On a Friday morning, August 8, we got an email telling us our buddies/the people we would be staying with for two months for the EIEP program in Los Angeles.

We were all very excited to know who would be our buddies and to talk and get to know them well.

This is when we finally realized we were going to be part of this delegation.

We all talked to our buddies and it was so nice and exciting to see them and their families, but also scary that we wouldn’t have a good connection or would be homesick.

On August 28, the whole group met at the airport before our flight. The energy was incredible even though it was late at night.

A lot of us cried, even the ones who thought they wouldn’t, because it was really hard to realize it was the last time we were going to see our friends and families for two months.

The flight was 16 hours, but it passed really quickly because of the good energy and the company.

On August 29 we landed at LAX. Our welcoming was so nice. The American kids made decorated signs with our names on them and it was so nice to see our buddies and their families face to face for the first time.

Each student and their buddy had a different plan. Specifically, we went in different directions – Alona went to Santa Monica with her buddy, and Noa went to an Israeli restaurant.

The first day was exhausting because we all had jet lag, but we had a lot of plans – we went to the mall and then to a pool party and had a great time!

The first day of school at dTHS was August 31.

Before that, we had a lot of plans, like pool parties, and a tour at school.

The first day at school was both exciting and frightening.

We weren’t used to school this way, and we were scared we wouldn’t find our classes or wouldn’t understand the English, but we were wrong.

The students and the teachers were so nice and welcoming, we orientated easily at school and we had a special experience.

From Alona: I have had a great time in Los Angeles, and I think this is an incredible experience. I’m not that impressed with the city, but I still had a lot of fun. I went to Newport Beach for three days with my friends, we did SUP (Standup Paddleboarding), talked a lot, and I had a great time!

I have been to the mall, Santa Monica, and Venice Beach. I ate at the ultimate American diner, and I got closer to my host “family.”

From Noa: I think Los Angeles is beautiful. I love the different views and how different the city looks in different parts of it. So far, I’ve been to Hollywood, different restaurants, and malls. I went to a beach house in Newport for two days and I’m really happy with my buddy and her family. I’ve gotten closer to them in the past week and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

We’ll tell you more about our experience after we return from our trip to Yosemite!