there's something in the water...

and it's sewage and dead animals and trash and lots of other gross things. But besides having to wash my face with bottled water Egypt was a blast! (a 120 degree blast)

want to ride my camel for lots of $?

I have a boyfriend.

but he's thousands of miles away!

I rode one.

Islam the tour guide. "Do you believe zus? Yes or not?"

here comes the sun and I say it's alright.

conquering my vertigo to experience the Sinai sunrise. totally worth it.

what I gained:

• a papyrus scroll with my family name on it (or future family name on it? am i being too optimistic here people?)
• confidence in my haggling abilities
• a greater respect for the ancient Egyptians and their ability to make some killer sculptures and artwork
• a keens tan line
  
• skepticism that anyone will ever do anything nice for free (including taking your picture)
• a stamp in my passport
• lots of ticket stubs that I might scrapbook later but will probably just end up collecting dust in the corner of a drawer somewhere until I can finally part with them in a few years. I always have such good intentions.
  
• some leftover Egyptian pounds (what am I going to do with these things?)
  
• a new family
  
• a stronger testimony of the fullness of the gospel

what I lost:

• a pair of pants
• a flashlight
  
• one flip-flop

yes, that's one item at every hotel.

a boy and his donkey

Judean Wilderness

almost forgot

Oh and PS- Happy Mother's Day to the woman who gave me my Jewish heritage and the chance at somewhat normal height.

We've both lived in Jerusalem.

Shabbat shalom!

I've come back to this city where names
are given to distances as if to human beings
and the numbers are not of bus-routes
but 70 after, 1917, 500 B.C., Forty-Eight.
These are the lines you really travel on.
Yehuda Amichai

geography field trip, dome of the rock, sabbath bread, western wall on shabbat, garden tomb, hAgGlInG! I'm beat. Monday- Jericho. Thursday- EGYPT!
modern shepherd
modern beggars
no girls allowed! (on a tame afternoon- there were HUNDREDS when we went on Friday night but I couldn't take pictures cause of Exodus 35:3)

floppy hats and sunglasses all around!

First Annual Double Elimination Rummikub Invitational

day 4: still pinching myself

Guys. It still gets me ever time I look out my window. Jerusalem has been exceeding my expectations since I stepped off the plane (and my expectations were pretty high). The sights, the sounds, the classes, the people. But mostly the people. I'm fascinated by them. I just want to sit and watch them for hours. (Well maybe like from behind a one way mirror or something since we can't make eye contact with the men.)

the view from my balcony.

Covet the juicer, Flippa. Covet the juicer.

Maddie, Jillian, Karlee and me. Room 309, baby!
This picture was taken earlier today when we went on the Ramparts Walk.

West side! Strong side!

Lauren, Heather (my new bffl who loves Rummikub almost as much as I do), me, Jillian, and Sabrina

In true Allison form I've been pretty remiss at taking pictures so far. Nevertheless, some things I've been loving about Jeru:

• The Palestinian boys who attacked us (literally, they threw a rock at my friend Brooke) with merchandise on our walk home from the Old City.
• The vendors who say "Mormon? BYU? Special price for Mormon!"
• Dance parties
  
• Sacrament meeting in the auditorium overlooking the Old City. Aaaaand my Relief Society president who is a Palestinian convert from Bethlehem who had to sneak into Jerusalem to attend church for a few years. Now that's dedication!
• Getting up at the crack of dawn to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with all my Greek Orthodox friends. And the kissing! Oh, the kissing!
• And there is just something about seeing the little Jewish boys growing payot that pulls at my heart strings.
  

I'll post more soon but right now I need to go read the Old Testament. When in Jerusalem....