Have Nutella, Will Travel: Holy Update

so sorry for the hiatus. Just been adjusting, exploring, settling and CHILLIN OUT.
I have never had so much free time to do whatever I want, whenever I want so its just an adjustment, no complaints obviously, but just adjusting.
Here are my thoughts thus far on Israel/ Tel Aviv-
1. SHOCKINGLY expensive. Equal if not more than NYC. Attempted to buy groceries and spent 100 shekels ($30) on hummus, pita, milk, cereal and yogurt. WHAT.HOW.WHY.
2. the beach is everything you need and its 80 degrees everyday.
3. Tel Aviv is super chill about all political shit, and I have felt very unprepared (as I had no intention or plans of coming to Israel) about my knowledge and opinions of the current situation so have been trying to talk to as many Israeli's and other volunteers who have been here a while about the war this summer and other happenings and am still very confused, but have gathered that no one here really changes their way of life for the chance of a bomb or shooting. People don't live in fear basically. I do hear its vastly different in Jerusalem, and that there are parts of the city for different religions, so I am looking forward to seeing that.
4. The people- picture this place- I hope you all checked the website- it has like 20 dorm rooms, some 6 bed, some private and so there is a bunch of space for guests, but its not full right now. There are about 14 volunteers and probably less guests so the volunteers are kinda a small family, very reminiscent of my group in Cape Town, just a bunch of random people thrown together in a common place. The way it works is that you work 5 hrs a day/ 5 days a week for your stay and get free breakfast and the location is ideal- 10 min to beach and Jaffa, the hip neighborhood. AND THE ROOF- if anything this place is known for its roof, it is 2covered in 20 couches and a bar and speakers and just where everyone is 99% of the time- I am terrified for when it rains, but apparently you can't say that cause there is a drought and no water in Israel.
Ok so the people! Where should i begin? probably Randi- she is just so cool. She's been here a month, she is 30, the oldest volunteer, SAILED HERE from the Bahamas to Amsterdam, then worked in Turkey for the summer then came down to Israel cause her EU visa expired and is working at an american bar here. Her background: from upstate NY (woo! the only other american), lived in Portland, OR the past 9 years making art, working hair and makeup for photoshoots, and selling portraits of rappers on instagram I KNOW. COULD SHE BE COOLER. She's obsessed with the sea, so she has fish tattoos all over herself. oh yea, everyone here is covered in tattoos, im like the baby of the group with my modest 2. So, yes, Randi is my idol and were going on a mural tour of the Florentine "artist neighborhood" this week. The others are a mix, but all just cool true backpacking, world travelling, 22 year olds much like myself, but from all over- 5 Danish people, all blonde, nice and love to drink. One cool guy from England who is my adventure buddy cause we both get sick of sitting around all day and like to wander the streets and take pics. A few other girls who are like fine, but nothing stellar- nice and normal but I could never like spend all my time with. Then there is Inci- from Turkey, but has lived in the US for about 5 years. What I love about her, besides her amazing dreds and style, is that she treats money with no worries. I feel like to travel like this you really have to have money and am constantly stressed about it, but she is sooooo not. She literally went to NYC with $10 in her pocket and just found friends and people to take her in, feed her, toughed out some nights sleeping on the street and made her way to Cali to work at a tattoo shop in San Diego for a year and then moved to New Orleans where she worked at a hostel for 3 years and fell in love with the city and wants to go back but doesn't have a visa. Just has a beautiful attitude towards new people and experiences and is a true example of good karma.
Then there are the guests- they are constantly changing, but some are long-term. 2 gay dudes from Switzerland who I hit the beach with most days. AND THEN there are these 2 dudes who are OPERA SINGERS FROM JOBERG. They are slightly older, but we talk Cape Town and South Africa shit all the time and they both randomnly love the OC so it was best friendship at first sight and there accents just kill me and bring me right back.
SO YES ALL IS WELL FINALLY.
And from here I am going to Paris for a week, then Morocco for 2 weeks before heading back to Italy for Christmas. Not a bad way to spend 2 months- we'll see how long I can keep up this lifestyle for.

Oh one other thing, had a religious photography experience yesterday and have just starting busting out the cameras and building this so called portfolio. Yesterday I went on a solo mission to The Photohouse- it is the oldest and only left in Israel. It holds all the archives from this photographer Rudi Weissenstein, who photographed the day Israel declared Independence in 1948 and a famous Israeli photographer throughout the 50's and 60's. They sell prints, postcards, books, and have all of his neagtives organized in old wooden storage cabinets around the store and are working on digitalizing everything slowly but surely. The woman who was working yesterday and I talked for 3 hours about photography, New York and Israel and it was truly heartwarming. She was explaining how she has stopped reading stuff because the media is so one sided and only reports disasters and tragedy in Israel, but never the beauty and wonderful things happening everyday. We went back and forth talking for a while and got stuck on why people choose to come visit Israel over so many other countries at war. I was telling her how many people I know who visit Israel or want to, yes I know a lot of jews so of course that is a connection, but still it is a very popular travel destination, unlike Syria, Afghanistan, even Palestine and so many African countries. Israel is much more westernized, especially central Tel Aviv and does have beaches, but still often has bombs going off and is constantly in threat of another war outbreak. It was an awesome talk and a very very cool store- I will be back.

Enjoy some shitty Iphone pics- good ones to come when the cameras are charged and working!