Welcome to Tel Aviv

So what that I'm barely functional in anything involving Hebrew and that sometimes when I do the laundry I don't actually use soap...only fabric softener. I can learn, I can learn, and smell good when I sweat.

Anywayyy...

I spent the better part of the 2 1/2 hour bus ride with my head on Itzik's lap pretending to sleep. I really wanted to sleep and I was really trying to sleep but it was really difficult because I was touching Itzik and Itzik was touching me. Even in the most innocent sense of touching...it was too much. I had been scared to touch him and now I was scared to let go.

I was holding his hand and tracing my pointing finger gently down the middle of his palm and he hand his hand on my leg closer to my knee. Every so often he traced a light circular pattern on my leggings with his finger.

People were watching us, but I only know this because they told me so. For all I knew, we had been transported to some remote place that was a little too cold and a too small to lie comfortably.

But then I was shaken awake.

"Want to see where I work? I work just down...right down...THAT street! In a clothing store in a mall."

"...And my house it's all the way that way."

(If I had only known then I would have paid much more attention...maybe)

When we got off the bus we had a dinner while we waited to get each of our room keys and talked about our big night out in Tel Aviv but I was having trouble hearing. I was having trouble breathing too. I think maybe there was pasta that night? All I know is that Itzik made fun of what I ate and that I was sitting with Itzik, Eilon, and Adar (another male soldier).

Itzik and I separated to go find out respective rooms and shower and change for our night out in Tel Aviv.

I started to freak out and recount my history of guys and other vulgar things to my two roommates for that night, Melanie and her cousin Kraechelle. and obviously I hated everything article of clothing that was in my suitcase, my make-up, and my hair.


I kept thinking that I shouldn't have sat next to him. I don't want be that girl...you know the one that takes the boys intentions seriously and gets hurt. I didn't want anything to ruin my time in Israel. I didn't want any boys in Israel. It was stupid. He is beautiful and just wants the same thing as any other guy. Just because I'm in the holy land doesn't mean that the native guys don't still think with the wrong head...but why was I freaking out about it. Nothing happened so I would just make sure that nothing happened. But even if something did happen it would be a story right and he--

"STEPHANIE! COME ON. Let's go. I'm not waiting for you anymore!" Melanie interrupted.

I was dressed and I didn't look that terrible so I followed her.