Let’s just say that when you are blogging all day for someone else, coming home to write your own blog takes a back seat. For the past few weeks I have been settling into my internship at a tech startup (www.tipranks.com) writing daily posts about news in the finance world and coming up with clever tweets to make you want to read said blog entries.

Of course, in addition to working every day there have been some lively activities that have slipped in between the 9-5…

This may not be super exciting to all of you, but to the girl who broke her hip a year ago, running half an hour on the treadmill is a huge deal. With the gym literally beckoning me with its fluorescent sign that I see out of my apartment window, it is hard to say no to a quick workout. Luckily the gym is never super busy and the American television stations help me power through the sad reality of actually not getting anywhere while sweating.

There have also been adventures in the culinary world. I need to perfect a few more recipes before I share them, but I will tell you about a delicious smoothie I made the other day.

I mixed one banana with a scoop of peanut butter, half a cup of almond milk (that stuff is like gold here – almost $7 a box!), a dash of original oatmeal, and finished it off with some chia seeds. I was full for so long – and it was delicious.

I’ve also been on a few trips with my program throughout the country including, a dip in the Dead Sea

and a hike in Ein Gedi

And while life here in the Middle East continues to be an adventure every day, I have to take a pause here to reflect on a very special being back home in the states. Our family dog was just put sleep days before her 15th birthday. Lillian, or Lil as we fondly called her, was a wonderful companion, heart warmer, and smile maker, and she will be missed greatly by all of those she touched (and begged for food from).

 So, even though I might pack my days here full of Hebrew, professional blogging and trying not to eat all the hummus in one sitting, I am still thinking of everyone back home. I hope you are all having a great week! I’ll be back this weekend when this little one gets an Israeli stamp in her passport!