Off to an interesting start

The first question to answer is how did I get to this point, sitting in Israel and starting my practicum at the Ethiopian National Project on Sunday morning (June 5th). I started my Masters in Social Work after spending almost a year living and volunteering in Israel. When I returned I could not shake the feeling that I needed to go back and since July 2, 2009, I have been back twice. Here I am today, back in Israel for the third time and using this very different opportunity to finish my last three credits of my concentration practicum in Social and Economic Development with a specialization in management.

It started as a crazy idea, that continued into a plan that I felt would enhance my career and allow me to see how philanthropy worked outside of the United States. I recently read somewhere that 34% of Israel's philanthropy comes from the country of Israel itself and the rest comes from out of the country donors and organizations. This is a significant fact to understand going into this experience. Throughout grad school I have used my practicum as an opportunity to explore different areas and broaden my perspective on the non-profit sphere. Ultimately my interests lye in the areas of poverty, youth and education on a national and international scale.

My plan to do a practicum in Israel started quite some time ago. This was purposeful because I understood the difficulty of trying to secure an internship with the requirements of a masters level student. I networked, I connected, I researched and ultimately it all led me to the Ethiopian National Project and a very enthusiastic Director of International Relations that will be my task manager.

The Ethiopian National Project provides educational and social opportunities to help Israeli Ethiopian teenagers realize their full potential.

I have not started quite yet, but I do feel a sense of accomplishment that somehow through all the stress and nerves, I find myself sitting across the world, in Israel, in order to strive for my next goal of completing this practicum. I titled this blog entry "Off to an interesting start" for several reasons. One because I see this practicum the beginning of the end, as in the end of my Masters in Social Work. Secondly, because of the stumbling blocks I encountered before I even sat in this chair.

I will note a few. First, my connecting flight to get to Israel was canceled and hour before I left for the airport. This created panic, that I then realized was not necessary and I learned a lesson about flying. Unless its a different airline and its an "act of g-d," the airline must fix the problem. So problem solved. I then arrived in Israel at 3:30 p.m on June 1 to find that my suitcase did not arrive with me. As in my suitcase with all of my clothes for the summer. Dealing with Israeli airport people while jet lagged is not what I call fun. Its now two days later and I still don't have my bag. I learned that they were tracking the wrong bag this morning. Supposedly they found my bag and I"m getting it this afternoon. I will feel a sense of relief once I see it in front of me.

It has been an interesting start to this experience so far. While I've already gotten lost in Jerusalem twice, I do know how to get to work on Sunday so perhaps that is all that matters. I will continue to write in this blog about my internship at the Ethiopian National Project and I hope that it will continue to be an interesting experience the rest of the summer. Maybe with some more positive challenges. : )