Wandering far and wide

I arrived in Tel Aviv for a two-week archaeology study tour in Easter 2014. It was a compulsory module in my university, requiring you to travel with some other students to a foreign country and write a report on the archaeology there. Despite being nearly 21, I had never left the country without my parents and so I was scared out of my mind. We arrived in Tel Aviv in and were due to spend two days there before heading to Jerusalem. The next day I woke bright and early, ready to explore Tel Aviv only to discover that my group had other ideas and wanted to spend the day in bed. I spent the morning in the hostel, too afraid to go out on my own, until eventually the cabin fever got too much and I set off on my own.

Tel Aviv was big and confusing. I gave up on public transport almost immediately and decided to walk everywhere. My first decision was to walk along the Tel Aviv beachfront to the Andromeda Rocks. I set off, wandering along while eating an ice cream and basking in the continuous sunlight. When I eventually reached the rocks, I climbed up to a vantage point which lets you look over the beach and Tel Aviv. It was then that it hit me that I was on holiday and I was on my own. No-one could tell me what to do. My itinerary was open. I could do what I wanted.

It was, perhaps, the most freeing and exciting thought that I had had in my life up until that point.

After this, I explored all throughout Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is a surprisingly hippie place. It's the newest and fastest growing city in Israel (except for perhaps Eilat) but most of the growth has been in local businesses. This created a lovely walking atmosphere where you could stop in a cafe to buy a falafel pitta and freshly squeezed orange juice and then wander on further into a little shop selling homemade jewellery and furniture.

Afterwards, I continued exploring into the evening, only arriving back at the hostel at seven o’clock in the evening, exhausted and happy.