like big macs for the record.

some lowlights included:

finding 3 bugs in my sheets at the hotel we stayed at in amman. 
using "toilets" that were just holes in the ground at jerash and petra.
no fresh fruit.


 jordan is really a beautiful country.  i love the rolling hills and the calm vibe it has. jerusalem can be so chaotic and tense. i still can't believe that i've spent an entire summer over here.

happy birthday you

i'm 21.
i feel so legitimate.
when i was 18 i remember wanting to take a trip with some friends. i can't even remember where it was to, but i just remember being so annoyed that i couldn't go because my parents said i was too young.  i asked them what the magic age was when i'd be able to do anything i wanted. they told me 21. since you know 21 is so old and wise and mature. you couldn't possibly do anything stupid at 21. but, really, 21 is a big birthday. at least to me.

now it's here!  special thanks to the fam back at home for the bday cards. i've had such a fun day with good friends. earlier today we had a field trip to one of herod the great's palaces called herodion and then we went to shepherd's field which is in bethlehem.  we had a little nativity program there. christmas in july AND on my birthday- what a good combo!! then a group of us went to west jerusalem- ben yehuda street- and i got a belgian waffle with caramel, whip cream, lemon mint gelato and  a special 21 year old lemon gelato. i promise it was so good.  mint lemon and caramel are a good combo. serious.

then i danced on the street to these guys playing drums with this random israeli who had a broken arm and a bunch of tatoos

this has been the most memorable birthday of all 21 of my birthdays. it was a perfect way to also celebrate the beginning of the end of a very unique summer.

today

i'm not buying a nativity here, but i am buying wise men. i just like what the wise men represent. to me they are symbols of those who are constantly searching for Christ. They want to find Him and when they do they bring him their most precious gifts.  so i bought two sets of wise men.  

sometimes i feel guilty that i'm buying only 2 of everything, like i should by 6 of everything. one for my parents and the other 5 for amber, brett, ben, greg, and me.  but i'm only buying 2- one for me and one for my mom. i just don't think anyone else would really care to have the same stuff i've bought here. we're not a big souvenir family. except for my  mom. and since i'm the one who lived here i have to get this stuff for me, right?

i sat in an old monastic cloister today.
my toms are falling apart. i think that's good though- what better place to have shoes fall apart than walking around israel?
i bought a shawarma today. i can't decide if i like shawarmas or falafels better...
falafels are SO good, but they have a really strong flavor
shawarmas are SO good, but they lack the falafelness of a falafel
i don't think this debate will ever be fully settled.
 but, today was definitely a shaWARMa day.

a piece of my mind

if this were a mission i'd be what you call trunky.

my brother, greg, is unbelievably gifted with the guitar and his voice. he definitely has had a huge influence on me and i'm so glad to be his little sister. why do you think i wanted to learn to play guitar in the first place? love you greg

the fleet foxes are like medicine. real good medicine.

i need a good massage and a good chiropractor.

i'm going to Gethsemane tomorrow.
and i'm going to the 3rd temple museum- it's a jewish museum about their 3rd temple in case you didn't catch that. yeah, you probably don't know what that is- i had no idea about this til i got here and took a class on it. well, let me give you a brief explanation.  the jews had a temple that was destroyed during the babylonian seige in 6th century BC. then they rebuilt a 2nd one that the romans sacked in about 66AD. they're still planning out the 3rd temple, but they're planning on blowing up the dome of the rock to do so. i'm going to go find out all about it tomorrow.

i'm turning 21 in 5 days. in jerusalem. where i've been living for the past 3 months. WOW

sycamore nuts aren't as good as roasted almonds.
the candy isn't as good as the dried fruit at the souk. 
also, every chocolate candy has wafer in it. who decided that was a good idea?

but, the dark chocolate here is amazing. and the chocolate bar with pop rocks in it.