Wow – I just went back and read my posting from almost a
year and a half ago (http://therealworldquestionmark.blogspot.co.il/2013/11/re-entering-student-hood.html)
just after I started my degree at Hebrew U, and I’m so happy I put my thoughts
into writing. It’s amazing to have the perspective
of “after” to be able to compare it to the “before.” As of about a month ago I finished my class
lessons. I’m still finishing up some
papers that need to be done, but other than that – doneso! It’s been an
incredible ride. I absolutely loved my classes. It’s not that I’m specifically passionate
about academia, but I found myself being enlightened by the class material. You know it’s a good sign when you talk about
what you learn about in class even when you are not in class (at least it’s a good
sign for me – maybe less so than for my friends!).
Going back to school after a 5 year academic hiatus was at
first definitely challenging. Getting
myself to focus, meet deadlines, read and write A LOT, manage my time and still
try to maintain some semblance of a normal life in addition to working
(somewhat) professionally was not easy.
But I’m no stranger to a big work load… having been in the Jewish
schooling system my whole life – even in college – prepared me for having a
large course-load. But the focus here
wasn’t on the difficulties. There were a
lot of positives that came from this degree.
Firstly, my Hebrew improved tremendously. In addition to my regular schooling, despite
my having worked in an Ulpan, it was required of me to take Ulpan classes
through the University. In order to
graduate one needs to pass the proficiency test in both Hebrew and
English. The English I placed out of
without even asking for it (just as the Israelis do with Hebrew), but the
Hebrew required my taking a placement exam followed by 3 semesters of classes,
finally getting to and passing Level Vav – the dreaded Ptor Test (exemption). I feared this test the duration of my
degree. It sat over my head always
begging me to improve and find Hebrew function in every aspect of my life. I am very pleased to say that on my birthday
this year (Feb 9) I got the great present of finding out that I passed the test
with flying colors! It was a proud moment
for me and I’m happy to be on the other side of it. The Ulpan classes weren’t the only helping
factors in getting my Hebrew to where it is.
I continue to use Hebrew on a daily basis and my surroundings certainly
foster that. All my classes were in
Hebrew and most of my friends at the University are also Hebrew speakers. Which brings me to the next “plus” of
school... FRIENDS!!! I actually made some!
I was really nervous initially and at first I gravitated to the 2-3
other English speakers (and to this day I still very much cherish their
friendship!). But I also actually became
friends with my other Hebrew speaking classmates. Great people.
Lots of laughs. Assistance when I
needed it. And a general smiley welcome
every day I came to school. While during
my first semester I described feeling super lost and alone in the beginning
weeks, by the end, I felt a little bit like a superstar walking around
campus. I know that sounds egotistical
but it’s not meant that way. I love the
fact that I could walk around campus and constantly bump into people I know –
new friends, from this new Israel chapter of my life. Even some of my classmates would tell me that
it’s weird that I knew more people than they did. It gave me the feeling that I’ve been doing
something right since I got to Israel because I have this whole new foundation that
I’ve somehow very luckily created for myself – of course with the help of
others.
I’ve also been able to get involved again with one of my
passions in an official outlet – this past year I’ve been playing volleyball
with the brand spankin’ new Hebrew University Girls’s volleyball team! I LOVE IT!!! We put together a new team with
fantastic girls who are like my little sisters (I’m very much the oldest on the
team and the only one in a second degree program) and it gives me the
opportunity to play a sport that I love in the framework of an official league
(we are in the 3rd level national league called ליגה ארצית
– translated as National League
appropriately enough) with a coach and uniforms and practices and competitive
games. When I came to Israel I made it
my business to find volleyball outlets for myself, but being on a team, with
responsibility to be there is something different and a whole new level of
fun! When we first got the team together
we took a group picture after our first game and it was published in the school
paper. One day, one of my classmates who
I didn’t know well at all (I don’t even know her name – we only had one class
together) actually turned to me in the middle of class and asked if I was on
the school team… she recognized me from the picture in the paper! So having
that as part of my school experience has been a lot of fun as well.
So what happens now? I once again find myself in the position of
finishing up a particular chapter of life.
I’ve also been working at the same place since within a month of my
having moved here which makes it almost 3 years… unbelievable, hey? A few months ago I decided I would once again
go explore a new-to-me part of the world and go traveling in South
America. So I planned it that after I
finished school, I would quit my job and head on over to the other side of the
world. So it’s up to that point that I’ve
gotten now. Last Thursday was my last
day at work (another meaningful ending – it’s always hard to say goodbye!) and
next Monday I fly to NJ/NY for a week before heading to South America. I Fly into Buenos Aires, Argentina and 3
months later I fly out of Bogota, Colombia heading back to NY/NJ for another
week and finally coming back to Israel at the end of June. What happens in between is pretty up in the
air but my intended route will take me to Brazil and Peru as well. I’m excited and of course a little nervous
for this next journey but I can imagine that it will be nothing short of
awesome!
Last time I went
traveling I had a Facebook page to which I sent updates… but Facebook pages are
sooo the first decade of the 2000’s.
This time my intention is to actually keep this blog up to date and
hopefully attach some fun pictures, too!
Feel free to follow the blog for new postings and I’ll do my best to
post a link to Facebook with each new one as well. In the meantime, I still have quite a bit to
get done here in this last week in Israel (Purim is coming!) but I’ll be sure
to keep things updated!
Most appropriate way to
end this post with a friends clip:
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