Golan Heights. Jerusalem. The Garden of Gethsemane. These are all famous places associated with Israel, a country in Asia that is about the size of New Jersey. While most people only dream of places such as these, junior Jancee Bennett was able to experience it firsthand.

                Bennett traveled to Israel from December 31 to January 14 with a few friends. She spent nearly 26 hours at the airport waiting, but Bennett said it was definitely worth it.

                “The opportunity came up to go with some Randall alumni that were friends of mine and I couldn’t resist,” Bennett said.

                Like any other country, Israel has its own language, primarily Hebrew and Arabic. A language barrier is often one of the most difficult problems a traveler can face, but Bennett said that the communicating was not as hard as she originally thought.

                “The most surprising thing while I was there was the lack of language barrier, pretty much everyone I tried to speak to knew English.”

                Israel is noted for its geographical sights, including the Dead Sea, the ancient Roman city Caesarea, and the religious city of Nazareth. Bennett toured all over the country in addition to these places.

                “I went to the Mediterranean Sea, Caesarea Maratima, Jezreel Valley, boated across the Sea of Galilee, Mountain Of Beatitudes, Golan Heights (a personal favorite), Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, The Pools of Bethesda, Nazareth and the Wailing Wall,” Bennett said.

                The weather differed from her own native Amarillo, Texas.

                “The weather there ranges,” Bennett said. “In the city of Jerusalem it was freezing, near the sea in Arbel there were flowers and oranges in bloom in January, and when you dropped in elevation to go to the Dead Sea it felt like summer.”

                The culture was another foreign thing to Bennett.

                “One of the main differences was that men would just ask you to marry them right there before even knowing your name,” Bennett said. “They were incredibly forward.”

                The arrival home from Israel came as a shock to Bennett. She missed almost two weeks of school, and had plenty of schoolwork waiting for her.

                “I think the hardest adjustments upon getting home was my appetite and sleeping patterns. Every morning for a week I wanted dinner instead of breakfast,” Bennett said. “It was so difficult to catch up on homework. But it was worth it.”