When I decided to travel abroad to Israel for my last eight weeks of school, of course I had doubts. The plane ride was long, there would be so many new people, and the adventures were scary to me. But, there comes a time where you have to push yourself further outside your comfort zone, and I'm so glad I did. Israel increased my mental health like nothing has before.
Meditation
The night before my group climbed Masada, we headed into the Judean Desert to meditate. Meditation is a challenge, because you have to clear your mind and control your thinking, but when you figure out how to do that it becomes complete bliss. That was the first time I really meditated, and it also doubled as the most content moment I've ever had.
Surrounding Myself with Nature
When indulging yourself in nature, there are absolutely no worries about social media, pop culture, or any other outside thoughts. Nature served as a cleanser on my trip because the air was crisp, the water was blue, and the mediterranean sun continuously glowed down onto me. It all felt completely peaceful.
Constant Learning
Diving deep into the history of Judaism allowed me to understand how much I didn't know before, prompting me to really want to learn more. Now home from Israel, I find myself more eager to learn more things in order to discover more about myself and my interests.
A Beautiful Country
Instead of only going to the touristy spots of Israel, we traveled the whole country and got to soak up all of the natural beauty that Israel has. Being surrounded by the beauty of the country made me naturally smile, because every time I would leave my campus I got to see a new, stunning piece of Israel.
If you haven't had the opportunity to explore Israel, I hope sometime in the near future you will. Over the course of two months, I learned exactly how to restrain my fears and become content. This was the trip of a lifetime, and I'm forever thankful for it.