By Bailey Pollack
Coming to Israel I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve always heard stories about the constant warfare in and around Israel but I never worried too much because I’ve never personally been seriously affected by the conflict. However, now that I’ve come here during reasonably quiet but still unsettling times, I was honestly more than a little nervous. I’ve been lucky enough to experience many of the wonders of this amazing country while still feeling secure and safe. My friendships I made before this trip have strengthened as well as making many new friends which I would never have expected to happen, but now I couldn’t live without. Having this shared experience with a roller coaster of ups and downs have made this group even closer and more connected than ever before. It’s a little bittersweet knowing I have to say goodbye in only a week. Unfortunately, many of us are at the end of our high school years and will be moving on to college and other pathways making it harder to connect. But, hopefully after this experience we will continue to stay in touch and stay close for the years to come.
