I'm going to Israel

I'm going to Israel for the first time in a few days. I'm a religious Catholic, and I'm going to visit my girlfriend who's working there for a few months. I'm 23 and I'm Canadian so I guess you could say I'm a pretty standard-issue millennial who hasn't been much outside of Western Europe.<br><br>I've always been fascinated by everything related to the Middle East, but I'd never been there. It's a major chance for me to see the area for real, and I'm so stoked.<br><br>My girlfriend, aka my soon-to-be wife, is a key part of this trip. She's doing some internships in the IT industry and she's based in Tel Aviv. I don't know too much about the city yet, especially the religious side of things, but I'm planning to spend my days there going to the sea, doing walks around the city, visiting churches, and even some clubs... I'm curious to see how different from my home city it will be.<br><br>My girlfriend is Christian too, so we're planning to go to Nazareth together. My mom is very religious and she was really glad we were going there, and that I would be able to see the places where we got the Christian faith from. She wants me to bring back some Holy Water from Nazareth (I believe it's in the river there?). We're planning on visiting other cities, other neighbouring countries, but I don't know much about them yet so I'll ask for your advice!<br><br>I'm also planning to visit Jerusalem. I've read some articles about that and it seems to be one of the main religious cities of Israel, and some important towns are there. I will probably go on a guided tour there, so that I can be sure to see everything important, as I don't know much about the city. I'm planning to see some of the historical sites, like the Wailing Wall, and some of the important churches. My girlfriend is also very excited to see the church in Jerusalem where the apostles were bitten by the snakes!<br><br>She's been living in the area for a few months and she told me she was surprised to see that she never felt in danger... I don't know if it's because she's based in Tel Aviv, which seems to be a safer city than other cities in the country, but she was glad to see that she could move around without being scared all the time. My dad was a bit worried about our safety and the political situation, but my girlfriend reassured him and he was relieved.<br><br>For my part, I'm a bit more preoccupied about the language barrier. I didn't speak a single word of Hebrew when I planned this trip, so I tried to learn some words to help me get around. I've learned some greetings, some basic phrases, and I'm trying my best to be able to pronounce them correctly. Hebrew is certainly very different from English and French, and even Germanic and Latin languages. I'm also planning to carry around a small notebook and pen to help me get around if I need anything. Thankfully, most people in Israel speak English fluently, at least according to my girlfriend, so I shouldn't have too many problems.<br><br>I'm also a bit curious about the food. I'm not particularly adventurous when it comes to food, but I'm planning on trying falafel, shawarma, and some traditional dishes. I'm also planning on trying some of the local fruit, and maybe some religious food. My girlfriend has been raving about the food in Israel and I think that's one of the few reasons she's sad to leave, when her internship ends.<br><br>I'm planning on staying a few months, so maybe I'll get bored of the food after a while, but I'm excited to discover new tastes and dishes. I'm also planning on trying some Israeli beer, which my girlfriend says is excellent, but I think I'll have to get used to a warm beer, as she says that beer is not served chilled in Israel...<br><br>I'm also a bit curious about the way of life in Israel. I know that the country is very different from Canada, and I'm excited to discover a new culture. I'm planning on spending time with people, visiting cities and towns, and getting a feel for the local way of life. My girlfriend has been telling me some stories about how her co-workers are amazed by her "Canadian" ways, and how she sometimes gets amused comments about how she tries to do things... something tells me I'll get the same reaction, but it's all part of the adventure, I guess!<br><br>Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm very excited about my trip to Israel. I'm looking forward to discovering a new country, meeting new people, trying new foods, and seeing the beautiful landscapes.