Halfway

It's October 19th. It's the halfway mark. I really can't believe it.

Time has been flying by and everyday I selfishly pray that it slows down! I can't believe I've already been here two and a half months. In some ways, it seems like I just got here yesterday. In other ways, I feel like I've been here forever.

It's been a glorious whirlwind so far! The Study Tour course was great! I had a break for about two weeks, and now my fall courses have begun! We started fall courses on October 12th, and I really love all my classes so far. (Many of my friends in college back home have been giving me a hard time about starting my courses as they take midterms, but note that I will have my finals at the end of December while all of them are on winter break!) My fall courses include Spoken Arabic, Biblical Theology, Arab-Israeli Relations, and an internship with the Hecht Museum on Campus. I am enjoying Arabic, and I LOVE my Biblical Theology course! (I'll write more about that later!) I haven't officially started the internship yet, but I have met with my supervisor and am really excited. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work there! :) Check out the Hecht Museum's website: http://mushecht.haifa.ac.il/Default_eng.aspx. I am also planning on auditing a “Guided Fieldwork” course where we go to local Arab communities to talk with high school students and then meet with the class once a week to discuss what we experienced. It seems really interesting.

I honestly feel like a slacker right now. I am taking fourteen hours (seventeen including my audit course), but all of my courses begin at noon or later, and I managed to have all of my classes on Monday through Wednesday! This means I can sleep in and have four day weekends! Crazy! Realistically though, I won't have four day weekends often because I will probably put in a lot of internship hours on Sundays and Thursdays. Still, the course schedule definitely worked in my favor. I am so grateful for this, but it has been strange to adjust to. I am so used to always being busy! At home, I usually take heavy course loads with work, Epsilon Sigma sorority things, and life in general on top of that. I am not used to having free time! Don't get me wrong, my courses are still rather challenging and I am learning a lot. No worries. I just really appreciate this change of pace! I especially appreciate it because I can use my spare time to get to know my new friends, travel, and really soak in Israel!

Still, the days are flying by and I can't bear to think of going home anytime soon. Please don't take it personally. :) I miss everyone at home and often wish that many of you were here with me, but I love it here. This is where I need to be right now. I know I have a lot more to learn here. I am looking forward to coming back and sharing these things with all of you and delighting in being in your company again, but for now, I am more than content to stay. (Although, Lacie mentioned Chick-fil-a sweet tea the other day and for a couple of minutes, I wished that January 5th would come faster.) :)

I am sorry I have been awful about posting entries here! You have all been so sweet and supportive and I really want to let you know what I've been doing. Each day has filled with so much that it is difficult to know where to begin or what to tell you! I am currently in the middle of writing a couple of different blog posts, which I intend on finishing within this week. So look for them soon!