Why Exploring is Awesome!

One of my favorite things to do in Jerusalem is just walk around and explore new places.  Sometimes I walk in the same space and notice something that I've never noticed before. Sometimes there's a street that I've never seen before that I turn down to see what's at the other end. We actually have a class that does this called Siyurim which translates to touring.  Every Monday from around 2-4 we take class trips walking around Jerusalem and learning about historical sites.  Our two teachers who come with us, Rav Shames and Rav Sussman, are like two of the three stooges.  They always have some sort of funny shtick to go with the story that they're telling about some old building or some guy who died to make it more interesting for us. It's also just interesting to take some time to get to know one of the most important cities in Israel or even in the world.

Every Monday night we have the night off from 7:00.  My friend Adeena and I decided that every once in a while we would go on a walk together.  We've walked together quite a few times now.  Adeena walks pretty fast and I used to have a hard time keeping up with her but after I did Yam L' Yam, I realized that I could push myself even further than I thought and this week, I made her have to keep up with me. We always try to find a new area to walk which is hard sometimes because we don't like walking more than a half hour out.  We somehow manage to find some back street that we've never seen before but we always end up walking in circles because we try to avoid the busier, more popular areas.  

I also want to start exploring all of the parks near me that I've never really gone in to. On Friday mornings I take my bike out and I just go.  I used to bike up the same street every time but bikes are really great for getting to new places faster and then I just cruise along and check out the sites.  I once went into a park and found a group of actors rehearsing a Shakespeare play.  I stopped for a few minutes to watch and I found it so interesting and entertaining.

Exploring the place that you've lived in for so long can help you learn so much more about the place.  It also renews your love and appreciation for the place.  Go, get off the computer, and check out your own neighborhood! Shalom V'lehitraot!