By Zach Gershon, NFTY in Israel Participant, Bus 6
They say that bees can make a big difference. They certainly did for me-both positively and negatively. But let’s focus on the positive, shall we?
When I signed up for Yam l’Yam, I did not know what to expect at first. I had heard from one of my counselors that there would be a lot of bees, but I kept insisting on going, thinking that I would be fine-which was ultimately the case, in my opinion. Yes, a lot of the campsites and trails were chock-full of bees, but I tried as best as I could to not pay attention to them.
Thankfully, I had received warning and now knew what I should expect. Because of this, and the fact that I had friends doing it who supported me, I had a great time on the hike. I knew that as long as I did not go near the bees, I would be safe, so I tried as best as I could to steer clear of them at meals, and near water sources. There were a couple times when I got lucky, some when I did not. However, as long as I didn’t bother them, they would not bother me, and I had brought an EpiPen just in case. (There was one time when I forgot it on the hike, but that is another story for another time.)
Still, I tried as best as I could to not let the bees get in the way of having a good time. What this experience definitely taught me was to be prepared for anything, and this was most definitely the case. The hiking and biking were amazing, and the various other activities helped bring everyone in our group together, and made us all feel very involved. Finally, it felt very refreshing in the water, on both the water hike and in the Mediterranean, once we had gotten there. Along the way, we were faced with many risks, bees included, but also a lot of hard climbs, thorns, and even wild boars. It was important, however, to stay calm and overcome the challenges ahead. By doing this, it was almost certain that we would have a good time.
Such was the case with me and bees. I am life-threateningly allergic to bees; this means that I could die if I get stung by one. However, I learned that bees only sting if they are provoked. That being said, I had to learn to keep myself calm if there were bees in the general vicinity of where we stopped. Yes, there were times when I ran because I was scared, but there were other times in which I kept my cool. I also had my peers, and also the counselors there to help me stay as calm as possible. Initially, it was very hard, but once I eventually learned how to properly deal with the bees, I found that I was able to enjoy the trip a lot more. Although this was very scary, I found a way to make the most of Yam l’Yam, and to enjoy the trip more.
