Interesting Facts About Me
Football (Soccer)
since I was 11 years old I have been a very passionate Manchester United fan. Currently they compete in the English Premier League in England and they have an incredible History. They have won the Premier League 13 times and the Champions League, the European Competition, 3 times. My all time favorite player for the club is Wayne Rooney. One day I hope to go see them play at their home ground Old Trafford. My all time favorite moment was sitting around the television watching them lift the Champions League trophy in 2008.
Places I have Lived
I was born In Israel and grew up there until I was 14 years old. Its a beautiful county, I like to describe it as the California of the Middle East, because it has everything from mountains, deserts, forests, and the sea. I would highly recommend checking it out if you get the chance.
In 2004 my family moved to the United States, a journey that has changed my life in ways I could never imagine. I moved to Lakewood, New Jersey. My favorite thing about the U.S. is the blend of people and the amount of cultures which I have been introduced to.
In 2014, while serving in the United States Army, I was sent over seas to Germany and was stationed there for 2 years. After completing my contract I decided to remain in Germany and moved to a little town in the south called Ansbach. I attended a Sprach Schule (language school) where I learned German. It was an amazing experience specifically because my class was filled with refugees trying to find a better life. I made amazing friends from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Croatia, Bulgaria, Russia, and many more countries. It reminded me very much of the diversity I first witnessed in the U.S. when moving to Lakewood, NJ. After a year I decided to take advantage of the GI Bill and further my education. So, once again I got on a plane and moved across the Atlantic Ocean. Germany has a very special place in my heart and my plan after graduation is to move back there.
Coolest Thing I’ve Ever Done
Sumatra, Indonesia
In 2018, while attending Temple University, I decided to put my studies on hold for a semester and take a trip to South East Asia. I started off visiting some friends in Germany and from there I flew to Sri Lanka. After spending 10 days in Sri Lanka (should have stayed a little longer) I flew to Thailand followed by Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and back to Thailand for a little (couldn’t not go back to Thailand just for a little bit). Anyways, I flew to Indonesia during this time specifically to go see orangutans in the wild, unfortunately they are a dying species due to deforestation and hunting, and I wanted to see one in the wild while I still had the chance. I set upon a 3 day jungle trek in northern Sumatra in the hopes to see this rare creature. This trip exceeded all expectations and I ended up seeing so many beautiful animals, but the coolest moment was when we ran into a mother orangutan carrying her baby. She had a little dark history which ended up being an incredible rescue story. The mother was kept in captivity for many years in a bad place and was rescued by the authorities and let go in the rain forest. She gave birth in the wild but was used to humans because of her past. we managed to get very close so close that the baby orangutan reached out and grabbed my finger. This was easily one of the greatest cutest moments of my life and reminiscing on it always puts a massive smile on my face. I through in some pictures to show the beauty of that wild Island. If you ever have the chance to go I would highly recommend you take it.
My Proudest Atypical Accomplishment
While backpacking in Malaysia, my friend convinced me to go with her to the Perhentian Islands off the east coast of the country, so that we can get our open water certification (diving license). Seemed like a no brainer at first, until the woman at the front desk of the hostel we were staying at told us the island is closing in 5 days because the monsoon season is coming (takes 4 days to get certified). Monsoon season is no joke on the island and it can be very dangerous to be there. After some serious convincing I decided to tag along anyways. When we go there the weather was beautiful and I remember making lots of jokes about how the monsoons aren’t that serious. Anyways, we got very lucky and found one dive shop still open, most were not taking the risk and closed even earlier. We managed to have perfect weather the entire time and completed our open water dive certificate without any issues. As we got on the boat to head to main land I remember the sky getting incredibly dark and once we were a good distance from the Island I turned around and can see quite the down poor hitting the Island, guessed we managed the time well. Since then I have partaken in over 13 dives and can’t wait to get back in the water and explore more of the unknown world down there. Here is some photos from some of my dives to convince you to go diving.
Favorite Things To Do Outside of School
Covid-19 has changed our world in ways I could have never imagined. Being stuck at home has given me time to reflect and try new things. I must admit that I was never a big reader, but after taking some philosophy classes during lockdown, I found a love for reading that I never had before. During the summer of 20202 I managed to read 9 books and I am very thankful I found an appreciation for it.
Another activity I found t be extremely beneficial is yoga. Not only is it quite an exercise but its also extremely relaxing and allows me to put a lot of my stress aside by simply focusing on my breathing.
Throughout the the day I spend most of my time on the computer and staring at the screen for too long can’t be good. One way I deal with that is by going for a nice run. I love playing my favorite tones and just going. It is great for my physical health, but more importantly my mental health.
Pets
Back at my parents home we own two cats. The black one is named Kitty and the grey one is Kirby. I am not quite sure how will they get along but for the most part it seems peacefully. They are wonderful companions and have quite unique personalities. Kirby is quite jumpy and gets scared easily, sometimes I like to scare him when he comes around corners. Both these fellas have brought much joy into my life.
Movie I Have Watched Over and Over
At this point in my life it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that I have see all the original Jurassic Park movies at least 6 times each. I have even see the film in 3 different languages, English is clearly the best the others just feel a bit funky. I can imagine I will continue to watch these movies over and over again for a very long time.