In the beginning...

As I sit here trying to figure out exactly how I want this blog to go, I have a few things in mind. I really want to do my journey justice. I want to tell about my ups and downs on my journey back to Hashem, while at the same time shedding a little bit of humor on certain situations because that is just the kind of person that I am. So let me first give you the quick and abbreviated story of how I got to where I am today.


Last May I went on Birthright with Aish HaTorah and my campus Rabbi, Rabbi Seth, who I am sure will be mentioned many more times throughout this blog as he and his wife, Lisa, are two of the biggest reasons I decided to embark on my spiritual journey. As we travelled throughout Israel, the Golan Heights, the Dead Sea, etc it was all really cool, but nothing was really AWESOME until we got to Jerusalem. Now you're thinking, here we go, another one of those "Jerusalem diseased" girls who just can't get enough of the place. Well, if that bothers you, you may want to stop reading because it's true. I LOVE JERUSALEM!! I knew from the moment we drove down the winding roads and "Jerusalem" by Matissyahu was playing on the radio of the bus. Anyway, much more about the place that I truly consider home later. So I come home from Birthright completely frummed out and I haven't touched a boy since...KIDDING. But I did come home with a lot of questions that Rabbi Seth was more than happy to answer. I began learning at the beginning of the school year and my interest completely took off. Throughout my time spent with the Cook family, Shabbas at their home, and the new values about Judaism that I was learning, Orthodox Judaism was becoming more interesting to me, and it felt as though it was calling to me. I really was reconnecting, and it was wonderful. I was fortunate to go on Jewel for Women in December where more clarification happened, and I really decided that this was the path that I would be going on for the rest of my life. Returning to secular Bloomington, Indiana from Jewel was HARD. This was one of those times where our Yetzer Hara really pulls at us. It is easier to forgo davening and to wear whatever we want. I felt guilty about it, but I hoped that Hashem would help me get through this difficult time. Something happened when Pesach rolled around. It is hard to put into words, but I spent the chag with some amazing people and had somewhat of a spiritual rebirth. I was ready to be taken out of Egypt and to be freed from what had been holding me back for the past few months. Going into the period of the Omer I was ready to grow again and to get ready to receive the Torah. Now, with the help of G-d, I am getting ready to go to Israel for the 3rd time in a year; my Dad has let me become an El Al frequent flyer...IT IS AWESOME!


Basically that is the incredibly up to date story of my Jewish life at this point. Sorry if it wasn't as abbreviated as you may have liked. They will not all be like that! Anywhooo, I hope you will follow me on my journey to Eretz Yisrael and EYAHT this summer. I could not be more excited for this next chapter in my life, and I am counting down the days until I can finally turn the page for it to begin.