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Croatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ
  • Bryant Devlin
  • Bryant Devlin

Croatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ

Travel with us as we go back to Israel to see friends and visit Croatia for the first time. ๐Ÿ™Œ Read more
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  • Trip start
    August 27, 2023
    Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler
    1

    Started

    August 28, 2023 in the United States โ‹… โ˜๏ธ 77 ยฐF

    Made it to NYC. Staying with friends until we fly out Thursday. ๐Ÿ™Œ

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler

    Silly day

    August 29, 2023 in the United States โ‹… โ˜๏ธ 79 ยฐF

    Spent the day just hanging around our friends place (Luke and Elena from Ireland)
    We all went and played golf. Chelsea and Elena found 120+ golf balls and I found a rock to climb.
    Shot a 92 so that wasn’t so bad either.
    Had some yummy food and Guinness at this Irish pub.    Read more

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler
    1

    Brighton Beach

    August 30, 2023 in the United States โ‹… โ˜€๏ธ 82 ยฐF

    Never done a beach day from the subway ๐Ÿš‡
    40 mins on a train and a 5 mins walk to the beach. Not too shabby.

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler

    Dinner and a show

    August 31, 2023 in the United States โ‹… โ˜€๏ธ 77 ยฐF

    After the beach yesterday. We had some Georgian food, then a Broadway show after which we went back to the flat for a little last min karaoke party.
    Now… today we fly out at 11:45pm. So, I decided to spend a few hours at the climbing gym.Read more

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler
    4

    Mayday Beach day

    September 2, 2023 in Israel โ‹… โ˜€๏ธ 84 ยฐF

    Slept in till a whopping 2:45am. Fell back asleep at 7:00! Thankfully.
    We then went to brunch and the beach for a few hours. Sooo relaxing.
    For dinner, things start to open up after sundown. So we went to a yum shawarma place. Nothing like real shawarma ๐Ÿคค
    Now, at 11:45 pm we will head back to the airport to catch a flight to Croatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท    Read more

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler

    1.5 hours of this?? ๐Ÿ˜ฌ ๐Ÿ‘ƒ ๐Ÿ’ฉ ๐Ÿคข ๐Ÿคฎ

    September 2, 2023 in Israel โ‹… โ›… 79 ยฐF

    No, this is not overreacting…. Genuinely someone pooped their pants on this bus. Now we have to sit in the smell all the way to the airport. ๐Ÿ˜ฑ
    Funny thing is, no one around us is plugging their nose or even reacting to the small of rotting mushrooms, bat poop, dead fish emulsion, and sick breath circulating every particle of air on the bus.

    PS. Getting to the bus was a fun adventure at 11:30 pm. First, a bus that’s going all the way to the center of the country doesn’t actually enter into the bus depot where we went for our tickets and where every other bus stops.
    Second, there was no one at the ticket counter, as it’s 11:15 pm so you need to use the automated screens that hardly work and are not even coherent. (Our bus arrivés in 8 minutes)

    Third, we ask one of the only 3 people (the security officer that allows access to the depot) in the full apocalyptic bus dept…

    “Slikhah (excuse me) how do you get to the bus loading zone for bus 905 to the airport.”

    “Oh”, said the sr. “Not here, AT THE BUS DEPOT…that bus stops at the TRAIN STATION. ๐Ÿ˜‘ Go back through the bus depot and go down the stairs and cross under the highway via the tunnel. Then when you pop out the other side, you will see the bus stop!”

    “Thanks!”

    ….Not thanks. As we approached the stairs, we saw it was roped off. So we ducked under the rope and went down the stairs into the scary indoor tunnel to come to the other side with doors that are not only locked but chained shut. (Our bus arrives in 4 minutes) So, back through the tunnel that smells like a NYC subway (pee pee). A smell that I’d prefer much more then the smell we’re experiencing right now. The smell that has my nose under my shirt as I type this.

    Fourth, we got to our bus stop late and may have to wait another hour for the next bus. But thankfully the bus was also late. Probably cuz somebody pooped their pants ๐Ÿคฃ


    That’s all for now! Smell you later.    Read more

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler

    One more!

    September 3, 2023 in Greece โ‹… โ˜€๏ธ 77 ยฐF

    Passport control and going through security…. Too much. It’s got Chelsea a bit pooped as we spend the next 1 hour in Athens airport.
    Originally we were supposed to spend time here. But our flights were changed. Honestly, we would have probably slept in a hotel for a day rather then enjoy Athens for the second time.

    Next stop, Croatian sea air.    Read more

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler

    So far, so cute

    September 3, 2023 in Croatia โ‹… โ˜€๏ธ 84 ยฐF

    Arrived this morning at the airport in Split.
    Making our way down to Dubrovnik along the coast. Making stops along the way for food, coffee, and naps. ๐Ÿ˜
    We find is very amusing that pretty much all coffee shops are also bars. Beer or coffee???? TemptingRead more

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler

    Old city

    September 3, 2023 in Croatia โ‹… โ˜๏ธ 82 ยฐF

    It’s been a while! Haven’t been posting because I haven’t been taking many photos. Yesterday consisted of touring the old city. Pretty amazing besides two things. The amount of people (can’t imagine what it would be like during the actual tourist season) and parking that cost €42 for 5 hours!
    Food was yum yum and the weather was a nice 89 degrees with low low humidity.    Read more

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler
    11

    Sorry

    September 6, 2023 in Croatia โ‹… ๐ŸŒ™ 75 ยฐF

    Boy oh boy. This week has flown by. Each day was supposed to end with a post to this hear penguins.
    Let me just catch y’all up.

    Sunday we drove down the beautiful coast of Croatia as you know.

    Monday, we toured around the old city of Dubrovnik…. I think I already shared this? It was beautiful and peaceful even filled with 1,000’s of travelers.

    Tuesday, that was beach day. It was also VERY relaxing. We sat on the beach and read our books. The water is super super clear and clean. The beaches here are not sandy but round rocks the size of your fist. Each rock is a work of art and tempting to bring home and make some sort of coffee table with. We traveled a bit of a smaller town 40 mins from Dubrovnik and ate another yum fish dinner.

    Wednesday morning we dropped off our friend Tony at the airport. He is flying to Rome for a trip within a trip. Chels and I hung out at the beautiful Airbnb and then did another beach day. We read to each other our books and people watched the locals. The water is very cold in the Adriatic Sea but somehow super refreshing with the dry warm air. For the evening we went to a restaurant/ family’s home. We had an upscale home cooked meal in their 500 year old oil press factory warehouse. They only take 1 or 2 families per meal and do it only a couple of days per week. Thankfully we made it! Messaging the son on WhatsApp we found out that it would be our only night to be able to do it. It consisted of 5 course meal with free wine and beer and home made liquors. All the food and cheese was from their small farm and garden. And everything that needed cooking was done in a fire pit Croatian style called Peka. All for $42 per person.

    Thursday we again hung out at the beach, did some shopping, and relaxed until we had to go back to the airport (30 min drive) in the late afternoon to collect Tony. He really enjoyed Rome.

    Friday Tony and I went rock climbing outside. I found a local spot only 45 mins away and saved a 2 hour trip because of that. It was only us out there and super secluded. Friday night was pizza and downtown boardwalk. Finishing the night with an outdoor movie by the old city.

    Saturday we hopped on a boat that took us to 3 different islands and fed us a fish lunch. Each island had its own beauty that was different from the previous. Unfortunately, we only had a shortish amount of time on each (3 hours, 1 hour, and 1 hour).

    Now, Sunday we’re back at the airport in Split and ready to fly out to Israel. ๐Ÿ™Œ
    Looking forward to catching up with friends and eating some yummy middle eastern food!    Read more

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler

    Updatesโ€ฆ.

    September 13, 2023 in Israel โ‹… โ˜€๏ธ 82 ยฐF

    Yesterday was a day of climbing in some caves next to an archaeological site (everything here is like this). Soooo much fun but I hurt my poor little finger. ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

    Today was spent catching up with some friends. One of such is a special pioneer sister who has been here for decades. She offered to treat us to lunch (one of our fave spots downtown Haifa). We hung out at her apt as she showed us her drum set and I smothered her cat who is on drugs that make it unable to escape so easily hehe ๐Ÿ˜œ

    We wanted to leave but our car was blocked in, that’s typical here to double park. See video for reference. Thankfully they left a number to call and a sign in Hebrew that we were hardly able to read.

    We then went to the BEST felafel place for dinner next to the KH. We chatted with this man who stayed open later for us to enjoy our meal and talk about his life as a falafel maker and balancing it with his social life.

    Then was meeting! Hebrew meeting. I have 2 improve comments that honestly should have had more preparation involved. I got one laugh from behind (I didn’t think what I said was funny). ๐Ÿ˜ฌ I hope i didn’t say anything too wrong. Lol

    After meeting we went for ice cream and to meet our old landlord to collect some money! Our security deposit from 2016. We never got it before we left! Now, our trip ends up paying for itself. ๐Ÿ™Œ

    Tomorrow is more activates. Will keep posted    Read more

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler

    ๐Ÿ˜ฑ weโ€™ve missed this

    September 14, 2023 in Israel โ‹… ๐ŸŒ™ 77 ยฐF

    Today was full full day of catching up with amazing friends. We left the place we’re staying at (the missionary couples home) to go to see some of our friends in Bethel. The one couple we had plans to have lunch with them and catch up. She works in Hebrew sign language translation and the husband works in video for WHQ and is the overseer of translation. It was a nice time catching up for hours!
    Ice cream after finished it off nicely!

    Then we went across the hallway to another couples apt. She works in tech support in IT and the husband is on the branch committee over service dept. We had some beer and popcorn and chatted about them just graduating from Gilead and how it’s helped them in their assignment. After a couple hours here we were told that they organized a beach evening for us. So 50% of the bethel family (family of only 52-55 people) came to the beach to spend time together and to say hi after 4 years! It definitely made us miss service at the branch.

    Volleyball was fun with 25ish people. A few strangers wanted to join as we were laughing so loud and the volleyball looked like a great time. It’s a public beach so there is lots of people walking by and many enjoying the beautiful sunset. Just imagine the promenade in Miami and that amount of people…. We definitely stood out.

    After volleyball we went back to bethel Apts and had another meal and a couple more joined the party.

    We didn’t feel like driving back to Haifa from Tel Aviv (1.5 hours) so the English Circuit overseer (when we were here they were the Hebrew Circuit overseer) offered to put us up for the night. We spent some time with them catching up although we have never really been that close in the past. But, they have a cute cute bunny (yes, the COs here can have animals!).

    Now it’s sleep time. For another day tomorrow spending time with our friends in the center of Israel rather then up north where we used to live. Chat soon

    PS. We’re not posting names and photos of these couples as there could be some complications. But just know. Everyone of these dear brothers and sisters are amazing individuals!    Read more

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler

    Friendsโ€ฆโ€ฆ

    September 15, 2023 in Israel โ‹… โ˜€๏ธ 86 ยฐF

    More visiting with friends. Yesterday morning we woke up at the COs house. They woke up at 5:00am! So, I felt bad and went out with them on the balcony and had some coffee. Until I finally woke Chelsea at 7:45 to eat with us.

    Then we went downtown Tel Aviv to spend time with our friends who were special pioneering. A young couple around 25 years old. Italian and Israeli couple who just was told they will no longer be special pioneers as of 2 weeks ago. So it was nice to catch up at a brewery!

    After them, we went and caught up with our friends from bethel who have been here for 10 or so years. They are from Argentina. We drove to a brewery just a mile or two away from where David killed Goliath. In the valley of Elah. After having some beer here and food we went to ashkalon to watch the sunset. This is just north of Gaza. Apparently there is some sort of sewage leak and the water in the mediterranean Sea has some poopieness to it. Im not 100% sure what’s going on. But some say it’s coming from Gaza ๐Ÿคท‍โ™‚๏ธ

    Today has been fun. The start of the new year rosh Hashanah. The Jewish new year. Everything was close except for the beach. So Chelsea and I along with the missionary couple went to the beach up in the north for a relaxing time. After this, we met an Israeli couple from Haifa Hebrew congregation. We used to spend a lot of time together. So we went for some dinner and chats. They have been thru a lot during Covid so it was a nice time to build eachother up.
    As of a few weeks ago. The husband was just appointed as an elder! So nice to see him reaching out despite some challenges.

    Tomorrow is another day! So, we go to sleep for now. Chat soon!    Read more

  • Bryant DevlinCroatia ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท / Israel ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑTraveler

    Shirut

    September 18, 2023 in Israel โ‹… โ˜€๏ธ 84 ยฐF

    Today was our service (shirut/‏ืฉื™ืจื•ืช) day. It was a looong day. But boy did it fly by. Really reminding us what it was like to pioneer here. The productivity and the quality of your time in service can feel a lot more rewarding in many ways then sitting in a car driving from door to door (which still needs to be done).

    Afternoon was with our friends calls. Chelsea did RVs while I went and did Hospital Visitation on a couple of sisters in the Rambam Hospital. Look at that view outside of the windows. ๐Ÿ˜Š
    Then, was a Bible study with a young one who has finished the ELF book but still making some progress to baptism.

    In the evening Chelsea and I spent time with a couple who has (since we left here) had a baby and is currently undergoing treatment for major health issues (stage 4 cancer) They are our age(ish) and full of life. While we were living here Chelsea and the wife were very close. The couple helped us A LOT and we never forget such love shown. So it was nice spending time with their positive faces and to catch up with each other.

    Overall, yesterday was a full day!    Read more

    Trip end
    September 22, 2023
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