Our relationship began with an impromptu trip to Israel. Impromptu because though both of us were signed up and on the waitlist for Birthright, we weren't notified we officially got on the trip until days before. Hastily we packed our things in different cities and were off to Israel within 48 hours. We exchanged pleasantries at JFK, getting to know basic details about each other for the sake of making conversation, but it wasn't until Shabbat, when Steven picked my name out of a hat to be the recipient of a gift, that the ball got rolling. Steven was determined to get me something special. He scanned the vendors along Ben Yehuda street until he chose an elegant bracelet. He presented it to me that night and I was impressed. Even though the bracelet broke an hour after he gave it to me, it made for excellent conversation. We were inseparable the rest of the trip. Though the intention was to learn about our Jewish heritage, we also left Israel with a deep connection to each other.