I know it sounds basic, but my favorite part of being in BBYO is being able to go to the International Convention (and later a summer program). But it’s not because of the wild concerts, the sightseeing trips, or the flights to a new location. It is because I am in a hotel with a few thousand other teens whose names and stories I don't know. And that gives me the perfect opportunity to meet them. 

This past IC in Orlando, I did just that. I went around the entire hotel, striking up a conversation with anyone I made eye contact with. My favorite type of people to talk to were the ones who lived outside of the United States because I'm so interested in the rest of the world and its people. Two guys who I spent a lot of time with that week were Vanja and Andrew. Vanja is from Serbia, and Andrew is from Ukraine, but he currently lives in Israel. I hung out with them a lot, whether it was at the concert or eating meals. And for those 5 days, that was about it. We became good friends, and we loosely kept in touch, just speaking every now and then. That was before I decided to go on a summer program.

Later that month, I decided to sign up for the ILTC (International Leadership Training Conference), which would be taking place that summer. Around May, I was inducted as my Region’s 67th Aleph Mazkir, and I posted on social media about it. A few minutes after I posted, Vanja replied to it, telling me that he’s now a regional leader, too. I congratulated him, and he then asked me if I was going on ILTC. Up until this point, I had no clue he was going, so I was immediately overjoyed to hear he was going. In June, the night before I went to the airport to go to ILTC, I was texting him, both of us saying how excited we were to see each other and how fun it would be when he sent me a photo of him and a few other people staying in the airport hotel for the night. And to my surprise, Andrew was sitting right next to him! I text Vanja, “Is that Andrew?” and he replies, “Yeah, I forgot to tell you he was coming!” My excitement immediately went from a 10 to an 11. Now, I’ll get to hang out with two of my international friends over the next three weeks! 

When I got to the airport the next day, I immediately saw Vanja and Andrew, who both ran up to me and wrapped me in a big bear hug. I was so happy to see them. We spent the next few hours catching up, and they even introduced me to their friends, Ytzhak, who is from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Emil, who is from North Macedonia. The next three weeks were filled with so much fun. I spent so much time with these guys that my friends from my region got a bit confused, asking why I was with them all the time. My response was the same every time: “I just really like hanging out with them!” We played sports, laughed, and even practiced Krav Maga together(which I was definitely the best at don't let them tell you otherwise). When it was time to go back home for the rest of the summer, we made the promise that we would keep in touch with each other because we wanted to preserve these friendships that we’d made. And we have all kept that promise. I talk to these guys almost every day through text, call, or video message, and It’s one of the best decisions I've made in a long time. 

These friendships have shown me that the most valuable part of BBYO isn’t the events or the destinations; It’s the connections we make along the way. Meeting people from different parts of the world has expanded my perspective and brought me friendships I never expected but now cherish deeply. Even though we live thousands of miles apart, the bonds we formed remind me that true friendship knows no borders. I’m grateful for these experiences, and I look forward to IC 2025, where we will all hopefully be brought together again.