Welcome to Ben-Gurion International Airport!
So, here we are. Our first day in Israel!! After a fairly long flight and an annoying delay at JFK we arrived to begin our trip through the country. The group is made up of participants mostly from the Chicago area, with the exception of a couple that grew up elsewhere. Once we all met each other and started to get to know one another, we quickly learned that there were more connections than just being from Chicago. Breaking down the composition of the group a bit more, there are several sets of siblings, a few of us that are part of the same undergraduate fraternity (we didn’t know that we were going to be on this trip together until we met at the airport). Some went to University of Illinois, some DePaul and there are even a few of us that went to The Ohio State University. Yes, there have been a few jokes. I am sure that lasting friendship will be cultivated during our ten day exploration.
Once we arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, we proceeded through passport control where the group received their official welcome from the government with a stamp for entry in their passports. It’s a pretty awesome sight to see the vast number of people entering the country. Once we got our luggage, we continued out to where the tour buses wait - but not before meeting up with a group of awesome Israelis that will be joining us for the duration of our trip. We quickly boarded our bus for another three hour ride to the North of the country to a kibbutz in the Golan. It will be interesting to see how everyone acclimates to the hot weather. Everyone is in good spirits and we are all looking forward to start exploring the country.
On a personal note, it’s amazing being on this trip with a group of very energetic Americans ready to learn about the history and culture of our ancestors. That’s about it for now. With many more editions to come, I’m sure that the entries will be increasingly interesting as we pack more and more activities into our days.
- Ian Y.
