A few days later...

Wow. So much has happened, and yet when I think about it, I haven't done anything so different than other people who go to school in a new place, which is a majority of you. Except, of course, go to Israel. But ya know.

The flight here was fairly uneventful - aside from the fact that I almost didn't make it on since my ticket seemed to have been left at home (*coughMOMcough*). After she rushed back to the airport in record time and we said a tearful good-bye, I ended up sitting beside Amy Manusow from Winnipeg. We found out that we both live on Waterloo though in different provinces. These things amuse me. :)
There were 15 of us Canucks on the group flight, from Toronto, Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver. All really nice, and I enjoyed getting to know them - though I ended up sleeping for most of the flight.
We arrived, and after some bag mishaps (not mine, thankfully) and luggage-struggling, we got onto the bus which took us directly to our dorms - it was about 7pm Israel time by then. My friend Elana Anzel-Sivkin and I were going to room together, but the assignments were already done. They ended up putting people from the flight together, so I'm with the Winnipeg girls - Amy, Steph and Faren, and Aviya arrived the next day. Our sixth roomie (if we have one) is a mystery. We're in building 40, room 7, which means it's 7 short flights up - each building is narrow and rectangular and has one apartment in each corner. Amy and I live in the first room together (we seem to be put together a lot), Faren is in the second room with a so-far empty bed, and Steph and Aviya are in the third. We have 1.5 bathrooms, a kitchen and a tiny blancony-type thing. It's pretty grungy but it's really nice at the same time - largely, I'm just excited to be in Israel and living on my own. The roomies are great - I'm a bit worried since they all knew each other before and I'm the outsider, but they're friendly and a lot of fun, and I'm sure it will work out wonderfully.
I'll write more soon - ulpan (intensive Hebrew class) has begun, I've gone out a few times, and run into a bunch of people who I knew before, as well as met some other amazing ones. Details to follow.

Leaving in a few hours ...

... but am I packed? Of course not. I will be though.
I have a million and a half thoughts scampering through my mind, but foremost is the need to ensure I have enough clothing to stay warm and not have to do laundry twice a week. So I'll get back to that in a moment.

I can't believe it's here. I'm leaving. This is what I need and want to do, and have been waiting for since I began planning out my life ... so really, forever.

Am I nervous? Yes. But not about my personal safety and the war. I know I'll be fine. I'm worried for the country, and the future. Personally, I'm also a bit apprehensive about leaving for so long and so far away (even though it really is home), and with so little time to prepare.

Excitement is definitely the most prominent emotion though. I really can't wait for my adventure to start.