I'm going to Israel! The Beginning of my Travel Journey

Growing up we didn't get to travel much as a family, and if we did it wasn't very far. There are only so many times you can see the tourist trap that is Times Square, not that I'm not grateful for these opportunities, I just knew there was way more to see past New York, even past the east coast or America. There is much to see among the different landscapes that encompass America, but I've really craved to experience the culture, environment and food of other nations. The only place I've been outside of America is Costa Rica, which really had a lasting impact on myself, it was one of those euphoric experiences that you remember in your dreams. We went to multiple different places, the city of San Jose to experience the culture of the people, we went to various sustainable farms, it was for my AP Environmental Science class, we also went to Arenal Volcano which not only was a beautiful site from the hammock down below, but we also hiked up it to see some awesome rock formations and an unforgettable view. We also went to the Monte Verde cloud forest to go zip-lining, which was incredible to say the least. The experience I enjoyed the most was we went to La Fortuna Waterfall which I thought was so beautiful and majestic. I've always had a particular love for waterfalls but this was the most grandiose and sublime I'd ever seen. After this unforgettable experience in Costa Rica I've felt the craving to see more and become enlightened by ways of life that are foreign to me. In CR we didn't get to experience much of the culture we were mostly in a tour bus looking down below at the locals living in shacks, in that way I feel like we didn't get to use our privilege to help these communities, but I hope to engage with locals in every place I go.

Before I feared very much to travel alone that I didn't even make it an option for me, but now I have grown to be independent and enjoy living on my own, learning that perhaps on my own is the best way to experience the world. So now, I want to take every opportunity available to me to fulfill my dreams of seeing the world. In perfect timing, this summer I have been honored with a free trip, as a jew who has never been, from the Birthright Israel Program to go to Israel! I am beyond grateful for this opportunity which I know will be life changing and the start of my individual life travel journey. Not only does Israel have a beautiful desert landscape it's known for its vibrant culture. As a young jewish woman coming into my spirituality and still looking for a greater sense of being, I think Israel is the perfect place to be. I'm enthused to learn more about my heritage, as it has been somewhat lost over the years for me, and maybe feel a great sense of belonging being fully immersed in the jewish culture. We will be hopping all over Israel going to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to place a prayer into the wailing wall, riding camels and swimming in the Dead Sea and more. I've never been to the Middle East or anywhere near there so this will be a completely new experience that I know I'll grow immensely from.  There is so much to learn on this trip concerning religion, food, travel, art, culture etc. and I cannot wait to come out a changed person because of it. I'm going to attempt to blog about my new experiences while I'm there so please feel free to follow me on this journey!
Below is a photo of Tel Aviv.