THURSDAY:

On Thursday we once again skipped breakfast and then after last announcement session, we went to volunteering. We were told once we got there that we weren't needed until 10. Great. We decided to get our ice cream then. Some people were sitting there and we all got our own ice cream for the last day. Once we got to volunteering we just hung out there and talked with Arthur-once he came back. After joking around with everyone, we were done with volunteering because we had to go to where we went the first day. All Sarel volunteers were there (including the cheks) and same with the important officer. We got fruit and pastries and after the officer thanking us and saying how great it was to have us here and how much it meant to the soldiers and him, he gave us the picture we took the other day laminated and a keychain. We told Arthur that we wanted to have lunch with him...and we did :) We talked with him and got to know him a little better. After lunch, we had to pack up and get ready to go. Arthur walked with us and then we took a few pictures and hugged goodbye.

After returning our uniforms and packing up, I was walking outside when I saw him again!! He came to give us the pin that goes on the berets and a base tag!!! I hugged him again. Then we had so much free time because the bus was running really late. Great. We walked around the base and went to where other people volunteer and went back to our place to hang out for a view minutes longer. They all joked that they didn't want us to go and then locked us in! We ran around to the side door, but when we got there he was there! We all screamed. Finally we had to go because the bus was close, but that was a lie, again. We then just sat, waiting for the bus. Finally the bus came.

We left Sarel, Bat Sheva in Rishon Litzion, after waiting for the other group coming from the north, which was late and made us worry about getting to Be'er Sheva on time. We got to Arad and Rach, Monica, Michal, and I jumped out of the bus. Grabbed our sleeping bags and ran up stairs-went to the bathroom, and Rach grabbed a thing of crackers bisquits and peanut butter. It was the 9 of us and Phil, our Sarel madrich, going to Be'er Sheva. He was to go to his home in tel aviv while we continued to Eilat. He kept making announcements on the ride to arad that everyone needed to hurry up at our stops because some people need to go to Eilat. When people were asking me where we were going after sarel we needed to give a very long answer - arad, Be'er Sheva, Eilat, Petra, Eilat, Be'er Sheva, and then back to Arad for a couple of days. Yep, a couple of days.

So the bus ride to Eilat was uneventful. We got off and were really excited for the weekend. We had directions to the hostel but couldn't tell what a street sign said so we asked for directions. We were literally 5 mins away.


We checked into the Arava Hostel and put our bags down. Some of us showered. Others were outside making friends with others staying at the hostel - a bunch of guys living on a kibbutz and doing ulpan right now - alex and zack twins from parkcity that were originally born in anheim, Garreth from South Africa who made Aliyah in oct and wants to be in the navy(met him when i was going to shower and him to pee), a kid from Toronto, hillel from Ny who had left ny bc of legal issues, nat or Nathaniel also from ny, and one other guy who I can't remember where he is from or his name...oops. Anyways, some girls were drinking with the boys, some stayed up to 3 and others went to bed around midnight. I went to be with the earlier bunch, we needed to get up for Petra at like 6:20!