Jarom in Jerusalem: LAST DAY IN JERUSALEM!!!!!

Well, the last day some of us were thinking about going to Hezekiah’s tunnel (the tunnel that carries water underneath Jerusalem built by King Hezekiah to prepare for the Assyrian invasion) but I didn’t want to and persuaded the group to go instead to the Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene. I’d been there before but it was very pretty, with huge union shaped gold domes. There was a man tourist in front of us who the nuns compelled to put on a skirt because he was wearing shorts. That’s one thing that I always let bug me while in the Holy Land-> the immodesty of the Christian tourists. Not that shorts are super bad in America, but to the cultures and even religions here shorts on men are ridiculous, and sexually provocative on women. And showing cleavage is way out of line too. Anyway, when in Jerusalem put some clothes on! I just really enjoyed the modesty of our center’s girls while in Jerusalem.

We made a quick stop in Gethsemane before we left, and headed into the city to pick up just a few more last minute items. After that we made it to the Garden Tomb for one last stop there. It was a good experience. While maybe Christ wasn’t buried and resurrected there, I was able to imagine for a second that he was. There weren’t a lot of people there and I was able to go into the tomb alone. Really it was moments like this that I came to Jerusalem for. I don’t think that I even imagined I’d come here to Jerusalem and Israel, but here I was doing it and being all those places I’d only seen in pictures or heard about. Really this whole last week has been that way: me just amazed at what I was doing and able to see. The tomb closed at 12 so we were able to get home by 12:15. We had several hours to pack, say our goodbyes, and leave! I think it was a pretty emotional time for us all as we embraced and said our goodbyes. Even for those of us who were leaving at the same time or going to see each other in Utah again. It was especially sad to see those who go to BYU Idaho or Hawaii who maybe we won’t see again. But we got on our busses, got on the highway, and drove by the separation barrier down to Tel Aviv and the airport.

To cover that last hours after we left Jerusalem. First off our tickets were messed up-> they didn’t have us in the system for Delta! My ticket was especially worrisome because I had a flight to Miami under my name (because I took someone else’s spot 6 months ago) but I has supposed to get off before then in Atlanta and go to Seattle and so originally they only wanted to give me a flight to Miami, but after they called BYU I got a ticket to New York, then to Seattle. As I’m writing this I’m in the Seattle airport waiting for my flight to Yakima. The flight from Tel Aviv to New York was long-> 11 hours. I closed my eyes at one point and opened them again 6 hours later-> but other than that I haven’t slept much-> I don’t sleep well on planes. The girl next to me was coming home from a “birthright” trip from Israel. Basically some really rich old Jewish guy pays for people with Jewish ancestry or connections to go experience Israel for a week. Ironic because that term would be offensive to Palestinians who see the Jews as foreign intruders to the land. Anyway, it turned out she was from Park City Utah, and while in Israel everyone asked if she was Mormon. My flight from NY (JFK) to Seattle seemed longer, however, because I didn’t sleep and it was about a 6 hour flight. When I ate lunch (Washington time) or a midnight snack (Jerusalem time) in Seattle a guy sat by me, and when we started talking I found out his dad was Jewish, and he had been in Seattle for a teacher’s conference. We had a good talk, he said he didn’t know anyone who was Mormon. I fixed that!

Landing in Seattle was weird. I kept looking for Jewish and Palestinian people-> I really miss seeing them walking around. Suddenly there are all these older white people and it’s throwing me off! I saw a Jewish guy with a big black hat and almost ran up to him, also a Muslim lady. I also saw a Mexican and was not sure what I was looking at. Also, everyone sitting next to me going to Yakima looked super hic and a lot of them had an “Alaska” hat on. There is one guy with one of those mustaches that goes out super far the whole way across his face, like 10 inches. But at the same time I know these people are good people. I saw some block stylized English letting in an advertisement and got excited because I thought it was Hebrew. Since I felt my experience in a study abroad was not as culturally immersive as my mission was, I thought my transition home would be easy. So far it hasn’t, but I have been awake 10 extra hours in addition to travel, and I think I just need to give it some time. L I think I’m more excited to see my parents now then I was getting off my mission.