5 Months in Israel

What a whirl wind the last five months has been. I can't figure out where all the time went. It's amazing that days can feel long but the week can fly by. As the weeks fly by, five months has disappeared.

For the first time in my adult life (which I know is not that long, but everyone thought I was 19 when I was 12 right? ;) So the years add up) I feel like I have had TIME to be with myself and silently observe. Thanks to Shabbat every Friday and Saturday which means 90% of the country shuts down, the weekends have been full of rest and observation. Some of the things I know about myself make me giggle and others
I will continue to work on.

1. I don't do well with a lot of down time (thank you mom for passing that to me) I LOVE lying around but I can only take one day of complete vegetation state before I need to be doing some activity or other. MANY a times my friends have literally taken my on a run to get my energy out.

2. I heart hummus. Hummus goes with everything. The stuff in the states taste like glue compared to the stuff here.

3. I'm so grateful to have a fully functioning body
that supports me in my life choices.

4. I was letting a fear run part of my life.
 I still would not go as far as bring a

bug into my room for fun, but I can now muster up the gusto (yes, it is gusto for me) to deal with the bugs in my room. Go me!!
Though, I like the scorpions more than the bugs

5. Every day I learn more and more that I get to challenge myself to be my greatest and own it. Whether it's in rehearsal, relationships, adventures etc...

6. My patience does not extend as far as I thought it did.

 While being here, I have met beautiful, inspiring, passionate, and loving people. I am still blown away by the energy of the people here and their commitment to each other as a nation. I have also met people that make me want to poke my eyeballs out and wonder what wakeup call they need in life to start respecting and loving themselves and others. Funny enough, none of these people are from Israel. That doesn't surprise me in the least but does make me laugh that I moved half way around the world and I met these people from the US here. The question I ask myself is "What do I have to learn"? Well, the answer is patience. Hali is so amazing with this. Her example assists me to stay in check and out of the drama.


7. Patience may not be my best practiced quality at the moment,

but I feel compassion is. More often than not, I can see where people are coming from and get they are doing what they feel is best. I respect that, seeing as I have grew up being the black sheep in Utah and in San Francisco. If someone can explain that I'd appreciate it;) I am grateful to all the people in my life that respect the choices I make and are friends with ME and not my political, religious, cultural views. I know this is one of the lessons I came here to learn. I am grateful to be here, experiencing how people live and think, seeing how easy it is to misjudge a person and getting the chance to love everyone for where they are at.


Hali has the patience for the physical shenanigans that people do and I have the compassion to see why they are choosing the things they do.

We are a great team and are constantly teaching each other.


One of my patterns in life has been: unexpected things that pop up in my space come, at the perfect time and place. I also have no idea what comes next until the last minute and then it’s perfect. When I got into Lines Training Program, I didn't audition and had no intention of following my ballet roots. I got a letter in the mail and I knew that's where I should be. I did the audition to come here in the first place because one of my teachers told me I should take the class from this man. I wasn't even sure it was an audition, let alone it would involve me moving to Israel. The next day, I got a call that I was accepted. This opportunity felt so natural. Like I knew I would be doing this my whole life. I didn't think my parents would be to thrilled about the idea but they knew I was going
before I even decided:)

The miracle that has fallen into my lap as I attempt to figure out how I am going to audition and be available for work surprised me one day last week. Amazing teachers, family, and friends made it possible for me to stay in Israel. I've been invited to stay with the next Masa group. Be part of everything like the last five months, with the freedom to come and go as needed to audition. I am so excited to be staying in Israel a little longer. Hali is staying, so we shall continue to be the Chalis. Some of my good friends are staying in Israel, and I get to continue working under this amazing company. It feels like a good place to be right now. I am excited and nervous to be auditioning abroad (although I choose to think excited and nervous are the same emotion) and the best news is...

I GET TO COME HOME AND SEE EVERYONE IN FEBRUARY!!!

I am still working out the dates but I will definitely be in

SoCal, SF, and UT sometime very soon.

So my dear friends, we shall be continuing our long distant relationship,

and you lovely people who refuse to skype me..suck it up.

 We are going to develope our relationship via skype. Think how lucky you are to see my shining face via choppy internet connection. It's great!!!

Shalom!

A Wonderful 21

After my mail being kept by Israeli Postal Inspection, being delivered to the kibbutz, then to Roni, and then passed along to three or four dancers, I got a wonderful birthday surprise in the mail.

It's almost as big as me.

Lovely pictures and letters from all of the Folkmans, Stacy, Tyne, a foot stamp from Stella, Margaret, SF roomies  Betty and Meelz, my dear family, and my second mother Janet.

It just warmed my heart to see these beautiful faces. I have rarely felt home sick (thanks to skype and loving Israel) but this pulled at the heart strings a little.

Thank you for always supporting me and inspiring me to grow.

I love you guys!!!

I feel so humbled by the love that has been expressed to me from people here and back at home. I am so grateful to have these amazing people in my life...including when life lead me to Israel.

In the past, no matter how hard my dear friends try, I always know when something is a-brew'n and no ones telling me. I don't think it’s because of my mad detective skill, I just think I know my friends well enough to know when they are not telling me something.  Well, dear friends in the states, if you thought it was bad there, try living on a kibbutz of the people who are planning your surprise. Hali finally told me to stop making things so hard and go away. hahaha. It's difficult when we literally, eat, sleep, dance, grocery shop, and socialize together.

I woke up to Hali gone and I knew something was going on and was excited to see what Hali had planned. I got bombarded by balloons while in the bathroom and pictures snapped. Allie in the morning is always a lovely sight.

Hali, Ruby, and Becca told me they came up with a way to exhaust all this excess energy that has been piling up all week. (They literally have had to take me on walks a few times this week and let me run around outside because I was creating a ditch in our room from all the pacing)

 They planned a Birthday Scavenger Hunt!

21 balloons with a clue in each.

The clues lead me all over the kibbutz and at each spot there was a little gift from Hali or other people here. I'm overwhelmed with the thought that went into this. I got hair scrunchies to hopefully keep my hair up in REP. (Ya right) A day planner in Hebrew to assist with my future planning, literally. Cookies to eat with our next TV show marathon. We just finished with Dexter and are starting 24 today:) Earrings from our resident jewelry maker: a scarf, flowers, socks and a delicious cake baked by my neighbor. Thrown in there were also only things you can get at the markolit, Aka Bratz stickers, bee magnet, and chocolate with a cow on it.

21st balloon!


My collection at the end of the hunt

Hali did an amazing job and snaps to her for the hard work she put into me not finding out!

We lounged during the afternoon at Megan's and watch Sherlock Homes only to find it had started to rain...torrentially. We ran home in our flip flops and were soaked to the bone in our short flirty jog.

We made Shabbat dinner, which gets better every week and started getting ready for a night at Pub Ga'aton. Were liven’ the big life here;)

After Ruby took a day and a year to get ready we went back to Megan's to pre-game. She is an excellent bar tender and made everyone there drink of choice...some, three times over. We popped the bubbly I got for my b-day and headed to the pub of 90's music, bro-mances, and men who have the weirdest way of hitting on you.

Exhibit A:

Yes, this is a man with a turtle. Instead of having normal human contact and dancing, he insisted I hold hands with the turtle and dance: Then continued to harass me with it the rest of the night. Anytime someone came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder or waist I would give my friends a horrified look and mouth "Turtle man?" I might be traumatized for life. ;)

There was a band that sang, as usual, 90's songs and did a countdown. The Israeli's don't normally celebrate the New Year so no one was excited as us foreigners. My friend took over DJ post and the music started to make a turn for the better. Thanks David!

It was an excellent New Years Eve and a birthday for the books.

I missed everyone who wanted to be with me today and

 thank you all that made the first day of being 21 great!

They thought free sushi was the way to go on a night when people drink way to much.

That's Yehuda, casually in the background

HAPPY 2011!!!!

Nitzozot

Nitzozot.

Translation - Sparkles

That is what they call student choreography. Isn't that great?

It's an extra confidence boost.

Doubting yourself? Don't worry your work nitzozot ;)

We made it to our student comp show. I wasn't sure we would with everyone’s eyes still intact and brains still functioning, but we did. Some of the choreographers just need to breathe during this process.

I didn't choose to choreograph so I was at the choreographer’s disposal, and you know what I get for that? I get to dance the whole show in a bra and underwear. Wait, wait wait: A NUDE bra and underwear.

The redeeming factor was, at the end of the show I got to roll around in red flour and cover myself. Downside-had to bow in the nakedness.

Props to all the dancers before me who have undergone this ordeal. It was not my favorite moment in dance history. What we do for art.

Other then my close to nakedness, the shows went great and I'm very excited to focus on the next show in 3 weeks. So soon!

 Only one more month left!!