Some may wonder if I would prefer to be living in the US right now instead of here in Israel during this unsteady time. My answer is no. Living here now and worrying about sirens going off when I'm outside or in the middle of the street has made me feel like a true Israeli citizen. When the first siren sounded in Tel Aviv two days ago, I was definitely scared and part of me wanted to cry. I had been following what was going on in the South but never thought the sirens would go off in Tel Aviv. People talk about Medinat Tel Aviv (the Country of Tel Aviv). We live in a bubble here. We are (usually) sheltered from what happens in the North and South of Israel. Now it has hit home. There is no Medinat Tel Aviv and we are all one facing the same issue of having to run and find shelter when the siren starts blaring. Luckily the Iron Dome has been very effective at intercepting many of the rockets aimed at Israel. This morning I was literally in the middle of the street when the siren went off. I was too shocked that I couldn't think about what to do. A few seconds later, I heard and felt an explosion. A few seconds later, there were three more explosions one after another. I saw the cloud of smoke in the air from the Iron Dome missile intercepting the rocket and exploding it in the air. I wasn't afraid that I was out in an exposed area but was shocked by the proximity of the blasts and the fact that I felt each blast run through my body.I have been telling my family and friends not to worry about me or my safety. This is the reality of living in Israel. We have neighbors who hate us and want to destroy us. They will attack and send rockets at any time on any day. Hopefully this IDF operation will be a swift one and we can get back to our version of normalcy. I made the tough decision to move here and I do not regret it. I am so proud to be an Israeli citizen and hope my friends and family won't be afraid to visit. Am Yisrael Chai!
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