"I hear Jerusalem bells ringing...."

My apologies that this is so late, but I am finally writing a post about our trip to Jerusalem.

Last Thursday my friends and I were talking about our trip to Tel Aviv that night. With nowhere to stay and no real knowledge of any hostiles there, a friend suggested that we change our plans and go stay at a cheap hostile in Jerusalem instead. Within an hour we all had our bags packed for the night and we were on our way to the bus stop.

Fast forward three hours, and we were in the Old City. After checking into our hostile we went up to the roof, where some of us were going to spend the night, and got situated. Picture it: directly in front of us was the top of the Dome of the Rock and many Muslim Mosques. To the right of us, and I mean literally the building next door, was the Tower of David.

Since it was still nice out we explored the Old City a bit and then walked out into the New City of Jerusalem. Equally magnificent, Ben Yehuda is made up of many restaurants, kiosks, and shops. Oh and don't forget music! It was wonderful to walk around, grab some excellent home-made fellafel, and explore the area.

At around 9ish we were back on the roof of our hostile. Now nighttime, the Dome of the Rock was lit up gold, the Mosques were lit up green, and the Tower of David had a light show on the side that was facing us. It was the most magnificent thing I have ever seen.

Trust me, I fell in love with Israel the day I got here...maybe even before. But that night solidified any feelings I thought I felt or actually felt. I will forever remember the night I truly found the place I feel most connected to.

In the morning we woke up at sunrise (yes, after only three hours of sleep at most) and we went to the Kotel at sunrise. Seeing the Western Wall just as the sun was coming up over it, watching prayers take place, and praying yourself, is something I recommend to anyone who will have this chance. It was once again a spectacular idea.

After that we grabbed our stuff, ate at a local bagel stand in the Old City, and then split up: some of us went to the market place, and the others, myself included, went over to the ramparts and walked up above the Old City. With the Old City to our left and the New City to our right, it was culturally overwhelming. And yet, another thing I would add to you "to-do" list because it is very historical, cultural, and spiritual.

On our way home, and ever since, I thought about how amazing it is to feel at home in a city I have never been to. And this feeling came over me so suddenly. In fact, it was practically as I got off the bus on Thursday.

Within the next five months I plan to go there as much as I can because I can assure you, Jerusalem is a magical city. And I LOVE it!