I'm nearly two weeks into my program in Israel called Tikkun Olam. I'll be here for 10 months volunteering with different organizations throughout Tel Aviv and Jaffa with the aim of "repairing the world." So far my experience has been amazing. My roommates - 3 American girls and 1 Israeli girl - are so easy to get along with and they are all amazing women. My whole group on Tikkun Olam has been a pleasure to be around and get to know, as they are all passionate about social issues occurring around the world and are committed to learning about what is going on in Israel with refugees, asylum seekers, people in poverty, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I have never been around a group of people like this before, and I'm looking forward to the next several months with them by my side.

We began our touring process of various organizations that we have the option to volunteer at. I haven't made any final decisions yet, but Assaf piqued my interest. They work with refugees and asylum seekers with a drop-in center and youth groups to provide a safe haven and a place for potential problem solving of issues involving bureaucracy.

We also began our Hebrew classes, called Ulpan. My teacher, Yael, has been amazing. I'm in the beginning class, which has people at so many different levels of Hebrew. Some have a solid base of the language and are a little more advanced and others are learning the alphabet for the first time. Yael's patience with all of us is wonderful, and the dresses she wears are so cute (she said that they actually used to belong to her grandmother). I have been learning so much and can form sentences now, and she's given me and a few other people more exercises to do at home so we can work ahead and learn at a faster pace.

One of the first things I did when I got here (besides buy an amazing falafel) was buy a bike! It's a KHS Urban Soul. It isn't the greatest thing and it doesn't compare to my baby at home in Minnesota, but it's great for commuting and I was able to ride it for about 40 km last night on my first group ride through Tel Aviv (more on this to come later - it was an amazing time!). I love love love having a bike here, but it's also scary because the traffic here can be a little crazy. People honk all the time and zoom ahead. The drivers here don't seem to have any patience, especially not for people biking on the street. There are bike lanes on the sidewalks sometimes, but they are more for leisurely riders because there are often pedestrians scattered along the path just waiting for me to run them over. I found a bike shop called Gordon Bennett where I bought my bike, and the owner and employees are so friendly. They always have cold beer in the fridge for 10 NIS, and it's a place where people like to go to hang out and relax. I've found it similar to some of the bike shops in Minneapolis and it has a great communal feel.

And with biking comes the sweat. Lots of sweat. All the time. Morning, noon, and night. It is so damn hot here in Tel Aviv. I feel bad for whoever sits next me in Ulpan, because I'm usually dripping by the time I get there. I've learned to bring a towel with me everywhere I go. I wish I was blessed with the ability to glow, but I am THAT girl - with beads of sweat running down her neck and making her shirt wet. I try to dress for the weather and I'm thankful that I brought my whole wardrobe of spandex from home. However, as sweaty as I may be in this heat, I do NOT miss the cooling temperatures of Minnesota at this time of year! I'll be going to the beach later today and basking in the sun and warm waters of the Mediterranean. I'm definitely not complaining.