Good bye, Jordan! Hello, Israel! Truly Julie crossing the border the old school way (on foot!). Fitting, since she’s visiting one of the oldest cities: Jerusalem!
The more I travel, the more people I meet, the more I experience life, the more I realize this: life is about finding purpose and clarity. And for nearly 6000 years, people have flocked to Jerusalem in search of those two elusive goals. Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world; and it’s also where in a span of 3 block radius…three major religions planted its roots. You may have heard of ‘em: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam:) Western Wall, where Jesus was crucified, Temple Mount…it’s all right here…ensconced inside the Old City. In the top right picture…oh…I’m just casually strolling past the Birth Place of Virgin Mary! 
Weaving through Old City…you can’t help wonder, ‘Gosh, if these walls could talk.’ Brick by brick, the Old City wall was built in 1538…and since then (and even prior), this holy site has been through countless attacks and rebuilding…all in the name of God. Of course, that’s the big issue, right? Whose God is the actual God. I’ll leave that debate alone since I’m pretty sure it won’t be settled anytime soon. One thing no one can argue against, though, is the palpable faith in Jerusalem. When you see someone praying so close to the Western Wall that their lips are grazing the limestone for hours; or when you see someone dip hundreds of candles one by one into a communal flame inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; or when you see a gentleman’s forehead almost bruised and 
calloused from kneeling down on the carpet so many times to pray…you can’t help but be swept away by Jerusalem and its devotion. My trip to Jerusalem happened during a very transitional part of my life. Perhaps, I’ll go into those details in a future post but what I can share now is that despite the wall that encompasses the entire Old City…I found Jerusalem to be a place of openness. Where clashing faiths can co-exist within these walls. Where one can unabashedly seek their purpose and clarity. And whomever your God…where one can believe that with clarity and purpose, you shall find truth. And as the saying goes: truth will set you free. Amen. אָמֵן. آمين.
with Vistamar and Da Vinci high school students today in the South Bay area. Thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of your career day (big shout out to Ms. Lissa Eidelman and Mr. Rhett Broderick)! It felt surreal to roam the hallways of a high school again, but it also made me feel like I came full circle. It seems like yesterday I was a vulnerable 15 year old girl trying to survive high school sans family and here I am today, sharing my story on how I was able to thrive. I wish every one of these students success and I hope that one day they, too, get to pay it forward. Remember, make the choice to challenge yourself…and only then, will you see change.
