Why am I doing this trip?

Today I should have been flying to tel aviv via london, but due to some stupidity that I won't get into on my part, I missed my flight. Luckily there is always a silver lining, and with my extra time I have created this blog. I'm not necessarily looking to always write something that is profound, but instead I'm looking for this blog to be kind of a diary for me to look back on, and if anyone has a good time reading it, then fantastic. But let's get down to business.

Why am I doing this trip?

Well, for starters, I like computer science, and I like education. I TA'd introductory computer science last spring at MIT which I had a great time doing (6.001 Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, a class which very sadly will be discontinued next fall after at least 26 years at MIT) I've tutored in other subjects and have always had a good time making a connection with a student and helping them learn, which I think this program will definitely allow me to do.

I like to travel. Observing cultural differences, learning about history, seeing things you would never see at home, all that jazz, I find it all pretty cool.

I want to make a difference. Often people at MIT talk about being in the "MIT bubble". You're so focused on work that you can't lift your head to see what's going on around you or help people. I've refered to this before as being an "academic animal" where your entire thought process revolves around "what work do I have to do today that will get me through my classes tomorrow?" I've definitely felt this happen to me before (I was about 4 days late on hurricane katrina) and wanted to do something with my time that made a difference before going on to "real" work. I think this program is really acheiving its goals: bringing israeli and palestinian kids together to work together towards a common goal. That it doesn't always have to be a political discussion, that just by bringing them together it builds an inter-cultural network that hopefully these kids will hold on to. Sounded pretty good to me.

It's free, and I really like free stuff. If someone offers me a free lunch there is pretty much no way I'm saying no, and this is a free trip to israel (with free lunches, by the way).