At the intersection of the worlds►

by Yelyzaveta Mokra (Ukraine)

I didn't expect to find Israel

Before this journey, I would never have thought in how different worlds can people live on the same how it would seem planet. Already having the experience of traveling, for the first time I felt complete helplessness, confusion and at the same time unbridled enthusiasm and curiosity. Exactly there I fully understood the essence of phrase: “I have met many people in Europe. I even got to know myself ” but in my case it was about the Middle East. It all began with such an unattainable dream - to visit Israel. I belive it doesn't matter how much you know about the peculiarities of the culture, traditions, climate of a country, locality, when you get there, you will definitely find something that will surprise you. On the way to Tel Aviv, I was able to see such contrasting landscapes: tent houses are located right by the road, and within a few kilometers a beautifully developed city of innovations and startups with high-rises, beautiful and modern infrastructure. When I got to the city, I immediately went to such a famous open air market - Shuk HaCarmel. I am sure that in order to better understand the new country, it is necessary to smell it. This is a place where new people are constantly coming around you, speak another language, where the invigorating aroma of coffee blends seamlessly with the sweet smell of baklava and dried fruit, where you only have to look in the eyes of the seller and a conversation are already started. Sniffing around the city, I set out to walk the nearby streets and somehow intuitively went straight to the shores of the Mediterranean. It was not the tourist season - December, the cool breeze is blowing from all directions, a huge empty beach and only me, seagulls and waves ... at such moments the consciousness seems to be freed from all superfluous, everyday life and thoughts become so clear and transparent and you want to stand on this coast forever … But over time, I realized that everything I encountered during my exploration of this country was a preparation for the highlight. If my local friend did not pay attention to this, I would blinked past and didn't know how much I would have lost just because this place is not touristy. You won't find it on tour operators' sites or travel forums. This is the hue, the unique place known only to the local, which you do not expect to see, it is impossible to plan, it is only by chance. I was already on my way to my bed the usual way out of town (always dreamed of spending the night in the desert and at that moment thought, so why not now). And suddenly my friend, his name was Jahel, offered to get off the road a little. Honestly, I was not happy about this idea, because the sun was setting and we had a long time to go, but he assured that it was worth seeing. And it was a really exotic place, a point at the intersection of three worlds, at the crossroads of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. As he explained, it is at this point that we are at a huge crossroads. And at that moment in my mind, in the midst of relentless emotions of exaltation and enchantment, only one thought came up, and one of my favorite quotes by Steve Jobs perfectly describes it "Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life». In fact, each of those places that have caused me such a storm of emotions they are separate worlds, each of them has its own rules, procedures and you should not try to adjust them for yourself, it is much better to succumb to them, try to blend in, to unite with them, and then all their beauty and peculiarity will be revealed to you. We stood there until the sunset, which to my surprise was somehow especially filled at that moment. Writing this story, remembering and experiencing these emotions again and again, I clearly understand for myself that my main message is that you should take only memories and leave only traces.