5 Centimeters of Snow!

Good Morning from Jerusalem!!!

Our group left Salt Lake around 11 am in Salt Lake on Tuesday and I arrived safely in Tel Aviv yesterday (Wednesday) around noon Israel time. The plane ride was long and I didn't get tons of sleep, but my adrenaline kicked in when we were getting off the buses and carried me through my first day :-)

Leaving Salt Lake

Getting to Tel Aviv!!!

First sign out the window of the bus :-)

A few funny things:

When I was going through Customs in Israel, the woman checking my passport was reluctant to let me through. She grilled me for several minutes and told me I needed a visa (which I don't because we are not going to be in the country longer than the required time needed for a travel visa, and since I am studying with an American program I don't need a student visa). She kept leaning over to talk to her coworker in the booth next to mine and talking to him in Hebrew (there was another student at that window and she leaned over to me at one point and said "I'm freaking out! What do I do?!") But we were both let through (as was the rest of our group), so no reason to panic now... haha...

It is SNOWING!!! When we got on the bus yesterday there were a few flurries of snow, and now there are a few centimeters on the ground. Apparently, it only snows in Jerusalem every ten years or less, so we arrived in time to see something really rare. It isn't much snow to us, but the local schools have all shut down because they don't know how to handle snow, haha ;-)
I have a few pictures, but I will try to post more in the daylight ;-)

this is right outside my bedroom door (the corridors leading to the rooms are all outside)

the view from my balcony :-)

SNOW!!!

I will also post some pictures of the JC (Jerusalem Center) as I take them. So far we have been touring the building and orienting ourselves to our new home! And it is AMAZING!!! I knew the center was beautiful but I had no idea how INCREDIBLE it is- seriously. The building is beautiful and there are views of the Old City from everywhere!!! It's great. I am so excited, even more excited now that I'm here!!!

I'll try to post again tonight or tomorrow with an update of orientation and all ;-)

Love you!

-Erika