Greetings from Israel!

So I have been in Israel for a bit over a week and already the time has flown by! While the main purpose of this trip has been for work, I was really so happy to get to spend a couple of days with my family and I will be seeing them again in a few days before I have to head back to the States. If you have not been to Israel before you should! As I am typing this, my window is looking out over the hills of Jerusalem and it is really a magical sight. I have been here many times before, but each trip is still exciting. Yesterday we (the group I am with) went to Ein Gedi which is a nature reserve. We hiked up a mountain (I was wearing flip flops...awesome!) and then went swimming in a natural spring water pool with a waterfall. It was so much fun! Then we headed to the Dead Sea where I floated and covered myself in mud. I felt so soft afterwards, I didn't want to shower but that would have been gross. I've eaten schwarma and falafel, gone out on Ben Yehuda Street, bought really pretty jewelry, and tonight will be heading to the Kotel for some quiet reflection. Like I said, I love Israel!
But I know what you really want to know is if I have heard from "F" (who I am still working on a nickname for). So, here goes, I sent him a long e-mail when I had been here for a few days and then heard back in a response that was a couple of lines. I couldn't really expect much more, he is a boy after all. Anyway, we e-mailed a bit all week, and I did call him once and we spoke for five minutes or so. I sent him another e-mail a couple of days ago, but haven't heard back, so who knows? Maybe he is hungover from July 4th festivities (speaking of which, Happy 4th of July a day late!). So I think that's it for my update from Israel. I'll be back stateside next Saturday and I guess we will just have to see what happens then!