I’m so excited for your daughter and achingly jealous! I went to MR a few years ago and I also had no idea what to expect, having heard relatively little about it. In a way, going in with no expectations actually enhanced my experience. It was literally the best year of my life. You’re in the heart of geulah, a half hour walk from the kotel, get three yummy meals a day, have the warmest hanhalah, have easy access to madrichot and teachers and imahot bayit who may very well change your life, and you’re so close to the shuk and to innumerable candy stores, a must-have for me. You’re in israel, for goodness sakes! You can almost feel Hashem embracing you and holding your hand when you walk through the city. It’s the most incredible feeling and you can’t get it anywhere else. I kick myself for not staying longer. If not for silly old reality, I would do it a hundred times over. Of course it’ll be uncomfortable to get used to a strange new country and structure and social life, but everyone is in the same boat and that’s where the opportunity lies for forging close lifelong friendships. The scariest part is when you let go of your mothers hand in the airport; after that, you start to feel excited, and you see other girls embarking on the same journey you’re about to.
As with any new introduction, talking about what will happen at the beginning is very beneficial because it gets the person used to what will happen and comfortable with it. Walking your daughter through the process can be very calming, even if you just talk about what will happen right after you let go of her hand until she sees a group of staff holding up signs with her seminary name at Ben Gurion.
Hope she has a fantastic year!
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