Quarantining in Bat Yam

 Today is officially day 5 of living in my new apartment on the main street of Bat Yam Israel. Adjusting to a new place with new people is a struggle within itself, let alone moving across the world where they speak a different language and the clock is 7 hours ahead from the time you're used to. Currently I am quarantining with my 3 other roommates. Many may see this as a challenge but I view it as a good time to settle into my new apartment, rest after days of traveling and bond with my new roommates. Although we have not been able to walk around and explore the city, we have been able to feel the fresh air of Bat Yam. Theres a large window that gives us an amazing view of the city and if we open it, it turns our living room in a balcony where we can sit on the window edge and feel like we are outside. That is the best part of our apartment in my opinion, we don't even need to step outside to feel the vibrant energy of the city. My roommates and I have been passing the time through daily orientation Zoom calls getting us ready for the program and working in schools. Outside of these zooms we've been watching shows, cooking food, playing Israeli games and just getting to know each other. I believe this time in quarantine will be a valuable form of refection and bonding that will help us better adapt to this new path we are on. 

Considering all the adapting I've had to do thus far I'm doing pretty well. At this point I feel that I am open for anything that comes my way because I know my future is full of the unknown. Just yesterday I learned that I will teaching English, with another fellow in my area, right on the beach! Which I just learned the ocean is only a 10 minute walk from my apartment. I feel grateful and blessed for all the opportunities the universe is lending me right now. I can't help but think the universe and my spirit guides have carved this path for me. A year ago, soon after I came back from my 10-day birthright trip to Israel, I went to see a psychic. Among many things, she predicted that I would be living by the Mediterranean Sea, and that came true! I never thought that I would live so close to the ocean, growing up in central NY lakes were the closest thing we had to beaches. My life right now feels unreal, just looking out the window onto the busy streets of Bat Yam, I wonder how I made it here. It is not easy to process such an extraordinary experience like this, but overtime I will adjust to my time in Israel and i'm sure have many epiphanies along the way. Below is a photo I took a few nights ago of the sunset in Bat Yam.