Israel is one of my favorite places in the world – familiar and foreign all at once. Last August, I took my fourth trip to the Holy Land, but it was the first that I planned myself. As a Jewish young person, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit Israel for free as part of the Taglit Birthright Israel program, which provides free of charge first-time trips to Israel for Jewish youth. Admittedly, my excitement about my first trip to Israel in 2013 was a bit dampened by the pressure I felt to “buy into” the political perspective of my guides. At times, the trip felt like a ten-day-long sales pitch for a timeshare in Israel: (“Shalom! Welcome to your homeland!”). That said, the itinerary was excellent, and after being to Israel three times since then, I think the organizers of Taglit do a really terrific job of showcasing the magic of the country.

I then attended a work conference in Jerusalem in 2015, and participated in an eight-week-long academic seminar in Haifa in 2016. Both the conference and seminar move to a different country every year; I simply lucked out. The last time I departed from Tel Aviv, watching the coastline fade into the Mediterranean Sea, I recall not knowing the next time I would return.

When it came time for Saúl and I to choose a location for our summer vacation last year, I couldn’t think of a more special place to share with him. While we were a bit concerned by the idea of traveling so far for a trip of less than one week, we decided to go for it, and prioritized flexibility in our scheduling.

Day One: DCA(me)/MEX(Saúl)->JFK->TLV->Galilee

We decided to begin our tour of Israel in the north of the country, near the Sea of Galilee. It was important for me to take Saúl to Galilee at the beginning of the trip for two reasons; first and foremost, when most people think of Israel, they likely conjure up images of desert landscapes, camels, maybe the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. Heck, the first page of a Google image search for “Israel” turns up several images of bombs. What doesn’t turn up? THIS:

This first very important lesson of the trip (and the first lesson I got on my first visit here years ago) is that despite its small size and its complicated political history, Israel can’t be put into a box. It is as diverse in terms of its landscape as it is in its cultural heritage. The second reason why I wanted to begin our tour in northern Israel is because the lush vegetation, availability of fresh water, and buzzing population in the region sits in a valley just miles from the border with Lebanon and Syria, two countries whose governments do not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Regardless of what preconceived notions anyone might have before visiting the place, it is much easier to comprehend regional politics while physically looking up at an area of contested land, which also happens to be a strategic military vantage point.

When we landed at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, we immediately picked up our rental car and drove north to the stunning Scots Hotel, a former Scottish hospital turned boutique hotel right on the shores of Lake Kinneret. Because we were only staying for one night, we splurged and got a beautiful room in the house that used to belong to the head doctor and his family. We had a lovely dinner in the hotel’s restaurant and hit the hay so we could be up early to watch the sunrise.

Day Two: Galilee->Nazareth->Jerusalem

We miraculously awoke before sunrise and enjoyed walking around the hotel’s gardens while taking in the view (and, let’s be honest, taking lots and lots of photos for the ‘gram). We had a huge breakfast to fuel us up for the day, and then checked out and headed to Nazareth. Only a few minutes away, we found parking in a small lot and visited the Church of the Annunciation, a basilica built on top of what Catholics believe to be the site where the Virgin Mary lived and where the Angel Gabriel told her that she would give birth to Jesus. The coolest part of this site to me was that many countries around the world had gifted art depicting the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, and each of them interpreted them as being from that country. For example, the Japanese mosaic depicted Mary and Jesus as Japanese people wearing kimonos.

We wandered down the street and discovered a museum boasting a beautiful rooftop garden brimming with flowers and fruit trees. Somehow we lucked out and were the only people there! We had time to enjoy a birds-eye view of churches and mosques dotting the landscape. Then we headed back to the car and drove a bit farther South to the port city of Haifa. Since I studied at the Technion University for a summer program there, I was excited to take Saúl to lunch at my favorite restaurant there, Fattoush. We had a delicious lunch of Arab food washed down by a fresh mint lemonade slushy and and then purchased some baklava from my favorite shop with dozens of varieties for the road, before heading to Jerusalem and checking into the Arthur Hotel, a quaint hotel with excellent front desk service and a fantastic location walking distance from the Old City.

Day Three: Jerusalem

There is something undeniably special about Jerusalem, something you can feel while walking past its impressive religious houses of worship and through centuries-old passages in the Old City. Exploring this city is like stepping back in time.

It was important to me to take Saúl to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum on our first full day in Jerusalem. I truly believe this is simply one of the most important buildings in all the world that every person needs to visit. The very architecture and design of the building forces each visitor to explore the exhibits and artifacts in a way that tells the true, haunting stories of the Jewish experience during World War II. It begins with a vivid video montage of pre-war Jewish life in Europe: holiday celebrations, dances, smiles – and crescendos with jarring images and accounts about the Nazis and their “final solution.” There are also stories of hope, of resistance, and of heroic actions by Jews and non-Jews, as well as a room of reflection to commemorate each of the names of the victims of the Holocaust. The moment you exit the museum, you are confronted with life all around you: sunshine, fresh air, and a stunning view of trees. Breathing in, I realized it was the first deep breath I had taken in hours. It is a jarring juxtaposition, and staring at the landscape here, reflecting on the horrors I’d just studied, it struck me just how complicated the political situation still is for the Jewish people. At that moment, looking at the forest and the surrounding area, there was absolutely no denying the Jewish people’s right to exist, and the emotional connection with this land.

Another reminder of today’s political challenges immediately followed; on our way from the museum to the Old City, we had to de-board the trolley due to a bomb threat. We ended up taking a cab to meet the tour guide from Sandeman’s New Jerusalem for a free tour, which I would highly recommend! The tour ended just as dusk was falling, and Saúl and I found ourselves momentarily alone in the streets of the old city, a stunning labyrinth of corridors comprising four quarters: Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim, each with its own unique energy and historical and religious sites. Knowing that we had an early wakeup the next morning, we grabbed pita sandwiches from a street vendor on our walk back to the hotel.

Day Four: Dead Sea and Jerusalem

This day started according to plan; we woke up at zero-dark thirty, picked up iced coffee for our drive south, and set off, eager to watch the sun rise over the Dead Sea. Like normal, I was the DJ and the navigator, and I took my duties seriously. When the Waze navigation app asked if I’d like to cut a few minutes off of the trip time, I clicked “yes” without thinking, and we kept driving… past an unmanned guard tower, next to a concrete wall, past several signs in Arabic… until we got to a sign that warned us that we were entering Palestinian territory and it was illegal and dangerous for Israelis to go any further. It was 4:30 am, we were in an Israeli rental car, and we didn’t have cell phone reception. As it turned out, our Israeli friends believe that we would have been totally fine to keep going, but we did not know that at the time, so we turned back around and drove all the way back to where we began. Refueled and recalibrated, we set off again from Jerusalem for the Dead Sea. This time, we took the correct route, but we ended up pulling over on the side of the road to watch the sunrise rather than doing so while floating in the Dead Sea. And you know what? It was just as beautiful! We still got to the Dead Sea before the massive tourist groups. It’s difficult to describe the sensation of floating in the Dead Sea, but it is definitely an experience to add to your bucket list! The water is warm and crystal clear, and the bottom is covered in spheres made of pure salt. Even just touching your tongue to a piece of the salt burns, and you can’t stay in the water long because, well, everything starts feeling tingly. But it is such an otherworldly experience floating effortlessly between Israel and Jordan, that any amount of time is well spent there! Plus, sadly, the Dead Sea is evaporating very quickly – at the rate of a meter a year. So if you want to visit, try to make it happen ASAP. Concerned about affordability? There are many organized tours to take you to Israel, regardless of your religious background. Many religious authorities provide subsidized trips to the holy land, which might be worth looking into for curious first-time visitors.

After the Dead Sea, we visited Masada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where more than two millennia ago, besieged Jewish rebels held off the Roman army for a year before committing suite rather than being taken as POWs. As if the history of the place wasn’t interesting enough, the views of the Dead Sea below were captivating. Aaaand the entire time, Saúl kept talking about how barren the desert was and how crazy it’ll be when humans live on Mars (we are big space nerds).

After an intense morning and several hours of driving, we arrived back in Jerusalem mid-afternoon. Saúl had a bit of schoolwork to complete, so I set off for the Mahane Yehuda Market. I love a good food market, and Mahane Yehuda is no exception: towers of dried dates, baklava, fresh figs, and freshly-baked challah bread tempted me as I made my way through the throngs of people rushing to buy groceries in final preparations for that evening’s Shabbat dinner. I didn’t have long to explore here, since we had our own Shabbat dinner to get to! Traveling allows us to connect with people around the world in ways we never would otherwise. I first met Yonatan and Marva in 2015, and their friendship has become a really special part of my life. This was the third time I was blessed to have a home-cooked Israeli meal at their house (and the second time I got to help cook)! We prepared Jewish food with Yemeni and Iraqi origins, including couscous, vegetable soup, Arabic salad, tahini dressing, and meat dumplings called kubbeh. Traveling exposes us to the ways we are all more alike than different, and it also throws the unique differences that make us special into sharp contrast. As long as I keep traveling, I’ll never stop learning.

Day Five: Jerusalem->Bethlehem->Tel Aviv

On this day, we intentionally visited the Palestinian Territories in the West Bank. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but our brief visit exceeded all expectations! With the help of our hotel staff, Saúl and I hired a Muslim Israeli tour guide to drive us from Jerusalem into Bethlehem, where we picked up a Christian Palestinian to show us the site of Jesus’ birth. I was surprised at how diverse and touristy the place felt; we saw many souvenir shops, a luxury hotel, and even a KFC! Although the political situation in the region is complex and at times tense, this area is generally safe for tourists because the Palestinians who live in the West Bank are subject to travel restrictions and therefore are heavily reliant upon people coming into the West Bank to visit. We visited the separation wall on the border between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, which was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The Palestinian side of the wall is covered in murals expressing the desire for peace and self-determination. I know that this is a complex situation, but I do hope that I live to see the day when this wall comes down so the two sides can live in harmony, and the art can travel around the world to different museums, like pieces of the Berlin Wall do today.

We crossed back into Jerusalem, picked up our rental car, and drove to Tel Aviv, the last city on our whirlwind tour of Israel. A new boutique hotel had recently opened, and we chose it for its proximity to the beach and – not going to lie – its name. Hotel Saul was a modern, clean hotel with great service and nearby parking.

After checking in, we headed to dinner at The Old Man and the Sea at the Jaffa Port, one of my favorite restaurants in the world. Believe it or not, everything in this photo comes with any meal you order at this restaurant. They bring all of these salads (“mezze”), plus a pitcher of lemonade, to your table while you decide what to order for your main meal! The views the fishing boats coming into dock are a free bonus.

Day Six: TLV->JFK-DCA(me)/MEX(Saúl)

On our final day in Israel, we enjoyed the beach (a few hours was enough; the scorching sun turned the sand blisteringly hot, and when we tried to cool off in the ocean, little fish bit our feet!). That afternoon, I did a bit of shopping on Sheinkin Street, a great spot to discover up-and-coming Israeli demi-fine jewelry designers. After we packed up and checked out of the hotel, we enjoyed dinner on the deck at Manta Ray, a restaurant on the beach in Tel Aviv. We toasted to our trip just as the sun slipped below the horizon, turning the sky a pink hue to match my rosé. After dinner, we headed to the airport and flew back home.

Israel challenges you. It enriches you. It makes you question so many things. Every time I leave this place, I have more questions than answers. This time was no exception, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to explore additional perspectives, and I look forward to returning very soon!