It really hit me how close we were to the Syrian border when I saw a sign that said "Jerusalem: 161 km" and "Damascus: 65 km."
On our last day of the seminar, we visited the Golan Heights in the very North of Israel. We drove up to the top of a mountain that overlooked the surrounding land: on one side, Syria, on another, Israel. The wind was strong, and even though we could feel the heat, we could also see snow on the tops of distant mountains. Nearby, we could also see a mock-city that was built so the soldiers in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) could practice combat.
Second to last stop of the seminar: pizza.
Last stop of the seminar: rafting in Kfar Blum, right on the Jordan River. I've only been rafting two times in my life. The first time, I capsized and had a near-death experience (Bali). The second time, the waters were rapid, and I had to grab tightly onto the ropes otherwise I was sure I would fly off when we hit the rocks (Santiago). Third time's the charm. The waters were so calm in Jordan river. We had to do the paddling if we wanted to move anywhere. At one point, four of the rafts decided to connect together into one mega-raft, just as we were going down the mini waterfall. Luckily, someone captured that moment.
I feel very lucky to have taken part in this almost-fully-funded seminar. We visited all the places that I would have certainly missed out on had I not taken part in it, and it was lovely to be with all the MIT kiddos for a handful of days.
I miss Maje and Sima.