the pool of bethesda and donny osmond

ok first off, right now i'm in a classroom with everyone else watching joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat. i probably have better things to do (like packing), but it's one of those movies that you sit down to watch 5 minutes of and then you realize that you can't watch just part of it! it's like nicotine for the eyes! 

anyway, it has been a crazy school week! on top of a full load of classes and homework, we are living in this amazing city where there is SO much to do! i am trying to find time to breath and sleep, but when you're in jerusalem, you can sleep when you're dead, am i right?

the other day, we went to a neighborhood mosque that's not a touristy one, so people really go there to worship 5 times a day without visitors coming in and out. i'm glad we got to see something more intimate and down-to-earth. definitely a cool experience!

yesterday, a group of us went to the pool of bethesda, which is where this famous story took place: 

it was really beautiful and so well preserved! the pools themselves were kind of gross haha, but the surrounding garden and church and ruins were really amazing. i know you can't really see in this picture, but i found a way cool door that was a beautiful color (i love blue, if you can't tell from the first picture!)

here's the entrance of the pool. i always think solo pictures are a little awkward. what are you supposed to do with your hands?? 

this is part of the pool underground. don't you want to take a swim in that?

something that i love about going to see all these ruins in spring is the wildflowers that are blooming. i just think it's so cool that in one picture you get these old ruins that are thousands of years old and also freshly bloomed bright red poppies. 

sorry for the weird zoomed-in photo, but this one is for mom! here's the sweet leather bag i bought in the old city. best purchase ever. i have been wearing it all over the place! 

two of my roommates, rachel and whitney. this was definitely a fun excursion! i'll for sure go back again. 

last but not least, i want to give a shout out to my mom for mother's day! she is literally the most influential person on earth to me. she was a huge part in making my jerusalem dream a reality. i could go on and on about all the sacrifices she's made for me and all of the teenage junk she endured through haha, but i won't. she is so incredible and i hope i can be a mother that's as compassionate and as unconditionally loving as her some day. happy mothers day! 

also, it's my darling eric's birthday...i'm sad i'm not there to celebrate it with him :( he is another person that has been so stinking supportive of me coming to jerusalem. i am so lucky. you could not ask for a sweeter, more loving boy. 

happy may 13th :) i seriously need to go to bed. ah! i'm going to be in istanbul tonight!