Hello, thank you for reading this blog.
This is a journal in blog form I will attempt to write everyday. It will be about my upcoming trip to Israel, where starting on July 5th I will fly from the United States, either from Baltimore or Philadelphia, and work for five weeks at a kibbutz in the town of Na'an. I will then starting on September 1st relocate to the town of Arad, 10 km from the Dead Sea, and teach English to Ethiopian-Jews who are refugees at the absorption center. I will be there for five months, with the second leg of my travels ending at the very beginning of February.
From there I will decide whether or not to do another stint of teaching English, or begin the Aliyah process to naturalize and stay, pursuing my graduate degree in archaeology. I intend to combine English with martial arts to teach the language- I think it will be a unique and very rewarding approach, both for the children and young adults I will spend time with, as well as for myself.
It has been quite a process so far; about a half year of applications. I originally was on the way to teaching for the MASA teaching fellowship, but ended up getting turned down thanks to a dismissed marijuana possession from when I was eighteen, seven years ago. Never forget that our mistakes of the past do follow us like a shadow.
This misfortunate turn of events led to very, very promising ones instead; I was shunted toward the project TEN program, and very much found myself drawn to the program. Instead of being a teaching assistant, I would be an actual teacher, offering very real opportunities in education for a group of people very much marginalized and who otherwise might not even have what little I can offer. What it means is instead of being a drone and just being present, I will potentially be able to make a real difference.
This blog will document my day to day activities. I am one of those people who often wind up in adventures, and have had my fair share well before this; from being in a convenience store robbery, to getting stabbed in the hand and shot in the foot- to saving a life, to leading a martial arts organization, and college and so much more. Some of my adventures have been wonderful, some have brought me to the edge of what surely is hell on this life. But usually they were events I stumbled into one way or another. This will not only be different, but I know in my heart life affirming.
From these myriad experiences I intend to apply myself to an adventure, that with the support of my family, I have actually chosen to pursue. I know it will be wonderful; all the trials of my life have led to this moment where I can actually take my life into my own hands, and make something useful out of it.
I'll be writing again as the date approaches.
Wish me luck!
(For my other blog, which focuses on Martial Arts, see: http://zenjael.blogspot.com/)
