Abby is going to Israel?!

Yes! I am! Finally I will be returning to that little country, 6,000 miles away, where I spent the best summer of my life six years ago. For those of you who don't know, I went to Israel for about five weeks in the summer of 2008. I was a part of Nitzanim, a group led by Young Judaea. We hiked through the Negev and up Masada, explored Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, went snorkeling in the Mediterranean, floated in the Dead Sea, and experienced as much of Israel as possible. Ever since then I have always said I wanted to go back, the question was when.

As my senior year of college began this past August, I knew that the real world was coming for me. Questions started running through my head; What do I do after I graduate? I am getting a degree in MUSICAL THEATRE; What was I thinking? Where do I go from here? As I thought about the answers to these questions, I realized I had no idea...and promptly freaked out. In the midst of my stressing and worrying, my mom forwarded an email to me about Onward Israel Cincinnati, a program which brings American college students (and recent graduates) to Israel to work as interns for two months. (Thanks Mom) I read all of the information and immediately recognized this incredible opportunity. This could be an answer to at least one of my questions!

I quickly applied, and soon found out that I had been accepted into the program. From there I was assigned an internship coordinator who helped me to find my incredible internship at Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv. (This is where my minor in marketing comes in.) I will be working with Batsheva on the planning and logistics of their international tours along with other fun tasks. Needless to say, I am excited! This time in Israel I will be an adult, and I will be living in an apartment in Tel Aviv. It is going to be a completely different experience than the last time I was there. Living walking distance from the Mediterranean Sea doesn't suck either. Now, just to clarify, I am not the only intern coming from Cincinnati. I will be traveling with 24 other students from Cincinnati. We are leaving on June 8, just a little over a week away!

This blog will be a way for all of you to get a taste of what we will be experiencing, and what daily life is like in Israel. Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to take a trip there yourself! I would highly recommend it. Along with this blog, you can follow #cincyisrael on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. This hashtag will be used by anyone from Cincinnati who is traveling to Israel, not just the group with Onward Israel.

My goal is to share our story with you and to make a real connection between the Queen City and the Land of Milk and Honey.

L'hitraot,

Abby