Spring Break Photo Contest Submissions
This is a picture I took at the Western Wall of the destroyed Second Temple in Jerusalem. In the foreground is an orthodox Jew, backed up by a group of soldiers. Israel was such a unique experience for me. The thing that was so amazing about it was the juxtaposition of the religious and military sanctity of the place. There are so many groups there that love their nation, and all of them find different ways to hold that dear. I think this photo really exemplifies that ideal, and with the religious figure in the front, the picture for me is an optimistic one. Peace can overshadow the unrest that has been in the area for so long. Maybe. I hope.
Driving from Upstate New York to Virginia, picking up and visiting friends along the way, sometimes you’ve just got to get off of the highway and look around. I was driving with two very free spirited girls, and when we saw a sign for Woodstock, Virginia, we got off of the road. The famous name drew us in, and while there wasn’t too much there, we played on a playground, got yelled at for crossing the street, and took pictures by a sign at a gas station. It might not sound like much, but it’s the little moments that make roadtrips unforgettable.
I may not have been all over the world, but I’ve certainly seen my fair share of the United States. Roadtripping is absolutely undeniable. I highly suggest that you do it while you’re young, or while you’re old, or while you’re somewhere in between. I find it works best with good friends, but sometimes all you need is AC/DC blaring on the radio, the wind whipping in through the window and a pair of sunglasses to reduce the glare.
Sometimes it’s just the silly things you see when you’re on the road. Who knew Scotland was just down the road from Woodstock? And who knew both were in Virginia?
The best thing about traveling isn’t the destination. It’s the journey. What you see when you get there is incredible. The ten hour train rides, the endless flights, the weeks spent in a car that is way too small for the five of you; that’s what really makes it. The people you meet along the way, and those you take with you, that’s what you keep in your heart.
My car has always been freedom to me. Sometimes it’s great to just pack up and go. It’s liberating to know that all it takes is a little gas to get to somewhere entirely new.
Who cares if it’s December and cold enough for the locals to be wearing parkas and scarves? If you’re at the dead sea, you put mud all over yourself and you go floating!
When I was in Israel I was lucky enough to have friends who lived locally to really get a feel for the area. I was able to stay with a friend of mine, explore Tel Aviv, spend New Year’s Eve in a kibbutz bar near Haifa, and really immerse myself in her life for my short stay with her.
The 11 hour plane ride seemed endless, but views like this out the window made it worth it. Flying over the French Alps
My first morning in Jerusalem. A beautiful beginning at the Tower of David.
My favorite part of this picture is the utter amazement on the face of the children in the background looking at this holy relic. It’s a giant piece of metal, but by the look on these kids faces, I feel like they understand the history behind this artifact much better than I do. I understand the historical significance of the destruction of the Temples, but these children feel it.
A streetcorner that could be anywhere. Cars waiting at a traffic light, a motorcycle parked on the sidewalk, a man walking down the street, store fronts and adverts. The only distinction that makes this place Tel Aviv is the Hebrew on the sign. Otherwise, it’s just like anywhere else. It’s the idiosyncricies, though…the little things that make a place unique.
The places we go are huge. Incomprehensible even. This might be Jaffa or Akko or Tzfat. I don’t remember to tell you the truth. I do remember that it was one of the few warm days when I was in Israel that winter. The sun was a beautiful relief after the cold in Jerusalem near Christmas. I remember the clock at the top of the tower that I was looking at. I’ll say it time and time again; you don’t have to remember everything. If you just take it all in, live in the moment, those moments are what you’ll keep.
Every once in a while you just have to throw your friends down a well that was built hundreds of years B.C.
Friends at the crossroads of the Middle East. In Israel on the border of Syria.
At an army base within 100 yards of Lebanon, this is a regular sight. Most all Israeli citizens join the army upon graduating high school, and while this image of a table loaded with guns may seem novel and even unreal to me, it is not an uncommon sight to an entire population my age, and even younger.
This dreary day at the ruins really made me think about history, and how fleeting our lives are. There are people who do things that last thousands of years, but even their impact on the world eventually crumbles at the punishing eroding power of time.
Symbolic of the raging political waters in Israel and the Palestinian occupation. The flag’s still waving I suppose, but doesn’t it look ominous?
A beautiful windmill in the new quarter of Jerusalem. It should be noted that by new, I mean built within the past half-millenium.
