last chapter: Israel

Another completely different country on my route and also my last stop.

The entry was a little bit of an interrogation, but then I got my 'Blue Card' and was officially allowed to enter the country. First of all, I was surprised by the temperatures, it was really hot here! I bought a train ticket and took a wrong direction - of course! But on Google Maps I could already see that I was just before the border to the West Bank and then I realized how small this country is!
Got off, changed platforms, and 40 minutes later I was in Tel Aviv. The beach was amazing, my hostel right in front of it.
I checked in, took a shower, and went to the beach! The last time I really laid on the beach was in Byron Bay - and that was already 2 weeks ago!
The water was incredibly warm, the sun was beating down on my skin, and I was happy!

In the evening, there was supposed to be a party night with people from the hostel, at first I went to the first bar - but since the flight I had been dealing with earaches and my cough was not getting any better. I decided to turn around and jump into bed. The next morning I got to enjoy the pancake breakfast at the hostel for the first time and then went to Old Jaffa. The little town is only a 30-minute walk away and along the beach promenade with the sea breeze, it was a really cozy walk with an incredible view.

Once there, I looked at the old clock tower, walked across the wishing bridge, and lost myself in the old dreamy streets and markets.

I took a deep breath and tried to capture the feeling. The next day was just a beach day. I was very glad to just do nothing for a day, even though I didn't really find peace inside..I wanted to read and at the same time, I knew, damn it - I still had to write my blog post. On the second day at the beach, it was much easier for me to let my soul dangle and just take care of regularly applying sunscreen. In the evening, freshly showered and dressed up, there was Shabbat dinner. Everyone is asking now - yes, what is that? In Israel, there is a 6-day workweek - from Sunday to Friday afternoon. Why? Because God created the earth in 6 days, and on the 7th day, He rested. The short 'weekend' starts on Friday afternoon and ends on Saturday when the sun sets. The Shabbat dinner is basically a big meal where everyone celebrates the end of the week. Prayers are said, blessings are given, and everyone eats together with their family. As a newcomer, I followed the ceremony with amazement and goosebumps, another one of those magical moments of a foreign culture.

The next morning, Itzi and his brother Timo surprised me (I met them a year ago in Berlin). They had planned a trip and picked me up from the hostel, I was really excited to see them. Together we drove towards Jerusalem. The city was wonderfully dreamy, enchanted, and yet very manageable, with many cream-colored and beige walls and shops in between with colorful carpets, fabrics, and scarves. We walked through a labyrinth of small, colorful alleys, a bustle of people, and the feeling in my heart that I belonged. I didn't feel like a stranger at all!

And certainly not insecure here, everyone lived next to each other, door to door. We walked all the way to the famous Western Wall. But since I was a 'non-believer' and didn't want to desecrate the belief or the custom of going up to the wall or even leaving a note, I just watched the hustle and bustle and was enchanted. It's incredible how much peace a place can radiate.

After that, we continued by car, the guys told me that we would cross the border into the West Bank - into the desert - and with every meter, my sense of adventure and the tingling in my fingers increased. I watched as the landscape changed from the car window, becoming more and more rocky until we could see nothing but desert ahead. When we parked the car and got out, the guys laughed at me because I stood there with my mouth open, wide-eyed, and couldn't believe how quiet it was. I thought about it and realized that it was the first time I heard really nothing..in the city, there are always sounds, even at night, something would clatter or a car would drive by. In the countryside, trees and bushes rustle in the wind, and crickets chirp in the grass, but really nothing - I had never heard that before. It was a intoxicating feeling..

Then Itzi and Timo took out a camping stove and coffee, and so in the middle of the desert, I had a coffee as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

After getting stronger, we continued walking, into an old war barrack, with canyons on either side..and far and wide, the vast 'Nothing'.

Unfortunately, every moment and every day comes to an end, so we had to go back, back across the border to Israel, to Tel Aviv. We watched the sunset together and said goodbye - with the promise that it wouldn't take another year to see each other again.

I spent the next day at the beach again, in the evening I told my mom and others that I was very tired and would sleep in the next morning. But what no one except my cousin knew was that I already took a taxi to the airport at 3 a.m., my flight took off at 6:20 a.m., and by 9:40 a.m., I was already in Berlin. While my mom thought I was still sleeping, I bought flowers and a gift, got picked up by my cousin, and went home. I had prepared a video with birthday greetings for my mother, and my cousin was supposed to record her reaction. She certainly didn't expect me to burst through the door into the living room at the end of the video and loudly shout 'Happy Birthday'.

After many tears and sobs, I explained everything to my mom, because she couldn't really comprehend it. I surprised the rest of my family as well, also very tearful.

And there I was, back in the big family hustle and bustle, in a big and hectic city that no longer felt like home..
At the latest, I realized that 'home' is not a place, but the feeling that your family gives you. Because one thing was certain, I lost my wild heart to traveling and my head is still filled with confetti, my eyes are still seeking incredible moments, and my soul has more wanderlust than ever.
But as I learned on my journey:

'travelling is a lot of Hello's and a lot of Goodbyes', so it was time to say goodbye to the world and hello to everyday life.

But one thing was clear: someday I will take my backpack, put it back on my little back, and start walking into a new adventure. Because if anyone wanted us to stay in one place, we would grow roots and not feet.."