I'm not feeling the mystical effect of Israel right now, though, because I haven't had enough sleep to appreciate the Jewish homeland. Just when I'm about to complain about rocks in my high-tops, we're ordered to stop and take another five-minute rest.
I'm talking to Jessica and Miranda when Nathan walks up to us. "I feel like Moses wandering in the desert for forty years," he says.
"Why do you think they brought us here?" Miranda asks as she wipes her sweaty face with her sleeve.
Jess shrugs. "Beats me. I'm hot and crabby. Amy, go ask Avi why we're here."
"No."
"Why not?" Nathan asks. "He's your soulmate, right? Isn't that what you called him last week when I asked why you were saving yourself for that big oaf?"
"Um, uh, I hate to break the bad news, but that big oaf is standing right behind you," Jess informs him.
Nathan looks at Miranda. "Tell me she's lying," he groans.
Miranda's answer is a rapid shake of her head.
Avi shoves a shovel the length of his arm at Nathan.
"What's this for, to dig my own grave?" Nathan asks as he takes the shovel out of Avi's grip.
"I'm not that lucky," Avi says. "Follow me."
Everyone else is assembling next to a soldier from Sayeret Tzefa. In all, there are five groups of eight people, each with a small shovel. Avi's team consists of me, Jessica, Miranda, Tori, Nathan, and three other American guys named David, Eli, and Ethan.
"This is a contest," Nimrod says. His group stands next to ours, and Avi is stoic as he watches Nimrod explain. "You have to dig a ditch two meters long and one hundred centimeters deep. The winning group gets a ride back to base camp."
Oh, we are SO winning this since Avi is on our team. I clap my hands excitedly and pat my boyfriend's back.
"Don't be too excited. Team leaders can't help."
Huh? Without his help, there's no way we can win. We've got Tori on our team, and after spending a day with her, I know she's going to be a pain in the butt. Nathan's got this testosterone fight going on with Avi so his focus isn't on the prize. We've got Miranda, but she's still panting and sweating from the hike. If pushed more, she might just pass out. David, Eli, and Ethan are all from big cities and are staring at the shovel as if it's a foreign object.
We're hopeless.
"Put your canteens down," Avi orders.
He's treating me just like everyone else. It bothers me. I want him to act like my boyfriend and let everyone know we're a couple. Yes, I'm aware it's selfish and immature, but at least I'm willing to admit it.
"Start digging!" Nimrod orders.
We all look to Avi for direction. He's standing with his arms crossed on his chest, watching us, not saying anything.
"He's obviously not going to help us," I inform my group. "You have the shovel, Nathan. Start digging."
Nathan picks a spot on the ground and starts digging. Dirt and rocks are flying in the air behind him as he quickly gets to work.
After ten minutes, he stops. "My fingers are starting to get numb." He hands the shovel to me. "Your turn."
I take the shovel and start where Nathan left off. I think I'm doing pretty well, although my team is totally annoying.
"Dig harder," Ethan urges.
"Faster!" David screams when I feel a fingernail break and stop digging for a fraction of a second to check it.
The problem is, we're not digging in the sand. We're digging up rocks that may have been here for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Maybe our holy forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob walked on these rocks we're digging. It's not an easy task, and now the sun has come up and hits me in the face. I wish I had my sunglasses, because now I'm squinting. I'll be able to blame my premature wrinkles on this rock-digging experience.
I feel a tickle on the back of my hand. I need to scratch it, but don't want to stop digging because I want to show Avi that I can be a good ditch-diggin' soldier and
I don't want to small-yamean-small back to the base. I really want a ride.
When the itching bugs me so much I can't ignore it, I hesitate and look down at my hand.
Oh! My! God!
There is a HUGE creepy black spider crawling on me. I throw down the shovel and shake my hand vigorously.
"AAAHHHHHH!" I scream and run, not able to stop the heebie jeebies. I keep shaking my hand just in case the creepy crawler is still on me.
What if it bites me?
What if it's poisonous?
What if it crawls up my sleeve?
What if it already laid creepy spider babies on me!
"What's wrong?" Jess cries out.
"Are you hurt?" Miranda yells over my screams in a concerned voice.
"Did something bite you?" Nathan calls.
I can't stop to explain, because I'm still jumping around and shaking like a madwoman.
I'm barely aware of Avi attempting to subdue me. I flail my arms and slap his hands away because I'm still worried the spider is on me.
But then Avi twirls me around so my back is against his and he wraps his arms around me so tight I can't move.
I'm breathing hard and I'm sweaty and smelly and totally freaked out from spiders and embarrassment because everyone is watching me.
Now I'm in Avis arms, which are like a vice holding me still.
"Wasitacrav?"
"No, not a crab," I gasp. Do crabs even live in the desert?