Preparing for the Experience of a Lifetime
From the moment I took my black luggage bag out of the closet and began to pack, the nerves were upon me. I didn't know what to expect, and my heart beat through my shirt from both excitement and expectation every time I thought about getting on that plane to Tel Aviv-Yafo. Even having a friend with me on the trip, I felt a strange nervousness.
That all changed the moment I stepped off the plane and saw the excited faces of the Israeli's who would be joining me on the trip and the beautiful landscape that peaked through the windows of the airport. As soon as we stood in that circle, jumping around and singing "Achim...Achim...Achim Achim Achim!" I knew that this would be a different kind of adventure, and I knew that our group was going to be amazing. If there is one thing I can take away from this trip, it is the camaraderie and the friendship, the brotherhood and the sisterhood that exists between every member of our group. As far as I know, there are five nationalities on this trip: American, Canadian, Israeli, Argentinian and Bolivian, but if you didn't know any better you'd think we all came from the same neighbourhood, having lived next door to eachother for years. That is really and truly how strong the bonds are between the members of our group. And it's only been 6 days too. I can't imagine how emotional I'm going to be when I have to get back on that plane and head home to Toronto. As much as I love my family and my friends back home, I can honestly say that I never want this experience to end. I am confident that I signed up for the best possible Birth-Rite trip, with the best possible people, the best possible activities and the best possible leaders. I'm not just saying that either. When I talked to some of the other Birth-Rite groups out in the city, they seemed shocked at how great ours seemed. Not only do our Israeli's stay with us for longer than almost any group I've talked to, but our activities and our friendship just seem far and above better than what they have going on. I don't want to diss any of the other groups, but I'm sorry, you signed up for the wrong trip. The cuts and scrapes all over my body from taking a tumble during our bike trip are not going to be a negative memory for me. In fact, they don't even hurt. Instead, they are just some of the few reminders of the amazing things I have experienced on this trip. Every moment is a beautiful photo opportunity, or a challenging race, or a life-changing moment. And as I sit here watching Benji and Rachel shake and grind down the aisles of our bus, I know in my heart, my soul and my body that this ten day adventure will live in my mind as the greatest experience of my life for a long time to come.
Caleb
