Life in a War Zone – Growth is Mandatory
Living in Israel has become a balancing act of personal safety and adoption for the Israeli blasé attitude of life as normal during a near outbreak of war. Can you imagine what it is like to be living and working in an area being inundated with rockets daily? Unfortunately I am experiencing that reality on multiple fronts. I find myself caught not only in the onslaught of civilian targeting and physical threats, but 
distracted and psychologically impaired by the current sequences of rising escalation.
Working full time during this escalation has been a very interesting and challenging experience. There have been both good and bad outcomes from this unavoidable situation. The negatives are more prominent in regards to daily life. The first is that a 9 hour day only has 7 productive hours. During the work day amidst different sirens and reports of escalation it has become unavoidable to watch the news or read updates online in regards to the current developments of the 
situation. Work thus becomes more unproductive as more time is spent on activities other than work itself. Second to that, I am required to leave at earlier times in order to avoid getting caught in rush hour and face the threat of being trapped somewhere without a shelter when a rocket is fired in my area.
The challenge in working in this type of environment also presents certain rewards which are presented in unique ways. Advantageous to the experience garnered from a summer abroad is the unbelievable level of teamwork I am becoming accustomed to. During a difficult situation such as this, people come together unanimously to share their empathy with one another. I am experiencing full time the reality of working with others, both in the context of work and life in general.
The biggest lesson I’ve taken away from all of this is that education comes from every aspect of life. Work is not the only place where growth in experience and maturity is fostered, and that has become increasingly relevant to me over the course of the summer, having to run for shelter.