Pre-Israel Adventure
The room where I sit is cold, uninviting. It is not made for comfort and an overwhelming sense of boredom festers within the cubicle walls. No, I'm not in Israel yet. I'm waiting patiently to leave, working for my father's company and doing administrative work. I have been waiting for over five years to leave on this adventure, and I don't think much, especially not office work, will prepare me for my trip.
But to be honest? I'm not expecting much. Sure, I hope to have a fantastic time in an incredible country. I'm sure what will take place there will be life changing. I have no idea what it will be like; how it will smell, feel, sound. So I've taken the stance of no expectations. I am going into this trip with as few preconceptions as possible, so when I arrive, I can fully be in the moment.
And that is what I hope to gain with my entire experience abroad. I want to learn the ability (and I believe it is a learned skill) to enjoy something as is. Since grade school, my life has been fairly mapped out. Private high school, AP classes to get into a good college, go to that good college, decide major, don't flunk out, GET JOB. I don't want the rest of my life to be a map that I haven't drawn myself.
It is an amazing opportunity to travel abroad as a young adult, and I thank Allegheny for making it so easy. I don't expect everything in the coming months to be as simple. Along with being "in the moment" I hope to gain some focus on how I want to spend my last year and a half at Allegheny when I return. Who I want to surround myself with, what classes I take, how hard I try, and how I use the plentiful resources provided.
I leave in less than two weeks. Then hopefully I can begin to sketch out my new map.