Shalom!

I don't have much time to post things but I just wanted to let everyone know that I made it safely to Jerusalem! I got in at 3:30 am on Thursday morning after an 11 hour layover in Vienna. Really long but amazing! We got to go out into Vienna for about 5 hours and see some of the sights. I ate gelato and saw a beautiful cathedral first (in my jet-lagged state I didn't think to write down the name of it). Then we went to a summer palace called Schloss Schunbronn (I think). The architecture and gardens were amazing! The gardens seemed to go on forever so we walked around them for a while and then walked up to the top of the hill behind the castle to overlook Vienna. We took a train ride around the city after to see lots of stuff at once but we were all so tired that we fell asleep soon after we got on. And people kept pointing and laughing at us! When we got to the Jerusalem Center we all walked out on the balcony to overlook the city of Jerusalem. We kept pinching ourselves because it didn't seem real!
While in Vienna I found my future home...A palace fit for a queen right? Too much to ask for? :) (Also I wore this outfit for 2 days straight while we traveled to Jerusalem...I felt so gross)

We've gotten to see a lot of things already. Classes are hard and will demand a lot of time but I think in the long run it should be beneficial, right? (well, at least thats what I keep telling myself!) Its just so hard to think of studying when I want to be out touring the Holy Land during my free time. We've have two field trips and lots of time to go out into the city and explore. Here are some pictures of my favorite places so far!

At the Garden Tomb on Shabbat - one of my favorite things so far

GolgothaOverlooking Bethlehem (we're standing on some shepherd's fields) - I can't wait to actually go there!

Tower of David Museum Church of the Holy Sepulchre Standing in a Burial Tomb in the Valley of Guvrim

Our teacher told us this is how all of the shepherds are wearing their slingshots these days...Me pretending to be David with a slingshot getting ready to kill Goliath at the Valley of Elah!Ok I'll try to keep adding pictures and little updates often. I am loving it here and I'm so grateful for this opportunity! Hope things are going well for everyone! Much love!