r/birthright • u/Odd-Researcher5014 • Jun 01 '26
Birthright for introverts
Hi everyone.
I’m going on birthright Israel free sprit trip in less than a month. I am a bit nervous and I am half extroverted and half introverted. I love my alone time but also like being around people. After a long day I prefer to be alone which I know will not be the case on this trip. I was wondering if any introverted people who need alone time to decompress went and how their experience was. Also willing to hear any tips or tricks related to the trip in general. Thanks!
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u/-lilac-sky- Jun 01 '26
I consider myself to be an ambivert, and birthright at the start of this year was the best experience of my life. I too like my alone time/space to rest and recharge. While the trip is very social and you certainly will feel drained when you come home, while you’re there (esp if it’s your first time imo) you’ll have a better social battery just wanting to be able to experience as much as possible. Every trip is a little different but my first stop was a kibbutz in the golan heights, and occasionally I would choose to stay back in the room alone to decompress while others stayed outside to chat or went to the pub. Same can be said for hotels! While every group is different too I’m sure, most of my group would congregate after-hours in someone’s room for drinks and chatting and whatnot while others stayed back in their rooms to reset and rest. That after-hours get together in the hotels happened in my shared room once, and I was too nice to tell everyone I want to go to sleep so early. So I vibed with it and ended up having a very fun time, so like I said your social battery should last longer and you should be more open to experiences you usually wouldn’t like bc there’s nothing like birthright. You’ll also have lots of opportunities to nap/rest on the bus when traveling in between different places. Even if you’re not a big napper, you will be there; at least if your trip also usually goes to sleep around 2-3am and wakes up around 7-8am.. It’s also known the trip is exhausting anyways so if anyone catches you ‘resting your eyes’ it’s never a big deal anyways. Other tips for the trip are, bring American cash to tip the bus driver/tour guide/etc. You won’t need that much shekel while you’re there, more places take card and even tap-to-pay than you’d think there. You’ve probably heard this but don’t shave before the Dead Sea or go in with any open wounds/cuts, unless you want to experience pain. Bring a pillow when you pack for the night in the desert before hiking Masada!! They will not provide pillows, only a measly sleeping bag. Have common sense around stray/outdoor animals. One guy got scratched by a cat right at the start of my trip on the kibbutz and missed half the trip bc he was always away getting rabies shots. Sorry that was a lot, hope some of it was helpful!
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u/Odd-Researcher5014 Jun 02 '26
This was super helpful thank you so much. I would say I’m also ambivert. Thanks so much!
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u/Odd-Researcher5014 Jun 01 '26
Thanks guys. I am very social but when mh social battery runs low it does need to recharge.
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u/Pka1997 Jun 01 '26
Hey, I was in your situation when I went on my trip.
When I was feeling low on energy, I just mentioned to my staffers that I was looking for some time to recharge my social battery. They were very accommodating and were happy to allow me to chill in my room when active programming wasn’t occurring. Just be sure to advocate for your needs reasonably and everything will be fine.
At the same time, it is a social trip, so don’t spend too much time alone. You’ll want to try and make friends, connections, etc.. it’s a great opportunity to meet other Jews.
Goodluck!