10 things I love about you.

Internet, you are completely, horrendously, overdue for some Israel posts. And a complete and detailed play by play is coming soon, I swear! But in the meantime, I am going to fondly reminisce about all the people, places, and things I miss most about Israel, and am going to try to avoid posting about absolutely everything. Because truly, I miss utterly everything.
Now that I have made three separate grammatical errors, I will continue quickly with the listing before my OCD notices.

*I am 89.9% sure I stole this idea from Becca Greenberg.

1. These people. Each and every one of them. I am planning an epic quest to visit every person in this shot, whether they like it or not. Seriously some of the most amazing people I have every met, and every one is special and fabulous in their own way. I wish we didn’t all live so far away!

Toronto Hillel-1, the Dream Team.

2. The streets & alleyways.

Flea market in Jaffa.

3. The food- some Israeli food, I should say. I think I could do without ever having raw fish for breakfast again.

Israeli breakfast: cornflakes, orange "drink", omelette, chocolate spread, and of course cottage cheese.

I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as this falafel.

In part because we were doing so much physical activity, and in part because we are bottomless pits, we developed a strategy to ward off the midday munchies and save money at the same time (we are Jews, after all). We packed sandwiches everyday from whatever was on the breakfast table and stashed them away in the bus for later.

Becca cleverly keeps her sandwich intact with a hair elastic.

Becca & I nom some delicious falafel.

4. The strength. Within its short history, the land and the people of Israel have faced so much hardship and yet show so much hope and strength.

Independence Hall.

A few of our amazing IDF soldiers and friends.

Rabin Square, at the site of the assassination.

Graves at the military cemetery, Mt. Hertzl.

5. This. Just everything about this.

Lisa makes her way down the concrete ramp.

6. The land. Just look at all these vistas!

Israel at the Syrian border.

On a hike in the Golan Heights.

Camel-riding in the Judean Desert.

View from Mount Masada.

Mountains in Eilat on our 4am sunrise hike.

7. The Vagina Palace. I love these girls so much, and I miss them more and more every day. Except for the turd. I’m stuck with her forever.

Family photo.

8. The history.

The Wailing Wall at the Kotel in Jerusalem.

Davidson Archaeological Gardens in Jerusalem.

9. Raptoring absolutely everywhere!

VP raptoring on our hike.

Raptoring in front of raptor! In the Golan Heights.

Becca & I perform a New Years raptor.

10. Falling in love.