Well….it only took three times to apply. But finally,…I was granted a seat on one of the infamous Taglit tour buses for February 2010.
Notorious for (a) no sleep and (b) a guaranteed good time, Taglit is a 12 day program that gives young adults the opportunity to visit Israel in a peer-group educational setting to learn about the land and the culture.
As expected, my visit to Israel was nothing less than exceptional. When my taxi pulled up to the departures terminal at JFK, I did not know anyone who I would be traveling with, or what to expect from our planned out itinerary.
Now that I have been back in NYC for three weeks, I look back at the friendships that I have made, and the experience that had, and it is impossible to answer the number one question that I get asked: What was the best part about the trip?
The Dead Sea was surreal. The hikes through the desserts were tiring. The nightlife was exciting. Swimming in the Red Sea was refreshing. Visiting Masada was enlightening. Sleeping in a Bedouin Tent was, well let’s say, an experience. Walking the streets of the old city of Jerusalem was something out of a storybook. Touching the Wailing Wall was powerful. Learning how to belly dance at a pool party was hilarious. The food was amazing. The weather was sunny. Meeting the people of Israel was extraordinary. The friends that I made will last a lifetime.
But for me…. sometimes the best parts of a trip are the parts that go completely wrong and are unexpected. And that is a whole other story…..
Every November, just when NYC gets its first taste of winter, I head south to break out the tank tops and flip flops one last time before the holidays.
There are some ‘must haves’ that I need when I go on vacation; they include warm weather and the opportunity to learn and see something new.
Surfing has been one of those sports that I have dabbled in here and there, but never had the opportunity to really dedicate time to learn and practice. Knowing that I wanted to commit most of my vacation time learning how to surf, I first surfed the internet to find the ideal spot. Just looking at the webpage of Azucar Surf Retreat (www.azucarsurf.com) in Boca del Toro, Panama – I knew I found my destination.
After convincing fellow surf girl to-be Elisa Negrin to take three planes to get to the islands of Boca del Toro so that she could learn to surf with me – we had the experience of a lifetime! Living at Azucar in itself was an experience. Having a house all to ourselves over the bay, we were quickly introduced to the lifestyle of Boca del Toro.
The next door neighbor to the left had a rooster that would, without fail, crow non-stop at 5am every morning. The next door neighbor to the right held band practice for the local elementary school in their backyard, our chef cooked for us while blasting and dancing to music throughout the house, and when a letter block from Scrabble falls through a crack on the dock – you swim after it. Needless to say – it’s a very loud, lively culture.
But the highlight – surfing of course! Thanks to our fabulous and amazing surf instructor, we are now well on our way to becoming pro. Well, maybe not pro
.but with surf lessons twice a day and the beautiful backdrop of Panama and the Caribbean Sea, I can’t think of any better way to spend a week.
Don’t get me wrong. New York City is a great city no matter what day of the year it is. But there is one day in particular that New Yorkers wake up to and say, “finally!”
That would be March 21st, the first day of Spring.
This year though, well. was a little different. And I am sure that I can accurately say that many New Yorkers, myself included, had thought something else on March 21st – more along the lines of, “Is that…snow?.”
We are not talking a flurry or two. On the first day of Spring this year, when we are suppose to see the light at the end of the tunnel-I brushed my teeth, looked out my bathroom window and had the urge to crawl back into bed and set my alarm until Spring had really sprung.
If you have been to New York during the Spring time then you can relate to my mini self pity party. In the city, every nice day is spent like you are living your last day. Even though it is an endless sea of buildings and sky scrappers, city dwellers spend as little time as possible indoors.
What I can’t wait for…
Sunday Brunch always seems to taste better when eaten outside on the sidewalk. When given the option to sit down right away inside the restaurant or to wait an hour for outside seating, an hour wait is no problem at all.
Thanks to Mayor Bloomberg, the city is now more bicycle friendly than ever. So last year, I went out and got a bike! Running errands on a bike, breezing through the West Village, can actually make them fun and relaxing. Who ever says that about errands!?
There is nothing like Central Park. One of the most beautiful parks in the world, the park’s energy and charm transforms park-going into a whole different setting where there is no sign of big city life outside of its walls.
So with all of that said, Spring, where are you?!
