By Abbie Lambert
Sea to sea. Yam L’Yam. It’s in the name yet it’s still hard to believe. We physically walked across an entire country. We physically traveled from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean Sea. Sea to sea. Yam L’yam.
Going in to this experience my expectations were high. I’d heard of the incredible journeys, memories, and stories created on this chavaya from my sister and her friends that came before me, but little did I know that it would live past anything they had said. From sleeping under the bare stars to waking up to picturesque sunrises, sea to sea undoubtedly changed my life.
On our very first hike, our guide Nemo asked why we were there. He sat us in a circle, in the middle of a not so paved road, and threw the question all of us think about but never really answer at us. He asked, “why are you here?” and told us to interpret as we saw fit. We left it at that and continued our journey through piles of cow poop and stacked boulders. We swam in crystal clear rivers and sat together catching fish, or in my case letting them nibble at my feet. We sang songs and played games while simultaneously creating unparalleled bonds. Some found new people and others new passions. Humans are one of the only species that can go through life without truly living, and this experience forced us to feel life to its fullest extent.
The rich greens and bright blues of nature stood out as we walked miles on miles unsure of our final destination. We cooked our own meals on tiny burners with our own recipes, cleaning the dirty dishes with sand and creek water. We enjoyed our forest cooked salami sandwiches and Tea cookies in the middle of the forest with pure enjoyment on our minds, because what more to life is there than that? As our phones died with no way to charge them, we were all exposed to the raw personalities behind every face. It could’ve been sitting around a campfire late at night or relaxing together on our so called “beds” – it really didn’t matter because we were together.
On the first night, Nemo sat each of us down, apart in the dark, in the middle of nature and told us just to listen. I feel like this is analogous to sea to sea as a whole. Sometimes it was hard to focus on one sound or view because there was so much going on around you, but that’s the point. The entire journey was about soaking it all in at once, we’ve all heard it before right? Just stop and smell the roses once in a while. Well, by hiking through these terrains we got a worthy scent. We “let the land walk through us” as Yael would say. There was never a dull moment, no matter where we were.
After a final rough bike ride down the mountain we finally arrived at the Mediterranean and I cannot express the feeling that washed over every single one of us. Accomplished and proud don’t even begin to cover it. If there’s one thing I’ll remember from sea to sea, it’s the view from the top of the Mediterranean Sea. If infinity were tangible, this is what I imagine it would look like.
Before swimming, Nemo sat us for our final circle. Except this time he asked us what we left and what we took away from our journey. Some were literal and talked about material belongings like towels and rings. Others took it another direction and talked about memories and experience. After a few days of letting his question marinate a little, I think I’ve come across my own final answer. If I left one thing with sea to sea it was any notion of what I thought I wanted from the world. I never really did stop to smell the roses before this Israel trip in general. There’s so much to see and so little time to see it. Sea to sea showed me how much I love nature and the world for what it is, and I want see it all! If I took one thing from sea to sea with me I’d say it’s new goals and values. Life’s not about riding the highs but rather enjoying the struggles. It’s hard to be positive all the time, and if hot multi-mile hikes weren’t enough to make us feel a little negative, maybe the lack of showers did. What I learned though is that it’s okay not to be so happy all the time. I strive to enjoy life for everything it is and find happiness in the little things. Looking out at that deep blue infinity, that’s exactly how I felt. Infinite.
So to answer Nemo’s initial question “why am I here?” I’ve decided my answer is simply this: I’m here to live, and to love to live at that. Sea to sea will permanently leave an imprint on my life and I’ll carry that piece of infinity with me for the rest of my life.
