Call me a procrastinator, but it seems fitting to be writing my concluding blog post nearly one year to the day that we left for our 10 month adventure in Jerusalem, Israel. We have been back in the states about 3 months now and I have been asked about a thousand times how I liked Israel. My short answer for them all is, "it was quite an adjustment at first, but it was really great".
I hope that some of my avid readers (thank you all, by the way!) were able to see the subtle change that happened. Subtle in my blog perhaps, but huge in my life.
When I arrived in Jerusalem, I arrived angry, close minded and ready to go home before we even found an apartment.
I was disappointed in the holy sites not being what I had imagined. I was disappointed in the extremely high cost of things. I was dreading the start of learning another new language from scratch, searching for the best shops and stores for our daily needs, learning the bus system, etc. I had already done that twice in a new city/country in one year. The difference in the previous year was I was super excited about Germany.
I arrived in Jerusalem knowing very little about Judaism, Islam, Israel, Palestine, and quite frankly the middle east in general.
I hated our apartment, I hated our neighbor's 17 children (ok, maybe 7 or 8), I hated the 90 to 100 degree weather in September and October, I hated that walking anywhere was always uphill. I hated that they didn't put cheese on their meat! I hated that everything was covered in a layer of sand all the time. I hated that everything shut down on Friday night, and that Sunday was Monday. I hated fighting other people just to give a vendor my money. In fact, everything was a fight. And I hated it.
Every single day felt like a week. When October came, I thought we must be half way through by then. I started Hebrew class and the time moved a little faster, but it was the most stressful, overwhelming class ever! So I hated it also! I wasn't getting credit for it so why should it be so stressful! I began to get used to my schedule and my routine and we were slowly beginning to meet new friends.
Next up, our apartment turned into Niagara Falls and the ceiling was pouring water in several spots. I was attacked by a crow who clawed me in the head, and we experienced a mini war.
Thanksgiving came and I was traumatized by a butcher (not my hot regular one) who ripped me off. But then I was blessed by Katherine's mom sponsoring it! Christmas came and felt so forced and depressing that all I wanted was for it to be over with. I had class early the next morning. The only two good things at Christmas were that my Israeli friend Maayan came to Christmas carols with us on Christmas eve. She had never heard them before! And that Skye surprised me and took me to my favorite restaurant for lunch.
But then New Year's came. It was a New Year, time for a fresh start. We would be in the same apartment and in the same country but I decided I had had enough. Enough of my poor, negative attitude. Enough of my self pity, 'poor me' attitude. I had wasted away 4 months of being in a new country by pouting and fighting rather than accepting and participating in a new culture. This isn't an opportunity that many people got, and it was time for me to take advantage of it.
That's when everything changed. I opened my eyes and realized that I loved my Hebrew class! There were some really great people in that class! It was such a fun unique group! The students were amazing, but I had one of the best teachers on the planet, Sarah! I'd be willing to bet that a better language teacher does not exist! Also, I know a language in another character! (a little of it at least) That's so awesome!
I had cats! Dwayne and Archie! I trained them (older, not yet mangy kittens) over the months to come to certain sounds I made and to meet me at the door if they wanted to be pet. No food, no shelter. Just some kitty love! They were so sweet!
I didn't actually hate the neighbor's kids. One of the younger girls, 7 or 8, was beautiful and she always said hi to me and her smile always brightened my day.
Our landlord, Tomer, was awesome. He was so cute and sweet and his English was ridiculous. But he was always there when we needed him, always fair, always honest, and he told us some crazy contractor stories. He had the silliest laugh!
I was going to gym classes regularly, zumba was my favorite. My zumba teacher was so peppy and cute! Her dances were so fun I felt like I was there to party rather than to workout. I loved the awesome Jewish women who also went to zumba in their skirts and with their heads covered. I loved how into it they got and how they would let loose and even shimmy!
I loved our running park. I could find so many route combinations as I trained for a 10k. Through the Rose Garden, by the Science Museum, next to the old Monastery, by the Knesset, and in front of government buildings.
As pathetic as it is, I love that I learned to like beer in Israel and not Germany with Jerusalem's local beer, Shapiro.
I loved all the trips we got to go on! To Jordan and Egypt and all over Israel. It was so cool to get into the Mediterranean Sea in so many different places! I left my mark there, in the form of an expensive pair of sunglasses!
We met so many amazing friends! Friends from Europe, America and even a few Israelis. I wanted to take them all home with me!
I loved our crazy, windy-street, random neighborhood and that you could take a couple turns, be completely lost, take the next turn and you knew where you were.
I loved that I wasn't fighting against the locals anymore, I was fighting with them! Fighting is their culture! I loved my shuk vendors and the fresh pitas and amazing produce. What am I going to do all winter now that I can't eat a pomegranate every day for 3 months?
I learned to live happily in Jerusalem. And I'm so thankful for that, and I'm thankful to the people like Skye and Katherine who supported me through it.
I started to learn a lot about Judaism and Islam, and the conflict between Israel and Palestine. I also managed to learn more about the Bible, even though I had been disappointed with the holy sites.
Regardless of where I was, I learned to be more open minded in general to other cultures and religions. I let down my guard in a way that seems to have torn down stubborn walls that I had been building over the years. Like knowing that your opinion is the right one and feeling that everyone else needs to believe what you do. But isn't that one of the main components of conflict? It is important to question our own beliefs and to respect that others have theirs. And not just respect it, but to put yourself in their shoes. I feel like Israel really taught me how to do that, and I'm grateful.
My year in Germany was full of its own ups and downs. I had never felt lonliness the way that I did in Cologne. Skye was commuting an hour each way to Aachen for the archives, so I was alone about 10 to 12 hours a day. Our only friends in the area both worked full time, so we only saw them on weekends. I had just barely started learning German, so I couldn't talk to neighbors or strangers very well unless they knew English. Plenty of Germans know enough English to get by, not many of them are interested in having friendly conversations with strangers though! Luckily I had a near by park and a cool neighborhood to explore. But one can only do that for so long. And even that was lonely. I only had German class two days a week, 3 hours a day. However, I did meet a great American couple in class and quickly got to know them.
Then all of our friends and family came to visit, and I was forced to use my German every day for about 5 months. It was so great! I felt comfortable, stopped caring about my language mistakes and just went for it. I love the culture in Germany and was thankful for my German friends, Barbara and Julia who were always willing to teach me about it. If I could have a Christmas market year round, I'd be in heaven. Germany is a beautiful country and I cannot wait to go back!
Most of our trips in the 9 European countries that we saw consisted of sleep deprivation, walking for 10 hours a day, and long train rides because they were the cheapest! It was exhausting! But my gosh I can read a map to save someone life! I can find my way around a city with the snap of a finger....that is if I'm on foot! I can shop for a shoe that has practicality, attractiveness, and longevity like there is no tomorrow. I can barter my way to the best price for anything, no vendor stands a chance with me. Probably the most valuable thing I learned in my European travels, is to pack for 4 days in one backpack and still look good, AND SMELL GOOD, each day. Thank you, God, for creating me with curly hair!
I learned so much while living in Europe and Israel. Flexibility, patience, perseverance, openness, the value of a second language, and much more!
Now.....to get sappy......
I can't express how thankful I am to our families and friends who supported us these past two years! First of all, I couldn't get through life without my mom and her enthusiasm for me and all that I do! My mom is my 24-7 cheerleader, and my Dad is always a rock for me and my family! So from the bottom of my heart, thank you, Mommy and Daddy!!!! Chara who was always eager and ready to FaceTime with me and kept me going with her excitement for my simple tasks like going to the grocery store! Holly who always knew what I was in need of, LIKE GOOD SHOES or a flat iron and always making that happen for me. Most of all, I'm thankful for Skye without whom NONE of this would have ever happened! Thank you for your hard work and dedication including your wicked grant writing skills! Thank you for teaching me German and how to use trains. And for supporting me these past two years! I'm so thankful for our experiences together, and broke as we were, I wouldn't have changed a thing! I wouldn't choose any other person on the planet as my companion! I love you like crazy!
Also a big thank you to all of you blog readers who have kept me writing and helped me to freeze my memories in time, I will be thankful for that until the day I die! To Jess, Eileen, Katherine and April for keeping me sane. To Heidi and Susan for sending me the most thoughtful care package ever when I needed it most. To Megan who always packed us amazing Christmas boxes. To Mindee and my boss, Kelly who sent me my Aveda lotion...stat! And to George, Barbara, Ed, Honey, Julia, Christian, Jason and Kate H (who knew where all the domestic items like brown sugar and bleach could be found)--thank you guys for being our closest friends in Germany! And to Tricia and crew who helped make Karneval unforgettable!
I mentioned we got to see 9 countries while we were in Europe, and after we lived in Israel, the number jumped to 14 countries total. Seeing the world has been something I've wanted to do since I was a little girl and knew what a map was. Most of our travel would not have been possible if it weren't for the generosity of the following friends and family: My mom and dad (Tim and Kathy), Holly (Holly has paid for us to see a lot of the world, both in Europe and Israel!), Chara and Brad, Matt and Katy Estel, my father in law (Brent), and Connie and Alan Eade. So thank you all so much for helping make my dreams come true!!!!
So am I happy to be home? YES! It was an exhausting two years! But it was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and though I struggled at times, I wouldn't change any of it and I'd do it all again (just let me recover this year in the states where everyone speaks English and I can get cheddar cheese)!
It's been real, blog readers! I'll leave you with some of the most breathtaking sunsets I have ever seen, taken from our balcony in Jerusalem.
I hope that some of my avid readers (thank you all, by the way!) were able to see the subtle change that happened. Subtle in my blog perhaps, but huge in my life.
When I arrived in Jerusalem, I arrived angry, close minded and ready to go home before we even found an apartment.
I was disappointed in the holy sites not being what I had imagined. I was disappointed in the extremely high cost of things. I was dreading the start of learning another new language from scratch, searching for the best shops and stores for our daily needs, learning the bus system, etc. I had already done that twice in a new city/country in one year. The difference in the previous year was I was super excited about Germany.
I arrived in Jerusalem knowing very little about Judaism, Islam, Israel, Palestine, and quite frankly the middle east in general.
I hated our apartment, I hated our neighbor's 17 children (ok, maybe 7 or 8), I hated the 90 to 100 degree weather in September and October, I hated that walking anywhere was always uphill. I hated that they didn't put cheese on their meat! I hated that everything was covered in a layer of sand all the time. I hated that everything shut down on Friday night, and that Sunday was Monday. I hated fighting other people just to give a vendor my money. In fact, everything was a fight. And I hated it.
Every single day felt like a week. When October came, I thought we must be half way through by then. I started Hebrew class and the time moved a little faster, but it was the most stressful, overwhelming class ever! So I hated it also! I wasn't getting credit for it so why should it be so stressful! I began to get used to my schedule and my routine and we were slowly beginning to meet new friends.
Next up, our apartment turned into Niagara Falls and the ceiling was pouring water in several spots. I was attacked by a crow who clawed me in the head, and we experienced a mini war.
Thanksgiving came and I was traumatized by a butcher (not my hot regular one) who ripped me off. But then I was blessed by Katherine's mom sponsoring it! Christmas came and felt so forced and depressing that all I wanted was for it to be over with. I had class early the next morning. The only two good things at Christmas were that my Israeli friend Maayan came to Christmas carols with us on Christmas eve. She had never heard them before! And that Skye surprised me and took me to my favorite restaurant for lunch.
But then New Year's came. It was a New Year, time for a fresh start. We would be in the same apartment and in the same country but I decided I had had enough. Enough of my poor, negative attitude. Enough of my self pity, 'poor me' attitude. I had wasted away 4 months of being in a new country by pouting and fighting rather than accepting and participating in a new culture. This isn't an opportunity that many people got, and it was time for me to take advantage of it.
That's when everything changed. I opened my eyes and realized that I loved my Hebrew class! There were some really great people in that class! It was such a fun unique group! The students were amazing, but I had one of the best teachers on the planet, Sarah! I'd be willing to bet that a better language teacher does not exist! Also, I know a language in another character! (a little of it at least) That's so awesome!
I had cats! Dwayne and Archie! I trained them (older, not yet mangy kittens) over the months to come to certain sounds I made and to meet me at the door if they wanted to be pet. No food, no shelter. Just some kitty love! They were so sweet!
I didn't actually hate the neighbor's kids. One of the younger girls, 7 or 8, was beautiful and she always said hi to me and her smile always brightened my day.
Our landlord, Tomer, was awesome. He was so cute and sweet and his English was ridiculous. But he was always there when we needed him, always fair, always honest, and he told us some crazy contractor stories. He had the silliest laugh!
I was going to gym classes regularly, zumba was my favorite. My zumba teacher was so peppy and cute! Her dances were so fun I felt like I was there to party rather than to workout. I loved the awesome Jewish women who also went to zumba in their skirts and with their heads covered. I loved how into it they got and how they would let loose and even shimmy!
I loved our running park. I could find so many route combinations as I trained for a 10k. Through the Rose Garden, by the Science Museum, next to the old Monastery, by the Knesset, and in front of government buildings.
As pathetic as it is, I love that I learned to like beer in Israel and not Germany with Jerusalem's local beer, Shapiro.
I loved all the trips we got to go on! To Jordan and Egypt and all over Israel. It was so cool to get into the Mediterranean Sea in so many different places! I left my mark there, in the form of an expensive pair of sunglasses!
We met so many amazing friends! Friends from Europe, America and even a few Israelis. I wanted to take them all home with me!
I loved our crazy, windy-street, random neighborhood and that you could take a couple turns, be completely lost, take the next turn and you knew where you were.
I loved that I wasn't fighting against the locals anymore, I was fighting with them! Fighting is their culture! I loved my shuk vendors and the fresh pitas and amazing produce. What am I going to do all winter now that I can't eat a pomegranate every day for 3 months?
I learned to live happily in Jerusalem. And I'm so thankful for that, and I'm thankful to the people like Skye and Katherine who supported me through it.
I started to learn a lot about Judaism and Islam, and the conflict between Israel and Palestine. I also managed to learn more about the Bible, even though I had been disappointed with the holy sites.
Regardless of where I was, I learned to be more open minded in general to other cultures and religions. I let down my guard in a way that seems to have torn down stubborn walls that I had been building over the years. Like knowing that your opinion is the right one and feeling that everyone else needs to believe what you do. But isn't that one of the main components of conflict? It is important to question our own beliefs and to respect that others have theirs. And not just respect it, but to put yourself in their shoes. I feel like Israel really taught me how to do that, and I'm grateful.
My year in Germany was full of its own ups and downs. I had never felt lonliness the way that I did in Cologne. Skye was commuting an hour each way to Aachen for the archives, so I was alone about 10 to 12 hours a day. Our only friends in the area both worked full time, so we only saw them on weekends. I had just barely started learning German, so I couldn't talk to neighbors or strangers very well unless they knew English. Plenty of Germans know enough English to get by, not many of them are interested in having friendly conversations with strangers though! Luckily I had a near by park and a cool neighborhood to explore. But one can only do that for so long. And even that was lonely. I only had German class two days a week, 3 hours a day. However, I did meet a great American couple in class and quickly got to know them.
Then all of our friends and family came to visit, and I was forced to use my German every day for about 5 months. It was so great! I felt comfortable, stopped caring about my language mistakes and just went for it. I love the culture in Germany and was thankful for my German friends, Barbara and Julia who were always willing to teach me about it. If I could have a Christmas market year round, I'd be in heaven. Germany is a beautiful country and I cannot wait to go back!
Most of our trips in the 9 European countries that we saw consisted of sleep deprivation, walking for 10 hours a day, and long train rides because they were the cheapest! It was exhausting! But my gosh I can read a map to save someone life! I can find my way around a city with the snap of a finger....that is if I'm on foot! I can shop for a shoe that has practicality, attractiveness, and longevity like there is no tomorrow. I can barter my way to the best price for anything, no vendor stands a chance with me. Probably the most valuable thing I learned in my European travels, is to pack for 4 days in one backpack and still look good, AND SMELL GOOD, each day. Thank you, God, for creating me with curly hair!
I learned so much while living in Europe and Israel. Flexibility, patience, perseverance, openness, the value of a second language, and much more!
Now.....to get sappy......
I can't express how thankful I am to our families and friends who supported us these past two years! First of all, I couldn't get through life without my mom and her enthusiasm for me and all that I do! My mom is my 24-7 cheerleader, and my Dad is always a rock for me and my family! So from the bottom of my heart, thank you, Mommy and Daddy!!!! Chara who was always eager and ready to FaceTime with me and kept me going with her excitement for my simple tasks like going to the grocery store! Holly who always knew what I was in need of, LIKE GOOD SHOES or a flat iron and always making that happen for me. Most of all, I'm thankful for Skye without whom NONE of this would have ever happened! Thank you for your hard work and dedication including your wicked grant writing skills! Thank you for teaching me German and how to use trains. And for supporting me these past two years! I'm so thankful for our experiences together, and broke as we were, I wouldn't have changed a thing! I wouldn't choose any other person on the planet as my companion! I love you like crazy!
Also a big thank you to all of you blog readers who have kept me writing and helped me to freeze my memories in time, I will be thankful for that until the day I die! To Jess, Eileen, Katherine and April for keeping me sane. To Heidi and Susan for sending me the most thoughtful care package ever when I needed it most. To Megan who always packed us amazing Christmas boxes. To Mindee and my boss, Kelly who sent me my Aveda lotion...stat! And to George, Barbara, Ed, Honey, Julia, Christian, Jason and Kate H (who knew where all the domestic items like brown sugar and bleach could be found)--thank you guys for being our closest friends in Germany! And to Tricia and crew who helped make Karneval unforgettable!
I mentioned we got to see 9 countries while we were in Europe, and after we lived in Israel, the number jumped to 14 countries total. Seeing the world has been something I've wanted to do since I was a little girl and knew what a map was. Most of our travel would not have been possible if it weren't for the generosity of the following friends and family: My mom and dad (Tim and Kathy), Holly (Holly has paid for us to see a lot of the world, both in Europe and Israel!), Chara and Brad, Matt and Katy Estel, my father in law (Brent), and Connie and Alan Eade. So thank you all so much for helping make my dreams come true!!!!
So am I happy to be home? YES! It was an exhausting two years! But it was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and though I struggled at times, I wouldn't change any of it and I'd do it all again (just let me recover this year in the states where everyone speaks English and I can get cheddar cheese)!
It's been real, blog readers! I'll leave you with some of the most breathtaking sunsets I have ever seen, taken from our balcony in Jerusalem.
Amazing! That's all I can say!
ReplyDeleteJanna, that blog was SO beautiful and amazing! Thank you for writing it! And thanks for letting us come see you in Europe! This was a perfect ending! I love you!
ReplyDelete