and so it begins

It's official-I'm in  Jerusalem!
Man it's even more amazing than I thought it would be.
Driving to the center and seeing the Old City for the first time was beyond incredible. Only seeing it for yourself can do it justice. Even though I had seen pictures of the Old City and the Jerusalem Center, they were totally different than I expected. The center is this beautiful, spacious building with lots of windows and natural light. It's nicely decorated and sort of has a museum feel, yet warm and welcoming. 

And the view! O my. I could just sit on the terrace all. day. long. 

So we had an Orientation Walk yesterday to give us a feel for the city and what we can expect for the next four months. We walked down the Kidron Valley and up to the Old City Walls and in through Damascus Gate. The streets are narrow and filled with tons of vendors selling everything from shawarma to scarves. Every shop had a new and interesting smell that is so unique and inviting. I had a taste of some of the bread with zatar and let me tell you, I don't know that I can eat bread ever again without it. We then went to the roof of this Austrian Hospice and got one of the best views of the heart in the Old City. It was like we were back in the olden times living there on a normal week day. That was when it hit me. I'm in Jerusalem. Jerusalem! How crazy is that?! I am one lucky lady. 

 We ended up seeing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and Ethiopian Orthodox synagogue, the Western Wall, and the Garden Tomb. The Wailing Wall was really quite something. All these men and women praying and kissing the wall reading from Torah, worshiping in their own way. It was really amazing to be a part of and experience other beliefs and traditions. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was very interesting. Nothing like I expected, with a very churchy and Catholic feel to it. Spectacular building, but very chaotic and almost stressful. Nothing compared to the Garden Tomb. That is for sure my favorite place so far and I'm sure will be one for the rest of the semester and my life. It is so beautiful and peaceful there. It really made the atonement personal and real to me. I've always thought of it as something so distantly connected to me, but now, I can imagine it more clearly in my head and picture what really happened. That is going to benefit the way I think and read the scriptures for the rest of my life. It's only been a few days and I'm already falling in love with the city! I can't wait to experience the rest of this semester and all that's in store for me.

This is the view from my room. I get to wake up to this every morning