By Sophia Lambert, NFTY in Israel Participant, Bus 1
As part of our NFTY in Israel trip, we have a Chavaya experience. This is an opportunity for each of us to choose a unique four day experience. I chose the Yam L’Yam, Sea to Sea outdoor experience. We hiked from the Sea of Galilie to the Mediterranean Sea. Our bus dropped us off at Mt. Meron where we began our hike through a river. We met our guide and learned what the next few days had in store for us. After setting up our campsite for the night and preparing our first dinner, we had our first evening program called Solo. During this time we walked in a straight line through the forest and our tour guide dropped each of us in different locations. It was time for each of us to be alone with our thoughts and connect with ourselves. My thoughts were focused on the animals around me, multiple times I could hear the wild boars around me and I thought how I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I was scared and uncomfortable.
The next morning we woke up and continued hiking. During the first day we learned how to navigate the trails and purify our water. For lunch, we ate at a small spring and rested during the hot hours. The rest of the hike we were on our own to navigate to the campsite for the night.The last day was the most challenging for me. Once again we were on our own in the morning navigating by ourselves. At lunch we once again gathered at a big pond filled with many fish and big rocks to jump off of. After lunch we climbed a steep mountain to get to our campsite. Although challenging, the past four days have been amazing. I have been pushed outside of my comfort zone and my experiences expanded. By hiking with everything I needed to survive for a day, including meals and supplies, on my back, I learned what I’m capable of achieving and I explored a special and beautiful part of Israel.
