sydie in the city: tel aviv, israel
ever since i spent 8 weeks in israel in 2017 with alexander muss high school in israel, i’ve been hooked on coming back asap. i applied for onward israel, a program my sister had done a few years back, last year and was scheduled to go last summer… then covid hit. a year later i’m finally here & it’s so surreal. i landed june 9th, got a covid test on arrival, got a serological blood test to check for antibodies, and now i’m working on getting settled in :) it’s certainly a challenge coming on a program completely alone without a buddy to cling to, especially when 1) we’ve been socially isolated for almost a year & 2) most people on my trip came with a best friend. i’m focusing on staying grounded, staying grateful, and remembering that i’m only here for 2 months and this is an epic opportunity that i’ve been waiting such a long time for.
a coffee shop named cafetish coffee quickly stole my heart with oat milk iced coffee & the most delicious chocolate ruggelach. i’m working remotely a few days a week and this coffee shop has both an inside and outside seated area & such friendly employees. highly recommend if you’re near central tel aviv!
the scenic walks and pathways in tel aviv are magical. between the gorgeous green landscapes, the busy beaches with the warm mediterranean water, and then remembering that we’re living among a true desert: it’s pretty breathtaking. i’ve been walking a ton here, which surprises me since i live in new york city and often walk everywhere there. i’ve been averaging between 15,000-23,000 steps a day, but I also haven’t gone into my office this week yet and that’ll add another hour of walking to my day. for the time i’m here i’ll be working as a journalism intern for Zavit Eco Magazine, an environmental news agency, and writing about food sustainability, environmental+ holistic health, and Israeli food culture. I’ll be linking all of my pieces to my blog if you’re interested !!! my first piece for Zavit is about the farm to table movement in Tel Aviv and the connection between these plant based restaurants and food sustainability educational opportunities among the community.
my favorite place to walk to so far for food, market finds, or just to hang out is sarona market. it takes less than 10 minutes to walk there from my apartment and there are so many different kinds of cuisines to explore. this stand caught my eye yesterday, the dates here are massive !!! i’m definitely going to try to bring some home along with spices for my family to have.
lastly i’ll leave you this brunch plate from benedict, a very well known cafe here in tel aviv. i got the avocado bagel dish which came with soft scrambled eggs with chives & israeli salad. this was soooo delicious and since our schedule hasn’t been that consistent yet i’ve been trying to eat lots of protein at my meals to give me enough energy. other great looking dishes at benedict: fluffy pancakes, green shakshuka, the israeli breakfast (eggs, herbs, avocado salad, beet tahini, dips + juice), and all the different kinds of eggs benedict.
much more to come!!! it hasn’t even been a week yet & i feel like i’ve already seen a bunch. being in a new city with new people and new culture is a little overwhelming but this is an adventure & i’m excited to share my exciting/happy/delicious/fun moments on here :)
yalla ♥️,
sydney
