Euro Trash Party to PRAHA Disneyland

First of all, I'm sad to leave Berlin (in tears bro). I almost missed my train to Praha and would not really have been THAT mad. But then again...I would have been faced with the wrath of these 2 lovely (trashy) UK girls who convinced me to go to drink beer in McDonald's with them at 5am. Big Mac value meal=$8 US. Cmonnnn!!
Moving on. A few more from Berlin...


That beer was disgust. Anyway. I'm in Praha. BALLLLIN!!! 5 star accommodations include:
Free day old coffee, 8 free roommates aka friends!!, free Czech punk music blasting in the common area, free second hand bogie smoke just about everywhere, and free weird dudes who live in the small hostel and tell you on your first day to watch your belongings. Yeah buddy.

For real though, Prague is Disneyland. I walked around today with my new Canadian homeboys and took in the beautiful, albeit touristy, Praha.

Oh and last night...uhhh...I'll see you on g chat for that one kiddos.

I'm here for 2 more days and then the Canadians, some Aussie girls, and the American, may roll south and take in the medivial headquarters, Cesky Krumlov. Enjoy the flicks. Let's go Steelers!

Uber cool photos!! Real talk edition.

I'm still somewhat amazed that people live and work in this post-war city.
That may sound naive...but just think about people passing this Holocaust memorial, Starbucks in hand, on their way to their job at PriceWaterhouse Coopers.
Or passing the remains of a wall that once separated hundreds of thousands of brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers from living together in a united Berlin to get some bratwurst.

Or the place where Hitler organized a massive book burning.

Or what used to be the headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS.





On these same streets I walk - snapping pictures and drinking a latte - I would have been snatched from my home, publicly ridiculued, and most likely killed, only 75 years ago .
Just some of my thoughts as I explore. I have a couple more days here and I'm trying to take it all in. I'll check back in soon.

Where am I? NYC in the 80's?

I could live here.

Birthright...where do I start?

For real though...maybe with a a few pictures

The view from atop Masada

Penelope the camel

Flag football

Desert sun

Step your payos game up

Kitty eating crumbs in Jerusalem

The Western Wall

I get chained.
That's it. More to come on f book.

Sigh...I'm utterly speechless. This trip is going to take a while for me to properly digest. As I sit in Wombat's hostel in Berlin (irony?), I am trying to piece together the experience I just had in Israel. My time there, through birthright, was beyond special. I am really trying to stay away from broad generalizations and cliches here...but I'm having trouble summarizing.

What Birthright does is truly remarkable. It brings together young Jewish Americans sans prerequisites (aside from that Jew thing) and provides them with a once in a lifetime experience: A firsthand look into a country flooded with history and culture, and innately linked to each one of us. This opportunity to visit a place we, as Jews, are all connected to, is incredible.

On the last day of the trip all 40 of us, including our tour guides, medic, and bus driver (shout out to Yahyir!), sat around in a circle to share anecdotes and reflect on how the Birthright experience affected each of us. This was when it hit me how genuinely touched everyone was. I knew I felt it, but it really resonated through this group closure. There are too many stories for me to type. This is half laziness and half the fact that the city of Berlin awaits. So, I look forward to sharing them with each of you in person. Here are some highlights taken from my journal. Please excuse the extreme brevity.

Day 1-2:
Customs get at me. I swear they weren't even going to let me on the flight. My Jew interrogation included, "how many candles in a menorah?" ARE YOU SERIOUS BRO????

OD turbulence on the flight. I thought we were going down, no lie. Like...trays flying in the air and people screaming. It was THE wildest plane rides I've ever been on.

First night is on a Kibbutz equipped with a bomb shelter bar. Everyone is getting to know each other. I meet a really cool Israeli soldier who lives on the Kibbutz. She tells me about how she wants to go to film school in New York. The fact that I am in Israel is slowly sinking in.

Day 3:
Golan heights and former Syrian Bunkers. Travel to Tzfat - the birthplace of Jewish mysticism. Meet a wild dude named Avraham who's personality becomes a running joke throughout the trip. We meet our soldiers who will be joining us for the next 5 days. "Sheek" (one of the soliders) immediately spots the kid as Adrien Brody. I can't even breathe in Israel!!

Day 4:
We are in Jerusalem. Today I feel connected to Israel for the first time on the trip. The Western Wall brings it out of all of us. I see Clai Henry at a market! Small world. While walking through the same market, Tomer (one of the soldiers), turns to me and says, "this has been the sight of multiple suicide bombings throughout the years." OK, let's be out.

Shabbat dinner followed by our party.

Day 5:
Day of rest. Tomer's last night = no sleep, again.

Day 6:
The heaviest day by far. We visit Yad Vashem. Everyone is noticeably moved by the Holocaust Museum. Adam (one of our trip leaders), allows us to all reflect as a group on the grass outside the museum. We travel south to the Negev.

Day 7:
4am wake up to hike Masada! Israeli coffee is BANGING so why do we have instant coffee at all the hotels?? I need a latte. We then say goodbye (not for good) to the rest of the soldiers and float in the Dead Sea. Some of us decide to DIVE IN resulting in eye socket burns.

Travel south to Eliat aka the Vegas of Israel. The group has a great night out. I meet 2 soldiers who just came back from Gaza. One of them breaks down to me about his experience there. One of the most memorable conversations I had in Israel.

Day 8:
BEACH!!

Then we spend the night in a Bedouin tent sleeping on top of each other, singing sounds around the campfire, and toasting Obama!

Day 9:
We wake up early to ride camels. That shit if FUNNN. Penelope holler at me! We then plant a tree in some holy soil (is all of Israel's soil holy?) as gunshots ring out at a military base near the West Bank.

LAST NIGHT!! We spend it in Tel Aviv. Memorable...

Day 10:
LAST DAY! We all reflect and prepare for our farewell dinner.
Thanks to everyone who made this trip what it was. This is something I will remember for the rest of my life...

Tel Aviv is BEAUTIFUL. I will be back. Off to Berlin for now. Stay tuned...

Let's go to sleep in NY, wake up in Israeeeelll!

I only have a few minutes but I wanted to get a quick update in. I haven't had internet and have been way too busy having the greatest time of my life. I'm exhausted, anxious, inspired, and thrillllled to be here. Here's me, standing on an old bunker, taking in Golan Heights about 10 miles from the Syrian border:

Briefly, I am traveling with a group of 42 ppl including Israeli soldiers. Being in Israel - now especially, with the fighting in Gaza - is proving to be a unique experience; spiritually, socially, educationally...unlike anything EVER. Aside from the shear fact that I am traveling Israel, I have really become close with some great people including two Israeli soldiers who have become some of my best friends on this trip (more to come on that). Peep me and my dude, Tomer (#1 IDF graphic designer) last night at the Jerusalem hotel Birthright jump off:
It's about 1am here now and I'm sitting in a room full of Americans and Israeli's all picking each other's brains on issues like, their opinions on Gaza and how hot Tel Aviv girls are. As you can see...I have to get back. Tomorrow we are going to Yad Vashem (Holocaust memorial and museum) and then heading south to Eliat.

I'll holler again soon. Life is SEBABA!!!

Yo Noah, what kinda strats?

On Tuesday January 13, I (mr. solo dolo) am embarking on a journey.

Yeah buddy!!

First, I'm going to Israel via Birthright. I've heard nothing but absolute amazing things from my full and half jew ppls and can't wait to leave. A lot of ppl have asked me why I would ever go now and if I'm scared. I think the current crisis in Gaza will make for a unique trip, to say the least. A first hand look at this historic ongoing deadly conflict. True...i could read a book. Maybe go in on a PBS special. But chill, I'm way too hardbody for that. Plus I plan on becoming real good friends with all of the 7 Israeli soldiers who are accompanying my group, and their AK's.

After 10 days traveling Israel, I decided to take advantage of a free trip across the world and post up for a bit. I mean... I'm unemployed, have some cake in my pocket (thanks Nike!!), and have no kids (thanks condoms!!). Why would I not take this time to explore the world and Noah at the same time?

So, I decided to travel. Dolo. And see what I can find. I will be gone until late February. At this point, I have an idea of where I want to go. But that could all change. I know a few ppl here and there, I may factor that in. The only thing booked at this point is a flight from Tel Aviv to Berlin on January 23. I'm spending 6 nights in Berlin and then seeing WHAT'S POPPIN!? Reckless? Ballsy? Wild? Maybe. Or maybe not.

I'll be blogging (video and written) about my journeys. Both on here and on YouWildin. I'll try to post as often as possible, even if it's a short blurb with a picture.

Thanks to everyone who gave me travel advice (much much appreciated...give me more!!) and holler if you wanna skype from the club in Central Europe.

Love you all,
NSR