(Lawrence packing on the floor of his bedroom)
The Final Preparations
Today is Memorial Day in the United States. This federal holiday commemorates the actions and service that men and women have contributed to the United States Armed Forces. This particular year my older brother joined the U.S. Navy and I have been able to see some of the hardships that army families deal with. Yesterday, I saw my brother for the first time in ten months. It was a joyous reunion! I feel extremely privileged by the men and women who serve in the United States military in all capacities who have made it possible for me to feel safe in America. On the other side of the Atlantic, I feel extremely thankful for the men and women in Israel (many of whom are my age) who serve in the Israeli military--Without the protection these soldiers and military personnel provide, this internship experience would be impossible. Thank you for maintaining a safe and sovereign Israel.
On a lighter note, I have been preparing myself for life in Israel! Between wall outlet converters, mobile phone and internet rentals, packing, and money conversion, I am without a doubt ready to leave Princeton Junction. Laura and I will be reuniting this Friday at the airport to depart the United States together. Both of us have been researching disability employment legislation and implementation in the United States and in Israel. We are excited to discuss our findings at our internships with the Commission and Elwyn. We anticipate that we will be able to share our knowledge of disability employment culture of the United States; in addition, we are very interested in learning from the Commission and from Elwyn about disability employment models and initiatives that we can share with the Cornell University ILR Employment Disability Institute.
In less than one week, I will be entering the workforce. I am ready for exploration, work, learning, and conversation. In these last few days, I will say goodbye to my friends and family for six weeks. By the beginning of next week, I will be able to say hello to a multitude of new friends and communities. May the adventure begin!
