Last year a few of my friends went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Israel through a program called Birthright. Each one came back saying it was a life changing experience. I didn’t understand how a 10 day trip could be life changing. This year I found out for myself.
I just returned from a trip to Israel sponsored by Birthright, an organization that sends thousands of young, Jewish adults to Israel every year. It truly was a life changing experience. Besides the customs, food and scenery I learned so much about how teens and young adults live in Israel. I also learned a lot about myself.
You can read and research as much as you want, but you will never learn more about something until you go and do it or see it. I am a 20-year-old Jewish girl and for the life of me if you asked me two weeks ago what it meant to be Jewish I would shrug my shoulders and maybe talk about Chanukka or eating Matza. But after 10 extensive days in Israel I have a better understanding of Judaism, my heritage and my people, and I understand a different way of life.
The biggest problem I am faced with weekly is turning in homework or studying for finals. It’s amazing what people the exact same age as me are dealing with in other parts of the world. In IsraeI I met so many people my age that are in the Army. After high school every single person goes into the Israeli Army. I met a number of people who are not Israeli that came to Israel specifically to join the Army. One boy from our Birthright group stayed behind to join and I knew a girl from my old high school in California that went to IsraeI also to join their Army. I was blown away at the difference in our life cultures and expectations of society, but also by the commitment and love people have toward Israel that would produce such a strong desire to serve the country.
I know I have a lot to learn about the world and this was just a start. It is easy to think that everyone has it so easy and simple like we do in America and it’s important that everyone sees first hand that we are really a fortunate country. In Israel there were places where the men and women had to be separated based on religious and cultural beliefs. I was never exposed to anything like that before. It got me to wondering what types of customs other countries might have and I realized there’s a great big world out there to explore. I’ve also become more aware that the world doesn’t revolve around me anymore. It did when I was younger and I expected it would always be that way. But I’ve learned to open my eyes and see the world as a huge and beautiful place with lots of places to explore. As Gustave Flaubert said “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”
As college students we have many opportunities to travel and we should take advantage of every one of those opportunities. Don’t wake up one morning, years from now, and think about what you should have done while you were young. Grab a backpack and go! Travel. Meet new people, try new foods. Broaden your views of the world and better yourself as a person. In a couple of weeks I’m off on a road trip to see more of America – Bryce National Park, Aspen, Colorado Springs, Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park. And next summer I plan to study abroad in Italy. I hope this is just the start of my travels!
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide.
Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone forces you to grow and do things you never thought you could do. No matter what anyone says traveling betters you as a person
