Well, I've decided to check out of Kibbutz Lotan after about only 3 weeks. Don't think it was a bad experience, it just didn't end up being a good match for me. The people are mostly great, the lifestyle is relaxing, and the pool is wonderful. However, I just couldn't fall in love with milking goats or making yogurts and cheese. Volunteering on a kibbutz would be a great experience during the summer while I was in college, which seems to be the common theme among the current volunteers.
Each day that passed a tried to give kibbutz life another chance or find something about the kibbutz that attracted me enough to stay, but I just couldn't find anything and I am perfectly o.k. with that. I have learned to trust my instinct a lot more and I try not to force any experience's to work. Why would I force myself to continue doing something that I don't enjoy. For the past two and a half years I worked at a job that crushed me emotionally and psychologically. Although it was a great learning experience, it took a major toll on me and I don't ever want to be in a situation like that again. If I have the opportunity to move on, I will, and so I have decided not to stay here at Kibbutz Lotan.
I have met some really amazing people from all over the world. In our group of volunteers we have travelers from England, US, Mexico, Nepal, Brazil, France, Holland, Poland, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Canada. I have loved all the memories we have made as a group; sitting around in mud huts, swimming, playing soccer, milking goats, trips to Eilat, and plenty of other great times. It fascinates me that I have sat around eating lunch with 5 complete strangers, from 5 different countries, and we have all come to Israel for the same reason and are now friends. Although the length of my time here was short I have become very good friends with a handful of the volunteers and I hope I have the opportunity to see them again one day.
I am headed back to Tel Aviv tomorrow morning and then off to the North. I will be traveling from the southern tip of Israel all the way to the very northern tip (which isn't really that far, about 8 hours by bus). Then after a few days in the north with Daniel, back to Tel Aviv and then home. I will be home the last week of July. My trip is going to be much shorter then I imagined, but I am ready to come home. This trip has allowed me to learn some very important realizations that were a bit fuzzy in my mind before I came.
I will wrap this up with a bit more detail when I settle back in after my trip to the north. I added some more pictures so please take a look if you are interested. I have also added a link the Multiple Sclerosis Bike Tour for this coming October. I sent out an email to some of you about the charity ride and I was blown away that I did not receive a single response. I highly recommend the event. I had a blast riding in it last year and I have registered to ride again this year. I heard registration was being offered at no cost right now (its usually $60), so I would like to suggest, again, that you take a look if you are interested. The link is on right side of this page.
Ok, off to dinner then packing. Talk to you soon.
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