I will never forget our final day in Israel. At 4:30 am I was up, cup of coffee in one hand and a piece of chocolate cake in the other. I was ready for an adventure. Out the front lobby, I climbed onto our bus, greeted our bus driver Radwan with an enthusiastic pound, and met my friends at the back of the bus. We left the Ramada hotel in Jerusalem and drove two hours to Masada. Surrounded by desert, the only other striking feature is the endless red colored and jagged hills, which remind me of the photos sent to Earth from NASA’s Curiosity Rover on Mars. Looking closely, I could see Bedouin settlements along the highway.

By 7:30 am, we were gathered together at the beginning of the Snake Path, a 1.2 mile trail up to Mt. Masada. With my backpack crammed with as many plastic water bottles as I could possibly fit, I began the trek up the mountain. As we hiked, Professor Jahosky told us that 2,000 years ago, the Romans tried to squash remaining Jewish zealots, who rebelled against Rome and were survivors of the destruction of Jerusalem.

Although it was only 7:30 am, the sun was high in the morning sky. It was hot, bright, and felt like daggers on the back on my neck (Israel was experiencing a heat wave with temperatures reaching 120 degrees F). The thin, zig-zagging trail was difficult and uphill the entire way. When I stopped to catch my breath, I couldn’t help be impressed with how appropriate the name Snake Path was, with its long scaly body stretching and slithering up the mountain.

Half way up Masada, I felt winded, and cursed myself for not having worked out more (although I consider myself to be in good shape). On this hike, I learned that everybody in a group hikes at a different pace. It was very important for all of us to stay hydrated and to not overheat, and we all kept checking up on each other.

By the end of the hike, my thighs ached from all the climbing, and sweat ran off of my forehead. If it weren’t for the view, I would have prayed to be at home on my couch, nuzzled in my air-conditioning, set to 76 degrees F.  As for describing the view… Well, you will have to see it to believe it.