By Allie Bernstein, Career Israel Intern

 

“Could I? No…Well, could I? I mean…well, no. But could I?”
 
 
That was my mental state for about a week after I first learned of Masa Israel Journey and the opportunities it offered.
 
At the time, I was working in social media marketing in Chicago. By a happy coincidence, I found out about Masa Israel on the exact day that I realized I wasn’t feeling satisfied with my career. I saw the headline “intern in Israel!” and I realized that doing this would solve two problems in my life at the same time:
 
  1. I could try out a new career. And since I was thinking about switching industries in a terrible economy, that meant I’d be starting at the bottom as an unpaid intern anyway.
  2. I could give my budding romance an honest chance, since I had fallen for one of the Israeli soldiers on my Birthright trip. (Yes, I’m that girl. At least it’s mutual.)

 

My boyfriend Elad and me on Birthright. (Aww)

 

But it took me a solid week between seeing the headline and clicking on the link because I kept finding reasons that this was a terrible idea. My mother would kill me. I’d go back to unpaid intern work, which I vowed to never do again. I’d have to deal with my bank, figure out a phone, a visa, and too many overwhelming paperwork-y details. Plus, quitting my job would be terrifyingly awkward.

 

But – spoiler alert! – I talked myself into it, overcame the mental hurdles, figured out the paperwork, and am currently the Economic Development Intern at Tel Aviv Global & Tourism through Career Israel. 

 

You may be experiencing the same thing, and believe me, I get it. But here’s the truth:

 

You can do this. You can actually make it happen. For reals.

 

In this series of blog posts, I’ll explain how to make Masa Israel a reality. In my next post, I’ll help you overcome your mental hurdles

 

After her Masa Israel experience, Allie returned to her hometown of Chicago, where she currently works as a Communications and Development Specialist for Oyez. To read more about Allie’s adventures in Tel Aviv, check out her blog. Or, if you want to know more about Allie’s experience and her recommendations, just send her an email, she’s happy to help!

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