The Journey Begins...
As we arrived at the airport, it was hard to know what to expect. For most of us, this was our first trip to Israel. More importantly, for most of us it was our first time on El Al (and boy is that an experience!). Luckily, only 3 members of our group had to experience El Al's infamous "extra security"; let's just say the next time we saw them, they were already on the plane in their seats. 10 hours later (and 2 delicious meals in our stomachs), we stretched our legs and took our first steps on the "Holy Land". While no one dropped to the ground and started kissing the floor, the feelings and emotions we experienced when we (or at least us bloggers) arrived in Israel were unlike many others we've dealt with in the past. We exited the terminal and collected our luggage from the baggage claim (and thank goodness all our bags made it in there). After a quick bathroom break, the group walked out into the main area of the airport where we were greeted with Shorashim cheers, met our Israeli companions, and literally danced in circles in the middle of the terminal. We took care of the basics--having a snack, getting our rented cell phones (for those who chose to do that), and changing money--and then boarded the bus. Our journey is about to begin, and what a journey it will be.
Stay tuned, folks--we'll be here all week.
-The Bus (SH-22-440) Bloggers
Hebrew phrase of the day: Anachnu mitga-ageyim alechem ("We miss you!")