By now you probably know how much I enjoy being able to travel internationally and experience other cultures. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit Israel for the first time in October for work. We have a gorgeous new office near Tel Aviv and in addition to five days of work I was able to explore and experience Israel for a full week.

We don't have as many palm trees in front of the office in Ohio

I was asked about this by countless people, so here goes. Contrary to what is probably a popular belief, I honestly felt extremely safe during my week in Israel. Certainly there is an ever-present heightened awareness in the Israeli lifestyle but nothing that felt fearful. From the military helicopters and boats patrolling the coastline day and night to the incredibly thorough and pleasant airport security I never once felt that anything precarious was, or could be, going on around me.

One of many military helicopters patrolling the coast

Culturally, one of the things I kept coming across while reading travel information before I left was how Israelis tend to be very direct and can appear rude. While I did not interact with too many people and was undeniably in more "touristy" areas of the country much of the time, I did not feel any rudeness. Certainly there was a sense of being rushed sometimes, a desire for brevity, and conversations were often quite direct and to the point but nearly every person I encountered was very pleasant and welcoming. And in agreement with things I read, everyone was exceedingly interested in helping us enjoy our visit to their country.

Sculpture along the road near the office . . .anti-missile statement, maybe?

Over dinner one night, an Israeli coworker told us of an ongoing transformation towards the production of significantly more movies in Israel, a change from the past where movies were primarily subtitled US films. Similarly, it was enlightening to see our entertainment industry from a distanced and different perspective. I was reading movie reviews in the Jerusalem Times and came across a brief paragraph that was fascinating to me. There was a review for the Shawshank Redemption, generally a very highly regarded (#2 All-Time as voted on by over 290,000 people on IMDB.com) movie here, that was highly critical and discussed the "many shortcomings" in the plot and story. I am among those who genuinely enjoy the movie and consider it a great film and it was interesting to see how differently it can be perceived by another culture.

Sunset over the Mediterranean from the hotel

The sight-seeing and traveling around Israel was great. Our hotel was on a beautiful stretch of beach in Herzliya and we had dinner along the Mediterranean in Tel Aviv on a great new boardwalk. However, some of the greatest memories were from a day tour to Masada and the Dead Sea.

Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem - we drove past on the tour bus

Masada is an ancient fortress built on a high rock where the Jews and Romans battled over 2 millennia ago. It reminded me of the ruins in Pompeii, which I visited a little over a year ago. It is hard to believe how well some things are preserved, such as the remains of Roman camps at the base of the cliffs.

On the cable car up to Masada - the cliffs are over 1,300 ft high

The Dead Sea is a place I have always been curious about and have wanted to visit. At an elevation of -1,378 feet (yes, negative) it is the lowest point on the planet. It's also the saltiest body of water in the world, so salty that your body is ridiculously buoyant and will not sink. We had the full Dead Sea experience, covering ourselves completely in the much-praised mud full of minerals, baking in the sun for a little while, and then floating out in the water with the Jordanian Mountains rising up across the sea. It was a ton of fun and I can truthfully say my skin felt very smooth for quite a few days afterwards. I don't think it made me look five years younger as the tour guide advertised, though, seeing as how I was not carded a couple days ago at an airport bar.

On the (very rocky!) beach at the spa on the Dead Sea

It really was a great trip and let me tell you there are some very beautiful places in Israel. I certainly recommend a visit if you are at all interested in going. As always, see below for more pictures and thanks for reading - enjoy!

Bedouin camps on the hills in the Judean Desert

Accadia Beach in Herzliya at night

Sitting on a railing with the sun setting over the Mediterranean 

Ancient warehouses, both restored and unrestored, on Masada

Looking down from Masada - that square on the very left are remains of the walls to an ancient Roman camp

Sunset over the Mediterranean from my hotel room