What an adventure I have had. I have been home from Jerusalem for exactly one week. I miss it terribly, especially the people. The purpose of these next three blogs will be for me to better explain why I was there, places I went, and lessons I learned. I hope you enjoy! Please pass this information on to anyone who is young and ready to help non-profit companies grow and make connections. This trip was a dream opportunity, and I will forever be grateful for the YMCA and what it's done for me and many others.
I left for Israel on Sunday, August 12th and arrived on August 13th. I was so tired when I arrived. the first friend I made was Hassan. He was the one who picked me up from the airport. I tried so hard to stay awake on the ride to the Y, but I did end up sleeping a little. When we arrived, Hassan made sure I entered through the front so I could see the Y and all it's glory. I was amazed! The Jerusalem International YMCE (JIY) was the most beautiful building I had seen in a very long time. It was huge and felt so welcoming. There is so much history that comes along with it. I was just speechless.
The next day I was asked to sit in on a Development meeting. I was nervous to jump right in but eager to learn. I was very surprised to see that everyone spoke English and there were people who had grown up in the US! I felt a lot better about being in that meeting after I made that connections with some women. What really blew my mind was how kind everyone was. They weren't being polite to be because I was there was YMCA Blue Ridge, but they actually wanted to know me and make sure I was adjusting. I could feel how much they cared even though we had all just met. It was in that meeting that I knew I was going to be okay...
Later that week I was foraminate enough to work with a youth summer camp. I had a blast with that. The kids seemed to be around middle school aged. I say that because they spoke Aerobic and I speak English. I tried my best to study body language and keep up. I took a Zumba class with them and played basketball. I then was able to watch them perform dubke. I loved working with this group of kids. They were so welcoming and loved having me. They would invite me to play and reassure me with a sweet smile. I will always remember them. They had the most amazing time at the Y. They touched my heart...
I remember I was really jet lagged the first week. I felt really bad because I wanted to seem alert and ready, but I was so tired. Everyday I would fight it. I wasn't about to let it take time from my experience.
I met Raed my first full day there. I like to think of him as the "Bruno" of JIY, in the way that he took care of me coming there. He was so great. He was excited to have me and wanted to make sure I had the most amazing time. He was the one in charge of my scheduling and outings. I will forever be grateful for all he did for me. He helped make my trip unbelievable and I will miss him dearly. I was even able to meet his wonderful family. He works very hard to make sure the hotel, 3 Arches Hotel, connected to the JIY is perfect. And let me tell you, 5 stars. If you ever get the chance to visit Jerusalem, stay at this hotel.
JIY has a kindergarten and summer camp program that's non-profit. They also have a hotel and restaurant, 3 Arches Hotel. They are located in the center of the city and have a huge tower you are able to go up in. There is a 360 view and I would highly recommend going up (Hassan took me). It was the coolest thing! I saw all of the city and then some. I would go back in a heart beat.
I worked almost every morning as their checker. I would great the guests at breakfast and make sure their stay was going well. I really liked doing this because I go to interact with the guests. It forced me to learn new words and phrases.
Another friend I had while there was Afif. He is their event planner, and I got to work an event while I was there. I was also lucky enough to meet up with Lina! We came to Blue Ridge last summer and we became friends. I was so so happy to see her again.
My first Saturday there, Hassan, Afif, and Lina took me to the Dead Sea! That has always been a bucket list item for me. Before we got there, I was able to ride a camel! It was so cool! What I didn't know was that there was a pool area before the sea for people could cool off from the hot sun. It was cool to see. We ate lunch and swam in the pool for a bit. When we went down to the Dead Sea, I was speechless. I was beautiful. I couldn't believe I was really there. The sand was extremely hot so we kept our sandals on. When I first stepped into the sea, I was shocked. It was hot! I was not expecting that at all. The water was hot and thick from all the sand. Hassan told me to sit on the water, and I did just that. All of a sudden I was floating. I didn't have a care in the world at that point. I was floating in the Dead Sea. Afif found some salt crystals and I brought one home for JT (my brother). Lina also was eager to cover me in the mud! I actually hadn't heard of that before. She painted the sea's mud all over my body. It felt amazing. My skin was so soft and smooth and felt so clean. I am so glad she forced me to take pictures so I could remember that day...
So that sums up my first week at the YMCA. I will be writing about the next two weeks later. I hope this has helped give you a better understanding of my adventure. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask(:
xoxo,
Polly Keen
#LiveLifeLikeLucas
