A brief respite

     Medical school is hard. I'm constantly amazed at the sheer volume of information being taught in each class. It's made more difficult by professors with thick Israeli accents, trying to juggle ten subjects at once, and also learning a new language. Reading my previous posts, I think I've given an unfair picture of what my life really looks like. I'm not constantly off on a new adventure, seeing the sights and having fun. I wish this were true. Too often, I'm sitting at home, alone, reading a textbook. Or having study sessions with classmates.

a recent immunology study session

     Despite how difficult things can be, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Even when the sirens go off at 5:30am, telling me I have sixty seconds to get to the miklat (shelter) before the rockets hit (don't worry Mom and Dad, they usually hit open areas). All of my classes are interesting, my classmates are amazing, and I'm learning to love the dusty desert town I call home.

     Even so, it's always nice to escape real life for awhile. This past weekend, the Christian student group arranged a retreat in Tiberias. We studied the words of Jesus on the shores of the sea of Galilee, climbed down a mountain, and visited some hot springs. It was a welcome relief from the stress of school and a great way to get to know some new people.

some fellow MSIHers

      We really wanted to do some hiking, and decided not to let a thunderstorm deter us. (look how determined we are) Most of us were just excited to see some rain, we don't see much of it in Beer sheva. We went to Mt. Arbel, one of the mountains that overlook the Sea of Galilee. You park at the top, then hike down along the cliff. In some places, it's more of a climb than a hike...

careful! use the hand holds!

      The rocks proved much trickier than we expected, considering the storm left everything covered in a thick layer of mud. But med students are a stubborn group, and we prevailed. We saw a castle built into the cliffside...

notice the castle owner on the left, looking suspicious

And also some pretty spectacular views...

while getting covered in mud from head to toe...

After such a grueling, but incredible day, we decided we needed something relaxing the next day. So we headed to a nearby hot springs that was turned into a spa.

nothing like some hot water to wash the stress away

     So, yes, medical school is difficult. Most days are spent going to class, reading, studying, and deciphering Hebrew. There is a never-ending list of things to understand, memorize, and take to heart. But it's the rare times away from all that when I realize how lucky I am to be living the life I lead. 

     

Water!

     Heading to class this week was tough after such a long break. I think the Jewish holidays are my new favorite part of the year. Israel becomes a different place during the holidays- most people are on vacation, and the pace of life slows down accordingly. My own vacation plans hit a few snags, but I was able to take a short trip to the Golan Heights. There's a national park there, Banias, which is renowned in Israel for its hiking trails and beautiful waterfalls. Speaking as a girl who lived in Oregon, the falls weren't that impressive. However, after living in the desert for the last few months, the sight of water was a welcome relief.

The river- look green! and water!

ah, that's better

getting closer to the falls

we're finally there!

gorgeous!

We saw some other interesting things on our hike, like this...

don't stray off the path...

      It's easy for me to forget that Israel is a threatened place, with a long history of violence. The Golan Heights are a highly disputed territory, with Israel, Syria, and Jordan all claiming ownership. While things are safe there for now, land mines all over the region show its turbulent history. This is a perfect example of how life is in Israel. Everywhere you look, there are people going about their day surrounded by the remnants of more difficult times. It helps me understand the toughness that characterizes Israelis. After a lovely morning hiking to the falls, we had some extra time on our hands. So we decided to stop in Tiberias on our way home. How could we not, in such a pretty place.

 

     The water in the distance is the Kenneret (Sea of Galilee). So of course, we had to jump in. The water was lovely, and just the thing for a hot day. Feeling a little guilty for taking a trip without any historical stops, we headed over to a local synagogue to check out a 2000 year old mosaic floor. This section shows the zodiac, a symbol once widely used in Judaism, which has since been abandoned. Many people claimed that it had never been used, but this archaeological find proved them wrong. 

I can't wait to keep exploring this new country I call home. There's so much to see! Glad I'm here for three years, maybe I can at least scratch the surface.