The Pursuit of Material Gain and Pleasure

Welcome back!

That's to you, dear reader and friend, and to myself. It's been about a year since I've written in my blog, and I have decided officially to commence once more (thanks for the encouragement, Mary). It feels good, and at this point, I'm eager to motivate myself to do anything that involves reading or writing or intellectual stimulation. Some part of my post-graduate self fears a downward spiral into ignorance and laziness. So a bit of blogging will at least soothe the transition from crazed college student to...er, crazed ex-student!

I leave tomorrow morning at 8:50 AM for Chicago to celebrate my cousin's wedding and see some old friends and lots of family, and then head over to NYC for a few days for more friends and family (and Chinatown) before flying out to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Needless to say, in my less-than-24 hours left in Boulder I have a TON to do--namely, edit fellowship applications, pack, do my laundry, and so on...instead, I went on a long run in the mountains behind my house this morning (I know, so spoiled am I), ate crepes with nutella and strawberries, drank chai out of my beloved Indian tea cups, and then skimmed a tour book on Israel and made notes.

In addition to how thrilled I am to be seeing Matan, catching up with old friends, eating Israeli hummus, and interning in Israel with some incredible non-profits IN ONE WEEK, I've decided it is critical I take advantage of these months to travel and explore all parts of the country and the West Bank. I thought, you know, it might be smart to read the Tel Aviv section since that's where I'll be for the first 2 months. So, without further ado, a passage from the introduction of Tel Aviv:

"Tel Aviv is about the pursuit of material gain and pleasure...boundless, bustling infectious energy...Tel Aviv is hedonistic while Jerusalem is holy. Tel Aviv is sexy while Jerusalem is sacred." --Insight Guides Israel

Well, then. Obviously, for anyone who vaguely knows me, I strive to live in places known for their material gain, pleasure, and degree of sexiness. Clearly. This made me laugh out loud--but I will not deny the fact that I am thrilled to be out of Ithaca, and in a real, live city overflowing with music, art, nightlife, and a rather vicious pace of living. Matan, in a feat of pure brilliance, found an apartment right next to Ha-Karmel, the biggest and best market in Tel Aviv, unbelievably close to the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. And the fact that I am working for non-profits with just and social missions makes me feel justified to live in a place of supposed material pleasure and gain. So there.

So this first entry isn't that special or exciting, but it's a beginning.