Usually, I’m saying that sentence with pride as I’m calling my mom to report about a day in the life of a piano major. I report on the impressive amount of practice hours I accomplished, how I finished the homework assignments I was planning on finishing, and telling her about the great life-shaping shift at work I had. It’s an exhilarating feeling to accomplish so much during the daylight. However, if you had asked me the percentage of activities I was doing out of my own free will and choice back then the answer would probably be about 30%. 

     As I sit here cross legged on my bed in my messy dorm room typing away to the sound of the evening prayer call, I look out the window. The drapes are pulled back to reveal the top crest of the hillside Palestinian neighborhood which surrounds the center. I think, what percentage of the activities did I do today out of my own free will and choice? Commence sigh of utter bliss, 100%. I’ve said it before and i’ll say it always here, my life is a dream right now. Today was especially wonderful. At 8 am we started the first step in the olive harvest! Ah good hard work* (asterisk because it wasn’t hard.. I worked as hard as I knew how though, laughing all the way with my wonderful friends.) At one point Thomas lifted me on his shoulders to pick the olives! We picked the 50 olives trees here with everything we had, climbing the trees, shaking the branches, picking clusters at a time, and trying our best to aim so that we threw them into the bags below held by our peers. It was so good to be outside, so fun to be picking olives?! (Can’t say you do that every day!) and so fulfilling to serve in at least a little way. The next step will be to crush and press the olives to get the olive oil out. 

     After the activity we stopped for a quick bite to eat at the cafeteria and headed out into the city. Our agenda? Rockefeller Museum, Dome of the Rock, and Tomb of Kings. Ha, goodbye practice hours, homework, and work to-do lists! Hello again to dream land. We visited all three sites and managed to get into a little mischief along the way. Check, check, and check. We had a great group, and I even got to help navigate/talk to some locals. 

     The Rockefeller Museum was fantastic. The perfect amount of artifacts so that it’s not overwhelming and it fits the space in the museum. The building was full of light and, of course, Jerusalem limestone. We went from time period to time period actually recognizing terms such as Neolithic Age, Iron Age II, and Hellenistic Age. I love learning about history and the humanities. We stayed for the perfect amount of time finishing off with a group pic in thez beautiful center courtyard area. Oh, and there were skeletons of people too! It was neat . . .

     The Dome of the Rock was sacred but still had that feeling of every Muslim place I visit. Just a little empty. I don’t know how else to explain it. But it was peaceful and sacred, and I’d love to go back again and take the time just to sit. The building was oh so beautiful. The tile work was magnificent. I loved wearing my scarf again. I dressed up especially for that activity so I could feel feminine and respectful in that place. 

     The Tomb of Kings was equally fun. It’s not too well known of a tourist site I guess because it was deserted. We were the only ones there for 45 minutes as we played sardines amongst the graves. Not your typical graveyard, however, this was was totally underground. Good thing iPhones have flashlights. Triangle-shaped cutout slats filled the walls where the bodies of ancient kings once lay. Each coffin shaped hole had a little shelf inside. I like to imagine they would place a candle there. Then, every time someone was buried they would light all the candles . . . what an ambiance that would have created. And all underground?! No wonder they were so superstitious back then . . . I think it would have been creepily, hauntingly, beautiful. So I’ll end with another sigh of completeness and the phrase again, how can so many things fit into one day?