I Am Not An Adventure By Choice, But By Fate--Van Gough

I realize most of my entries have not been about my journey to the rabbinate (or impending journey to the rabbinate since school has not started yet, nor does it start until July 11^th). This is possibly because up until this point most of what I am doing is not related to rabbinical school.  I am in the mist of all the pre-stuff: submitting my paperwork such as campus request forms [I hear on June 17^th and you all will know then too, I promise], finishing courses graduating with my MA.Ed [two weeks!] from The American Jewish University, planning my trip to Europe [or letting my travel buddy plan and agreeing to whatever he says because I don’t plan or make decisions, or use technology in any productive way that would be useful in planning the trip], and crossing things off of my “before I leave LA bucket list”. I have made great dents in the list, knowing from the start that I would not complete this list, but figured part of the fun is trying. In the past year I managed to cross the following off the list:

*Wine tasting in Napa [including a Kosher winery]

* Danced around the streets of Santa Cruz

* Road tripped down the Pacific Coast Highway

* Found a castle in California

* Gone to Universal Studios theme park/ studio tour

* Explored different Los Angeles neighborhoods

* Gone to the LaBrea tar pits

* Gone to the San Diego Zoo

* Wandered [it was snowing so I could not hike] The Redwood Forest

* Gone to see a movie at the El Capitan Theater [ok, I have not done that one yet but it is my next youth group event so its as good as done]

* Gone to Alcatrez

* Gone to the Skirball Museum

* Gone surfing

There are many things I have not done that were on the list, but in less then 12 months I think 13 things is not so bad, especially given that most of them have been amazing adventures [Jill you will be missed terribly next year!] It is with that in mind that I present Manda’s Year In Israel Bucket List, because I am going to be in Israel for a year, I need to have adventures, so why not make a list [for my future classmates that read this here is where you learn something about me--I love lists. Actually, it is not that I love lists, its that I love crossing things off of lists. I have to do lists for everything...it helps me stay organized...sort of]
Manda’s Year In Israel Bucket List

1. Go to Spain
2. Go to Italy

            [ok one and two are cheating I already know I am doing that but still]

3. Go to Germany
4. Go to India
5. Go to Nepal
6. Go to Amsterdam
7. Go to France
8. Go to the UK
9. Explore Be’er Sheva
10. Explore Haifa
11. Spend either Shabbat or part of a holiday in Tsfat
12. Go to the “halacha theme park” Rabbi Alexander told my Survey of Jewish Law class about and explore the different Sukkot
13. FINALLY go to Ein Gedi and splash around in a waterfall
14. Make olive oil
15. Go to the Paddleball museum
16. Go to a really interesting festival that I have not gone to before [film festival and wine festival are a must but do not count for this list]
17. Do the yam l’yam hike
18. Go to Egypt and leave at the end of Passover and enter “The Promised Land”
19. See at least 3 Israeli concerts
20. Do a sunrise hike of something besides Masada

Please feel free to comment with what you would like to join in on, or what things you think need to be added to the list!