Walking onto the reservation was like walking onto a different planet.  The air was so hot and dry, the landscape was overwhelming, and the people seemed to be so different from us.  Then I got the chance to talk to some of our Hopi hosts.  Courtney, one of the daughters in our host family, loves volleyball and was tons of fun to hang out with.  Kenny, our host, talked about his hopes and efforts to help Hotevilla survive its never ending water shortage, a local issue that I have immersed myself in.  I even learned about similarities between Hopi and Jewish traditions.  For example, Hope children are given both  English and Hopi names just like we receive our Hebrew names.  Hopi boys also have a coming of age ceremony at 12 and 13, similar to bar and bat mitzvah in Jewish tradition.  I've taken a lot from this trip that I never expected to, and I am looking forward to the rest of the week.

Haley--Richmond, VA