(no subject)
As the night progressed, I grew sicker and sicker and sicker. Charles and the staff made us sit in a stuffy room for about a CENTURY while they continuously talked! Josh Laufer was there, hoping he could make a recording of our songs...but we didn't. I felt like CRAP.
Finally, at 2 am, we sat down for the last time as a Kehillah to say our goodbyes. It hurt so much. Tali was sitting with me, and we were all invariably sobbing. I thought I wouldn't be able to speak at all. Derso said he thought it was the last time we'd all be in the same room together. It hurt me to hear him say that, and I openly disagreed with him. Between sniffling, crying, and coughing, I felt awful. I even had to go on the balcony to keep sneezing. For one last look at the lights of the Old City at night.
I didn't sleep. I had to get some last minute yearbook signatures the whole night, especially Derso's and Eli's. It was very important to me. I couldn't sleep. Nobody could. We were all awake, creatures of the night, wandering the hallway, laughing to hide the inevitable sadness that was already bubbling up.
I put my contacts in fluid, then stupidly tried putting them back in, forgetting that the fluid burns. It really hurt my eyes!
I called my parents, frustrated and sick. I didn't know what to do! I felt so disgusting. We loaded our things onto the buses very early.
Breakfast was somber. Hovav, bless his heart, kept trying to lighten the mood. Shoshana let me know if I didn't keep in touch with her, there'd be Hell to pay!
It finally came time to say goodbye after breakfast. I burst into tears with Gideon and could not stop crying. I cried saying goodbye to Michal, and thanked her for helping me on my transition religiously, for being so supportive. Saying goodbye to Eli hurt so much. I hadn't even had the chance to sign his yearbook, I'd been so sick. So I wrote "I love you" and told him I'd write him a huge email once I got home. Saying goodbye to everyone hurt like nothing's hurt before. Eldar and I had a tearful goodbye. I cried 3 separate times on hugging David Z. and Gideon. Naama, through her tears, told me to write her, and I said I would.
Outside, on the steps walking away to the bus, I desperately wanted Yair G. to write something, but he wouldn't. He just said goodbye.
I couldn't walk down the steps. I clung to David Z. He told me "No, Matt, you must be strong, you must be strong." And like that, I had to go. I sat on the bus with Maxx, crying horribly as we pulled away, watching Hovav and Gideon crying waving to us from outside, running alongside the bus.
And like that, the Americans left the Israelis.
Tali was on the bus, telling us that she was lucky; she gets to stay on for some extra time.
The inspector at the airport said suspiciously, "You have hookah?" I said yes, and she didn't care! Cool. Getting our baggage through was a huge pain in the ass though.
Saying goodbye to Uri and David G. I really didn't care. To be honest.
The flight was long. Zach S sat with me a lot, and I sat with him and Julia. We slept together, me sneezing, all of us occasionally weeping. The rest of the flight to New York, we all tried to forget our fate, laughing, reminiscing, singing yearbooks. Arielle kept taking pictures, and that kept me laughing. The movies were predictably awful.
We touched down in NY. Another set of goodbyes for the Americans. Bearhugs from Ben K. Love for Maxx. When will I see them again? I left with the LA crew: Zach, Yoni, and I. We saw Joel from Virginia randomly hanging around later on, and hung out with him before getting on the plane.
Arrived in LA, dazed, and miserably sick and ears clogged up.
Zach and Yoni and I ran to our respective families who were anxiously awaiting us.
And said hello to my father for the first time in almost a year.
A journey completed.
Though in truth, it's really never ending.
Finally, at 2 am, we sat down for the last time as a Kehillah to say our goodbyes. It hurt so much. Tali was sitting with me, and we were all invariably sobbing. I thought I wouldn't be able to speak at all. Derso said he thought it was the last time we'd all be in the same room together. It hurt me to hear him say that, and I openly disagreed with him. Between sniffling, crying, and coughing, I felt awful. I even had to go on the balcony to keep sneezing. For one last look at the lights of the Old City at night.
I didn't sleep. I had to get some last minute yearbook signatures the whole night, especially Derso's and Eli's. It was very important to me. I couldn't sleep. Nobody could. We were all awake, creatures of the night, wandering the hallway, laughing to hide the inevitable sadness that was already bubbling up.
I put my contacts in fluid, then stupidly tried putting them back in, forgetting that the fluid burns. It really hurt my eyes!
I called my parents, frustrated and sick. I didn't know what to do! I felt so disgusting. We loaded our things onto the buses very early.
Breakfast was somber. Hovav, bless his heart, kept trying to lighten the mood. Shoshana let me know if I didn't keep in touch with her, there'd be Hell to pay!
It finally came time to say goodbye after breakfast. I burst into tears with Gideon and could not stop crying. I cried saying goodbye to Michal, and thanked her for helping me on my transition religiously, for being so supportive. Saying goodbye to Eli hurt so much. I hadn't even had the chance to sign his yearbook, I'd been so sick. So I wrote "I love you" and told him I'd write him a huge email once I got home. Saying goodbye to everyone hurt like nothing's hurt before. Eldar and I had a tearful goodbye. I cried 3 separate times on hugging David Z. and Gideon. Naama, through her tears, told me to write her, and I said I would.
Outside, on the steps walking away to the bus, I desperately wanted Yair G. to write something, but he wouldn't. He just said goodbye.
I couldn't walk down the steps. I clung to David Z. He told me "No, Matt, you must be strong, you must be strong." And like that, I had to go. I sat on the bus with Maxx, crying horribly as we pulled away, watching Hovav and Gideon crying waving to us from outside, running alongside the bus.
And like that, the Americans left the Israelis.
Tali was on the bus, telling us that she was lucky; she gets to stay on for some extra time.
The inspector at the airport said suspiciously, "You have hookah?" I said yes, and she didn't care! Cool. Getting our baggage through was a huge pain in the ass though.
Saying goodbye to Uri and David G. I really didn't care. To be honest.
The flight was long. Zach S sat with me a lot, and I sat with him and Julia. We slept together, me sneezing, all of us occasionally weeping. The rest of the flight to New York, we all tried to forget our fate, laughing, reminiscing, singing yearbooks. Arielle kept taking pictures, and that kept me laughing. The movies were predictably awful.
We touched down in NY. Another set of goodbyes for the Americans. Bearhugs from Ben K. Love for Maxx. When will I see them again? I left with the LA crew: Zach, Yoni, and I. We saw Joel from Virginia randomly hanging around later on, and hung out with him before getting on the plane.
Arrived in LA, dazed, and miserably sick and ears clogged up.
Zach and Yoni and I ran to our respective families who were anxiously awaiting us.
And said hello to my father for the first time in almost a year.
A journey completed.
Though in truth, it's really never ending.