The past few weeks have gone by at normal Shiri hectic pace. My two week stay in New York City was a whirlwind. I spent one weekend up in Boston, visiting with my friends Will and Eryn, and getting to experience life as a Cambridge student (fyi…it's pretty nice!). The following weekend, was even more exciting though, with the success of the Tanda First Benefit, a fundraising event for a non-profit in South Africa that my good friend Shannon was involved in. (If you get a chance, please check it out, www.tanda.org. The organization works with orphans of AIDS and other vulnerable children in South Africa, helping to set up after school programs. They also are involved in an amazing income generating program that takes handmade, stunning jewelry made by South African women and sells them online through their website.)

Last week though, I landed here in Israel…and things finally began to slow down, allowing me the much needed vacation I've been dreaming of since the run. I arrived in the middle of the Jewish holiday Sukkhot, a harvest holiday that apparently also celebrates the Jewish people's nomadic years in the desert…hmmm =) how fitting… I spent the holiday at my aunt's house, visiting with family, and doing a whole lot of nothing…aside from reading, laying on the beach, and eating a lot of really good home-cooked Israeli food…now that's a good life! It's been great to be able to spend time with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins; family I very rarely get to see when I'm back in the States.

After the holiday, I moved on to Tel Aviv, which I am making my temporary home. I am proud to say that the majority of the past couple days were spent laying on the beach, trying to gain back my faded tan, and from what I can tell, succeeding!! =) After swimming in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Indian and Arabian Sea, the Great Lakes, and most bodies of water in between…I was shocked by how warm the Mediterranean Sea was!! Honestly, it's amazing, beautifully clear and clean, and surrounded by gorgeous fine white sand. It's my heaven! =) If the weather stays this perfect, I can't make any promises about leaving anytime soon.

The rest of my time has been spent roaming around this amazing city, scouting out the different gyms (all of which are top-notch, phenomenal, and brand new), searching for real ice coffee (they sell this "ice coffee" that's like a coffee smoothie…and definitely not the same), trying to find an Ulpan (intensive Hebrew language program) to sign up for, and most importantly, actively searching and applying for jobs (here in Israel, back in the States, and all over the world). In all honesty, the job search though, is probably taking up most of my time…which is probably a good thing…and hopefully will show some rewards soon =).

For now though, it's life in paradise! Hope all is well with each of you, thanks for continuing to follow along, and...if you happen to hear of any jobs that sound up my alley, please don't hesitate to forward them along or pass on a good word for me ;)