Off to the Beach!

Ok so since I last posted…. I know it has been a long time and I’m sorry I’m just having so much fun!!! Not enough hours in the day to post! 

Last week I got to walk under the Center and see all the pipes and the inner workings of the center!  I also got to write my name on the pipes down there... here is my hint to my sibs... when you come to Jerusalem you have to go find my name!  I wrote it three times down there... see if you can find all three!

Skylor and Andrew rockin' the hard hats

close up

So during the week I have classes pretty much all day… in Ancient Near Eastern Studies (aka ANE) we had an orientation test everyone was SUPER FREAKING OUT!!  We were all studying constantly and we were all super nervous studying dates out the wazoo, but he just posted the grades and I got an 85%!!!!!!  I thought I totally had failed it!!  Thank you Professor Stratford!  Once that test was over everyone really winded down.  We also had a test in my Judaism class... I got 100%... pretty good for not studying at all!!

I went to chill out in the city one day and got my first shwarma and coke!

My favorite thing to do at night when I can't go out into the Old City is play volleyball, and as soon as the test was over we started playing again!  The best part is that Professor Stratford plays with us… but when we play volleyball we all call him INVICTUS!!!!  Love that man.  I talked to him last night and he said there is a team we could play at Hebrew University so we might make up a legit team and go play!  Needless to say I am so totally pumped and all my 4^th Ward-ians  (that means you Bro. Chou) had better watch out when I come back to volleyball nights!

So this is INVICTUS!!!  Love the man to death including his super nerdy archaeologist hat with the neck flap in the back.  He has a mean spike though!

So on Sunday we went to Tel Aviv!!!!  Perfect way to end the week.  I spent the day swimming, surfing, playing volleyball, playing on playgrounds, and exploring the markets.  We all had a lot of fun taking pictures on the beach, there were plenty of pyramids pics, jumping pics, and super awesome sports pics… I don’t have a lot right now but I promise I will post them eventually.  We came home totally pooped.  

Some of the girls on my bus! (Left to Right: Katie, Katie, and Erin!)

View from where we got dropped off... Not gonna lie I felt so cultured being able to say I went to the beach in Tel Aviv and swam in the Mediterranean!

Some of the girls made a Jerusalem Sand Castle

Katherine and I in front of a super sweet wall FULL of grafitti

Super sweet view

I think this was an art center, but the walls outside of it were absolutely insane!

This was a rundown Pirate Shack that Jay, Bradely, and I found!

Michael Barlow rockin' the floppy sunhat and aviators!

Oh and super exciting news that came on Saturday… I finally got a calling in my little church branch, I have been called to be the SUNBEAM TEACHER!!!  What could be better?!

So Monday we went on a filed trip, my roommate missed the bus by like 30 seconds and we left without her, but in my opinion she wasn’t missing much and that is all I will say about that.

We visited a Bedouin community that educates and empowers the women within their culture and helps them learn, go to college, start a business, anything!

Ready for the field trip.  Got my fanny pack, my avs, and my hard hat... I'm super attractive I know...

Super cool well that was excavated at Arad... Invictus makes a small appearance :)

Arad

Super amazing cistern I got to go down into and walk through... its was awesome!

So now I am all caught up Tuesday through Friday we have classes.  I had my Palestine class today, which everyone hates but I absolutely LOVE!  The teacher just makes the Islam religion seem so awesome and honestly does a good job relating it to the situation Mormons were in, I just really like the teacher.  And at the end of the week on Sunday I am… LEAVING FOR TURKEY!!!!  I will be there for a week I am so pumped!!!

I am also super excited because as of today, Blake Farr (my wonderful boyfriend) is leaving to serve his two year mission in Curitiba, Brazil in 12 days (he's super excited because his visa came a couple days ago finally!)… and I know he is just itching to leave… you’re so close babe!

Isn't he handsome?!