XtineFiles

It was a very intense journey. We saw as much as we could. From the night life in Tel Aviv to the Dead Sea, to the Old City in Jerusalem.

Every moment was breath taking. It was a clash of cultures. One moment you are standing on Jewish Holy ground surrounded by the Israeli Army, the next moment you're touching a piece of rock were Jesus was anointed, all while hearing Muslim prayers over loud speakers that echo throughout the city.

I can't fully articulate what it is truly like in Israel. I dont even think words can capture it. There is something magnetic about Jerusalem. The Western Wall vibrates. When you touch it you can feel its pulse. Everywhere I walked, everything I saw, everything I smelled and heard is so vastly different from any other place I have ever been. There is intense security, which is good because in the back of your mind you know how volatile this place is. And its no wonder why there is so much fighting. Everybody wants a piece of it.

On my final day I sat on a slab of rock right outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. I had a long conversation with one of our guides, Adam, a 28 year old Israeli, with an amazing perspective on the world. He said the Hezbollah in Lebanon are re-arming and he expects this summer to be a hard time for the Israelis. Then he said, "I am so glad you got to see this place now...It is the center of the universe and the center of religion and it can get destroyed at any time." That makes me deeply sad.

I'm moved in a way I cant explain and will remain forever changed from this experience.