Thank you for taking the time to have a look at my new blog. I decided this will be the best way for me to share my adventure to Israel with you. I figured, creating a blog would allow those who are interested to read at their leisure and look at the photos and keep me from bugging those who aren't really interested in receiving more junk e-mails. Please pass the link on to anyone you think might be interested and make sure to check back. At the moment I am not sure how frequently I will be able to share my stories, but I will do my best. I hope you enjoy.
Some of you may have already known I was planning this trip and some may be surprised by the news. To give you a little background, because I'm sure some of you are wondering, "Israel? Where is that? Why do people go there? Why is Bryce going there? Isn't that a war zone? Wtf, Israel...?". In early April I started working on a plan to quit my job and take a trip somewhere overseas. Some people may think it's crazy that I would willing quit my job considering the whole economic crisis and everything, but it's clear I wouldn't be missing out on any job opportunities while I am gone. So I decided, why not? And in some cases, many brilliant entrepreneurial decisions are based on big gambles, right?. (maybe this will have the same pay-out in the long run, ha, wouldn't that be nice)
I decided Israel seemed like a unique opportunity. My friend Daniel has lived in Israel for about 6 years + and I have always wanted to visit him. After countless hours of searching for the best airfare, I realized I could use a 50% discount voucher I received from a previous traveling blunder and it would cost me less then $900 to fly round trip. That's a pretty amazing deal considering airfare usually runs a minimum of $1200.
In my past traveling adventures I have been involved in many different volunteer programs ranging from environmental conversation, elementary education, wildlife management, and community development. During my research to find activities or programs to join in Israel, I learned about the Kibbutz communities spread throughout the country. A Kibbutz is a collective community that was traditionally based on agriculture. It is structured around a communal style of living where your time spent volunteering in and around the community is repaid by having a place to stay for free and be fed three meals a day. I invite you to search "Kibbutz" on the internet if you are interested in a more detailed explanation. I simply gave a very general explanation. This seemed right in line with my past experiences so I decided to apply. I won't know where I will be placed until I arrive in Israel and meet with the program director and have an interview. After the interview they place you in a Kibbutz they feel best suits your interests. I have heard the work I could be doing can range from working in the agricultural fields to working in the tourism industry. You will have to check back in about 1-2 weeks to see where they decide to place me.
Considering I found cheap airfare, I had a place to stay and a good friend to show me around, there were programs that fit what I was searching for, and my desire to travel, this adventure seemed like the perfect opportunity.
You may still be wondering if it is safe, and I assure you it will be. Similar to preparing yourself to travel anywhere in the world, it's important to talk to people and become aware of the locations to stay away from. There are rough parts of the US that I wouldn't travel alone or walk around at night, and there are places safe enough to leave your doors unlocked at night. Most importantly it takes a little knowledge and awareness and I'm confident I will be safe.
I hope I didn't scare you away with this first note. I know it's a bit a long and kind of boring, but it's just the beginning and I wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page. I promise they future messages will be more exciting. My trip starts on May 29th. I depart LAX at 5:35pm and from there, the 26 hour trip to Israel begins.....
I hope this note finds you well. Take care and check back as you wish.
Thanks,
Bryce
