Spencer and Tel Aviv

My friend Spencer came to visit me in Israel!! It blow my mind that after four years apart, these two friends from Dawson Creek, BC have a reunion in Tel Aviv, Israel. Shyo (Hebrew for wow!).

We've had an excellent time together already. We spent the entire first night just walking around and talking and telling stories and sharing beliefs and lessons. Despite a four year age difference, entirely different global/developmental experiences, and four years without any consistent communication, Spencer and I have grown in very similar ways. Our world views and beliefs are closer today than they were in Dawson Creek. We've lived very different lives, but driven by a similar motivation to grow and experience and, as Spencer put it, to enjoy our "love affair with the world."

It is also interesting that the two of us mutually look up to one another. Years ago, in Dawson Creek, before either of us had done any travelling, he and I spoke of our ambitions to explore the world, articulating a vision of our near future that was vague yet definite. We share a mutual pride in knowing that we have both boldly and unashamedly pursued that vision, and are living lives that at least resemble, if not exactly match, that visions we spoke of years ago. That's a very encouraging realization, and gives me renewed hope and excitement about imagining and then pursuing the next five years of my life; Spencer is in the same boat, starting to think about university and setting roots in a community.

We have much to learn from one another, and it feels so great to spend some time reconnecting with a kindred spirit. It affirms to me that certain connections are unchanged by time and distance, and in fact, can grow stronger from them.

On top of really enjoying our time together, we also discovered we have really great travel chemistry. I think because of our similar approaches to travel and adventure, we support the occurrence of adventure and experiences everywhere we go.

Spencer had only been in Tel Aviv for about two hours, and we were walking along the beach talking about our past few years. As we crossed a large family of Arabic women, they asked us if we would like to try their arghila. We, of course, said yes and began speaking with the family. Before long we were flying a kite with the young sister (maybe 12 years old), speaking to the mother who had lived in Sweden for five years, and being invited to attend the family dinner. Though we ended up not being able to attend the dinner because of transportation reasons, the whole experience re-awakened the art of travelling. Meeting and enjoying the company of new people, who live lives very different than the ones you are usually exposed to, is the fulfilling and eye-opening part of travel. It means a lot to have a travel companion who understands that as I do, and lives those values. My brother Leon is like that, too.

Spencer and I spent a whole day on the beach, meeting local Tel-Avivers, and sharing stories, playing music, occasionally interrupting the flow of conversation with swims in the sea. We ended up being invited for dinner at a woman named Limor's house, and she prepared the most delicious lentil stew on rice with Bulgarian red-pepper salads as sides. It was an amazing meal, garnished with wonderful stories and conversations about our families, and then followed with a dessert of singing and playing music. As the night rolled on we lost track of time and laughed and sang until 6am, when the sun started to rise and reminded us that time still existed and that we had missed our night's sleep.

We are off to Jerusalem today, and I'm back to work tomorrow. I intend to write a blog post about what my life at work is like, as it is just as important to reflect on my day-to-day as it is to share the stories of the unusual moments that highlight my week. Plus, work is the most meaningful and enjoyable part of my week each week.