day 2

shello! 

Today was our first real day in Israel and there is about one word that sums it up…INCREDIBLE. Holy Shmoley, it was probably one of the best days of my life. We got up around 6, ate breakfast, and got on the road. We drove around to the eastern part of the Sea of Galilee and were dumped off in the middle of no where..We put on harnesses, grabbed 4 liters of water, and a helmet and hit the trail. We probably hiked for a good hour or so through nothing but grass, prickles, rocks, and dirt. When we got down into the canyon, it was amazing! There were trees, flowers, and waterfalls everywhere!

            Well before we started the hike, we were told that we were going to be jumping off cliffs and it about scared the pants off of me. When we actually got to the cliffs, I had a rush of panic and excitement all at the same time. We threw our bags into the water and took a leap of faith after them. The water was the perfect temperature to cool us off but not make us cold. I couldn’t have imagined anything better! All 14 of us jumped off, got our bags, and started hiking to the next waterfall. The rocks we were climbing over got a little old after the first few hours. I’m pretty sure I rolled my ankles 1209209458 times..I felt like Indiana Jones climbing through all the vines and trees. I was only missing my satchel!

            The next drop we got to was a little too high to jump off of, so what better thing to do than rappel down! I was one of the first to go because the longer I stood at the top and looked over the edge, the more I would freak myself out. It was a little scary at first but the guide who was helping me was super nice (jenna marbles anyone? J) so that made it a little better. At the end, we had to completely let go of the ropes and let ourselves fall into the water from quite a few feet up. That was a nice little surprise they didn’t tell u s about until it was time to let go..how kind, right? After that little moment of panic, I let go and swam to a few rocks that were a barrier between another waterfall that we could just jump into. SO AMAZING.

            After climbing up more rocks and trees, it was time to hike back up to the top of the canyon. When I say canyon, it literally looked like the Grand Canyon. And we had to hike up it…There was a little more than a mile of just rocks, trees, and vines and then about 500 steps that went straight up to get out of there. My legs were jelly by the time we got to the top. But it was so worth it!

            I have never experienced anything like this in my life. I have gone hiking but nothing compares to this. I was just so overwhelmed by God’s beauty I didn’t know what to do with myself! It truly was the most incredible experience of my life. I am so thankful to be on this trip!

Love yall