A Month To Go!

Exactly four weeks from tonight, I will be getting on the plane to begin my new life as an Israeli citizen! There are a million thoughts running through my head now! I am thinking about the first things I want to do when I get there and the places I cannot wait to see again.

I could not be more excited about beginning my journey and to see the beautiful lights of Tel Aviv at night again. On my first day, I see myself taking a long evening stroll along the Tel Aviv boardwalk and soaking it all in. The smell of the water from the Mediterranean and the breeze that comes off the sea makes it such a memorable walk. During the hot summer months, evenings are comfortable.

There is a great mix of tourists and residents along the boardwalk at all times of the day. There are young adults heading out the bars that line the boardwalk or the few special bars situated on the beach. There's nothing like drinking a cold beer and digging your feet in the sand.

I will be taking plenty of pictures and look forward to sharing them. Pictures are great but nothing beats seeing it in person with your own eyes. I hope more people choose to visit Israel (it is a very safe place to visit) and experience the beauty it has to offer.

The Beginning of my Journey

As I begin to think about the journey ahead of me, there are feelings of excitement and nervousness. I am also overwhelmed just thinking about the packing that goes into moving across the world. I have officially taken over the second floor of my parents' house to begin the moving/packing process.

My sister's room has become my staging area (her bears are taking up some much needed space). I can't begin to think about the clothes I have to pack, which are in two other rooms, so I can only focus on everyday needs.

Thank goodness I already spent some time living in Israel and have what every girl needs - a good hair straightener. With that, I am good to go! Some products that I have grown accustomed to using in the US are very expensive to purchase in Israel so I will be stocking up. I have started collecting toothbrushes, my good razor and you can't go to a hot climate without good deodorant. I started my list of OTC medications I have to bring with me. I know what being sick in Israel is like and sometimes you just need your NyQuil, which cannot be found there. I have also collected notebooks and journals to write about my experiences (I like the old school way of keeping a journal in addition to an online blog). With plenty of converters ready to go so my array of Apple products will work over there, I am a little more at ease. I don't know if I can function without my iPhone and iPad Air.

Now that I have organized all these things, I feel like I have done enough packing for a week (or two). The sense of urgency will kick in shortly since the move is a little more than a month away.

How It All Began

Welcome to my blog! This is my first time blogging and I am so excited to become a real blogger! This blog will chronicle my experience as new olah (immigrant) in Tel Aviv, Israel. I am moving from Atlanta, Georgia and leaving my family and friends here in the US to begin a new chapter of my life in the land of milk and honey. Making aliyah (moving to Israel) has been a dream of mine for many years that I am finally fulfilling.

My love for Israel started when I was twelve years old and visited Israel for the first time. I went with my family and some friends to become a Bat Mitzvah. We did the regular sight-seeing mixed with B'nai Mitzvot services. It was cool to see the places I learned about in my Jewish day school classes in real life.

My favorite Israel experience was studying abroad at Tel Aviv University during my sophomore year in college. It was a whole new Israel experience for me. We studied, we partied, and we lived like Israelis. I made lifelong friends during this time. I loved going to the grocery store early Friday morning to buy my fresh challah and food for Shabbat, which I cooked almost every week. I got to work on my Hebrew (I became fluent) and enjoyed messing with the cab drivers who were looking to increase their fares for tourists. I didn't want to come home at the end of the semester and was ready to stay until my parents voiced their opinion.

I have been to Israel a total of 13 times. During my last trip, leading a Birthright group, I never felt more at home than I did then. My last night there, I stood on the boardwalk in Tel Aviv to watch the sunset. I saw the green flash as the sun fell below the horizon and something sparked inside of me. Within a month of being back in the US, I had completed my paperwork for aliyah and was approved by the Jewish Agency for Israel to receive my visa. I am at my happiest when I am in Israel and I am looking forward to calling Israel my home.

I know there is still a lot to accomplish before the move in mid-March but as THE day gets closer, I get more and more excited. I hope you will enjoy being a part of this journey with me.