Jerusalem

     Well, I applied for the Jerusalem Center study abroad for Winter semester in July, and frustratingly, I got waitlisted.  But the wait is over.  Yesterday I heard back from the center and they said I got in!  Which means that next semester, from January 4- April 19, I am going to be living and studying in Jerusalem!  The center there looks amazing, it's 8 stories tall with separate living quarters and classrooms.  It looks beautiful.

     The Center itself is on Mount Scopus overlooking the Mount of Olives, the Kidron Valley, and the Old City.  So, the location is pretty incredible.  And the center itself seems really nice.  I will be living in a room with three other girls, with a view over the city and a private patio.  And the rest of the center has everything a school needs: classrooms, student housing, a library, a gym, a chapel, a cafeteria, and some beautiful gardens. 
     I will be studying the Old Testament and New Testament, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Arab and Islamic Civilization, Israeli and Jewish Civilization, and Hebrew.  Also, we have a course for the field trips we take.  This semester we will be going to Turkey, Jordan, Galilee, and other parts of Israel on various excursions. 
     I think it will be fascinating to see so many different people of different cultures and religions, and to get to live amongst them and learn all their traditions and ways of life.  I'm sure it will be quite a culture shock, but in a good way.  
     So basically, now that I know I will be going, next semester cannot come soon enough!  It's going to be an incredible experience that I am looking forward to.