In the last few days, I've been forced to come to the realization that I only have a short time left in Israel. It has been an amazing three and a half months so far, but I still can't imagine going home. My time here has created new friendships, ideals, values - all things that I want to bring home and continue in my life in the United States. I have learned so many new things in Israel, and I really don't want my experience here to end.

One of the things I will be most mindful of upon my return is Israeli current events, along with the culture here. The biggest problem for Jews in America is simple ignorance of Israeli current events, and I don't plan on being uninformed. I also want to continue my Jewish cultural identity, which has evolved through my time in Israel, when I return to Milwaukee. I want to continue to learn Hebrew and develop my Jewish thought as well.