Originally written March 2020
Funny enough, I thought Israel would be the pinnacle of my adventure — the place that would feel the most intense, unfamiliar and overwhelming.
Instead, it became the part of the trip where I felt strangely relaxed and at peace.
Beautiful, yes.
Cheap? Absolutely not. 
I’m still wondering why I believed my Jewish neighbour when he told me everything in Israel was cheap.
Maybe I should have remembered that he is a doctor. 
Even using the toilet could cost about a dollar, so by then I had learned to appreciate free bathrooms as a genuine travel luxury.
Our first stop was Netanya, a coastal city on the Mediterranean. After so much moving around, the sea and the slower pace felt almost like a reset.
The next day we visited Caesarea, where ancient ruins sit beside the Mediterranean.
What stayed with me most wasn’t just the history or the scenery, though. It was the contrast.
Before arriving, I expected Israel to feel tense.
And yes, as a visitor I sometimes sensed divisions between different groups and communities.
But in my own experience, the people I met were generally friendly, and I felt much more peaceful there than I had expected.
Sometimes a place surprises you not because it looks different from what you imagined…
but because you feel different while you are there.
That, for me, was Israel.
Stories Along the Way 