You're moving to Israel? you realize your children will have to go to the army right?

When the thought of making aliyah stopped being a vague idea flying around our heads and became topic of discussion among our families, many tools and weapons were used to convinced us not to move, but one con that my mom thought for sure was going to make me doubt my decision, was "your children are going to have to go to the army".

I think I am a great mother, I love my children more than anything in the world, but does it make me a terrible person that that life-changing-immensely-important-fact didn't even make it onto my pro-con list?

Maybe it's the fact that my oldest son is only 6 and the army is years down the road, or the fact that the army weighed against all the wonderful things I can give them by moving to Israel doesn't seem like such a big trade off.  The fact is that my children going to the army didn't stop me from making aliyah.

I am here now and I get to witness every day the role the army plays in this society and in the life of every Israeli and the role society and every Israeli play in the army.

Yesterday, thanks to an invitation from Nefesh B Nefesh, we had the opportunity to attend a graduation ceremony for Hel Avir, the Israeli Air Force. We made a trip out of it and spent the entire day on base looking at planes at the Hel Avir Museum, we watched a flying demonstration of different air crafts. Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Zar ha Bitajon, and various commanders gave speeches congratulating the new soldiers of Hel Avir.  It was all very exciting, but my heart was with the soldiers. Seeing this kids - because that's who they are, kids- turn into soldiers and thinking that one day my kids will proudly wear that uniform turned my heart upside down. Not in a bad way though. Not in a way that made me think of my mother's words before I moved, or that made me regret making aliyah. Not for a second did I feel scared that one day it will be my kid defending this country. Yesterday's ceremony made my heart turn because I felt proud of this kids and of our country. My heart turned because I realized that one day, I will be like one of the many proud parents who were there yesterday to see their children. My heart turned, because I heard my little 6 year old who has only been in Israel for 4 months sing the Hatikva.

I can't even come close to imagining what a mother of an 18 year old kid must feel when she sees her little boy dressed in army green, carrying an M16 leaving out the door to defend our country. She probably doesn't sleep at night while her son is gone, so you and I can. But as scared as she may be, she is also proud that her little boy is responsible for your and my safety.

Yesterday, as much as an Olah Hadasha as I looked, I felt very Israeli.

" Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore"

We've been here only two months. It feels so much longer though with everything we've accomplished. It took us about a month to get settled, not just physically, but mentally. We got our papers in order, enrolled Nathan (our 6 year old) in school and Ilanit (our 11 month old) in Mishpajton, unpacked our two hundred and somewhat boxes, bought appliances, went grocery shopping and started to settle into somewhat of a routine in the place we now call home. However, not knowing Hebrew, despite the fact that most people here speak English, makes me still feel like a foreigner. Even though my husband can handle a simple conversation and I can order a shawarma without struggling too much (that is if I am not asked additional questions about my order), getting truly immersed in Israeli society implies speaking the language, so we started Ulpan.

There are ulpanim of every kind, color and flavor. The one we have available in Modiin is a totally intensive, 5 days a week ulpan that promises to have us speaking Hebrew in 5 months.

So, we walk into a room full of people, about 40 or so, and take a seat. We look around and the room is a total melting pot. The Tower of Babel had nothing on this place. A couple from Spain, someone from Ukraine, a few girls from Russia, a few guys from France, a Brazilian, a lot of Americans, Canadians, some religious, some not so much...

Although learning Hebrew is at the top of my priority list, a social life is too, so I start to look around scouting for potentials friends. I know it sound stalkery and all, but  I miss my friends in Miami so much, I can't wait to find some new ones here we can hang out with. So I shut my conscious up and let my stalkery self do some searching. I see a girl that kind of looks like one of my friends back home, trendy and low key, but I hear her speak and realize she is Russian. How much can I have in common with someone from a minus 8 degrees country? I come from the tropics for heaven's sake. Totally disappointed, I decide I should better pay attention to what the Ulpan director has to say. She welcomes us, tells us how important we are to Israeli society and how the Ulpan will work. We take a short test to determine what level we are in and then we are asked to place ourselves in two class rooms. Kita Aleph, for those who wish to start from scratch, from the aleph-bet if you will , should stay in the room, and the rest should go into the class room next door. That means there will be a mish mash of levels in one class room. Levels bet and gimel together. I am nothing like a gimel. If anything an aleph plus or a bet, but definitely not a gimel. Now, I don't want to be an aleph either, so I brave it out and go onto the more advanced group thinking (erroneously thank God) that I would not understand a word. I have hubby with me just in case I get lost.

The class starts and Dalia, our teacher, who by the way is amazing, gets rolling. No English, just Hebrew, and to my surprise, I understand everything she says. She has such a clear way of talking, it sounds like simultaneous translations (maybe not, let's not get carried away, but it does sound very very clear). She has us introduce ourselves. Everyone says their names, where they're from, profession, children, bla bla bla. I don't really care much for what others have to say. After all, my stalkery self has been disappointed and  has been napping for the past hour. Turns out ulpan can be a great place to meet people. Everyone comes form a different place,  but we are all kind of in the same boat , lost trying to make our way through to get established, we all have sort of the same needs (a car, a baby sitter, a better place to buy something...) . Not that we have made tons of friends, but the future looks promising. A group of us take a 20 minute break that turns into a 30 minute one and go up to the makolet (convenience store), buy some snacks and sit in a circle on the floor under the sun, high-school style and chit chat. We kind of hit it off with this one guy from New York, he takes ulpan but his wife doesn't, which is a shame because we don't get to know her as well, but we went to the beach last week with their kids and ours and it was great. Between our potential new friends and friends from the past that now live here it feels like all is not lost in the friendship department. And as far as ulpan goes, in just two short weeks that Dalia has been imparting her wisdom on us, I can already feel myself understanding more and although timidly, speaking more. I hear words on the radio that remind me of something we did in class and can now handle additional questions on a shawarma order.

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So you think you can haggle?

What is it with Israelis and this idea that everything is negotiable? Now that I wrote it (the blogger's equivalent to saying something out loud) I am thinking "well, why shouldn't everything be negotiable?" But really, I mean, I enjoy the sporadic back and forth price haggling when buying something at the street market, or negotiating to get a service done, but here in Israel, there seems to be no shame nor limit in trying to negotiate things that in countries like the US, one would never think of questioning the price of.

 Having been raised in Colombia, South America, where haggling is common, I thought I was a pretty good haggler. Having lived in the US for 14 years, I lost the edge a little, but I still liked asking for discounts whenever possible. I enjoyed pretending to get up from the table at a car dealer so they would come back with a lower price, or saving some bucks on an on-line deal, but here in Israel, haggling is a whole different ball game. You can ask for discounts on things you never thought would be appropriate to ask. We got discounts on all of our appliances (bought at the equivalent of a small Best Buy), the installer who wanted to sell us four small rubber "thingies" to put between our stackable washer and dryer so it wouldn't wobble, went from 100 sheckels to 50 sheckels in the time it took me to raise an eyebrow at his first quote. I probably could have gotten the price down to 30, but I was too busy laughing at the situation to even ask. I went to the chiropractor yesterday, one who does not take health insurance and charges 500 sheckels for the first visit. Who in their right mind would ask a doctor for a discount? I figured, "when in Rome..." and said "wow, 500 sheckels! is there something you can do about that?" . "Well, lucky you should ask" he said. "I am running a promotion and if you Like my Facebook page, I'll give you the visit for half the price". I was floored! He didn't say anything or advertise his discount, but when I asked, there it was.

I must say, it sometimes feels exhausting being on the defensive thinking they are out to get you, but I've also come to realize that the Colombian saying " if you don't cry, you don't nurse  (el que no llora, no mama)" has never been truer as it is in Israel. So when you are here, go on, haggle.

HELP

Throughout this whole process of deciding to move to Israel, from the moment we said let’s find out what it would mean to live there, to packing our stuff and getting ready to leave, to actually living our new life in Eretz Israel, we have been amazingly surprised by people, by organizations and by a country that without any real connection to us personally, have a desire for us to succeed in our aliyah.

We have been blessed with great friends and family who have always supported us and who in this endeavor, despite the occasional “please don’t go”, have supported our decision and done whatever they can to help us. I love that we have this support, and am thankful for having it, but I must say, it isn’t entirely a surprise. I mean, if they made a decision like this, I would’ve been there packing up boxes too. However, to find people along the way that without even knowing you, want you to succeed and help you in the process, now that is a surprise. 

We have realized that as Jews, we have a country that not only opens its doors to you and gives you a nationality from the moment you set foot on its land (I come from the US, where to get a visa you have to jump through all kinds of hoops and people get deported left and right, so this is already a plus), but gives you cash as soon as you arrive in the airport and for a few months then after to help you get settled, transports you free of charge with your family and as many suitcases you decided to bring with you to your desired destination, provides you with classes so you may learn the language and provides you with countless tools to make sure you are properly absorbed into the Israeli culture. A country that does all of this so you can live happily in the land that God gave us, now, that is unbelievable. I know of no other country in the world that does this!

We have found the help of organizations like Nefesh B Nefesh, that has available everything you need to get adjusted to your new life and to help you through the process of moving. Do not make aliyah without their help! From putting together meetings with advisors about what areas to consider according to your life style and family status, to how to find an apartment and enter into contracts to rent or buy, to accounting practices, to job search, schools, everything… NBN helps ensure that your move is a success.
Through the aliyah department and our sheliaj, we found a non Jewish organization called Ebenezer, that believes in the existence of a Jewish State and that as Jews, we belong in Eretz Israel and provides both financial support and guidance to those deciding to make aliyah. I mean, isn’t this incredible? We decide to make aliyah and found a whole team of people we didn’t know existed rooting for us! This is so unbelievably exciting. I can’t wait to see what else awaits on the other side of the Atlantic!

Education, shmeducation?

No such thing as every child is created equal in Israel. I mean this in a good way, in fact I mean this in a great way. The interest our son's education has received from the moment we arrived in Modiin has been outstanding.
Our son Nathan is 6 years old, he turned 6 yesterday, on September 8th, which according to Israeli education "standards" (I use the term "standards" loosely as I have come to find there is no such thing here in Israel) makes him apt to enter kita aleph, or 1st grade. The cut-off date here to determine a grade a child should attend is Hanukka (around December). This means, Nathan would be among the younger kids in his class, but there will be younger kids who were born between September and December of the same year.

When Nathan entered pre-school in Miami 4 years ago, where the cut-off date is September 1st, he was just shy of turning 2 years old. Missing the cut-off date by only a week, the director of the school offered to 'bump" him up a grade where he would attend school with the 2 year-olds, or leave him in the 18-24 month-olds where he would be the oldest of his class. Thinking of the future, we thought being the youngest may mean not being ready to handle some of the skills other kids already mastered, such as holding the pencil right, reading, writing, etc; we thought it would mean he'd be the last one to have his Bar Mitzvah, the last one to drive, the last one to develop physically, and him being on the lower end of the height and weight curve, we thought it best to have him attend the younger class, where he would be the oldest student. It meant no exceptions would be made and it didn't mean leaving him behind, since that was really according to dates, where he belonged.
We were happy with the decision all along and not for one minute do we regret it. However,and I know every mother thinks their kid is the smartest kid on the block, Nathan is truly a smart kid. Not just book smart, but street smart. Not only I say it, since I am obviously biased, but his teachers say it, every adult he comes into contact with says it, and here in Israel after having been evaluated by social workers and education department psychologists, they say it. He is mature for his age and gets along better with older kids, so I would say that if we were given the choice to decide again, perhaps we would make a different decision and let him be the youngest of his class.

Now, this presents a problem. Although he is age appropriate for kita aleph, he hasn't attended Kindergarten.  Kita aleph is the first exposure children have to a structured classroom. No more singing songs and playing games to learn the letters. Kids actually sit in a desk, open up books and take down notes. Kindergarten prepares them for this, and Nathan has never had this opportunity. My husband and I had talked about this topic endlessly and after having weighed the pros and cons, decided that the best choice for him was to go to kita aleph and skip Kindergarten. We thought he was up for the challenge and he would be better able to develop in an atmosphere where his abilities would be tested. We first met with the education department coordinator for Olim (immigrants) for the city of Modiin and we discussed Nathan's situation and although she believed it best that he would stay behind one year so that the transition to a new environment (having just moved across the globe) would be easier, after sitting with us for two hours on two separate meetings, she said she didn't have the grounds for making a decision specifically for Nathan, but her opinion was based on what was generally done with kids in similar situations. She felt we shouldn't take this decision lightly, so she referred us to a psychologist at the education department to evaluate Nathan. Although we met with the psychologist for about an hour, after only five minutes with Nathan, she said "I don't see how he would have any problems going to kita aleph". We were pleased, but our decision making was not over yet. Because Nathan doesn't speak Hebrew, he would have the opportunity to attend ulpan, or Hebrew immersion lessons for the first four months of the school year before starting kita aleph. The pros: he would get to kita aleph knowing the language. The cons: he would enter kita aleph mid year after the other kids already have their studying habits in place and have made friends. The other choice we were given was for him to go straight to kita aleph, no ulpan. The pros: he would start fresh, just like all the other kids who have no idea they need to sit at a desk and take out their notebooks. The cons: He would sit a desk and not understand a word the teacher says. We weighed the decision for a few days and decided together with the education department coordinator, that the best for him would be to go straight to the classroom without ulpan. he would learn Hebrew along the way. Because having met with her and a psychologist was not enough for the education department to feel comfortable, they set up a meeting with the school's student adviser to introduce Nathan to her, to the school and to his teacher so that when school started, he wouldn't feel lost. We have been blessed with a teacher who speaks English and Spanish, so not only does she explain Nathan things in his language while he learns Hebrew, but she translates notes sent home to us and sends us e-mails letting us know what he needs to bring each day. The school has also set up twice a week lessons for Nathan and another child who has also recently moved here, to teach them Hebrew. This is all at no cost to us, only in the best interest of our child.
Israel may have its things, as does every other country, but the fact that children are treated individually, to me, has proven worth its weight in gold.

Only in Israel

Israel is truly full of surprises. Good ones and bad ones. But the Israeli, as tough as it is on the outside, it is sweet on the inside. We had to drop off a document to our landlord and so we decided to "stop for a minute" on the way to buy our son's schoolbooks after we dropped him off for his first day of elementary school. I got out of the car to drop off the document while my husband and our daughter waited in the car. When the landlord opened the door, she said, come in. I apologized and said my husband was waiting in the car. Well, to our landlord, there was no way she was going to let us off. She insisted he get out of the car and come in. She served us coffee, cookies, took out a box of toys for our daughter to play with, and we talked for over an hour. I guess landlord/tenant relationships here are more than just a financial transaction. It means we are living in their house and we should have a relationship. She said she feels I am like a daughter to her. She invited us to her house for Rosh Hashana, but because we already have plans, we settled for succot. Amazing. She just met us, yet she feels like family.

Coincidences that only happen in the holy land... We went to the mall and my husband wanted to buy Crocs. Three-times-as-much-money-as-in-the-US-Crocs. He didn't get a chance to buy them before we came and although we are going back to visit in just two months and he could buy them then, he wanted them now, and so we went into the store. In our "challenged' Hebrew, we strike conversation with the sales lady, who happens to speak Spanish, so we immediately switch languages. She is from Argentina, her sister lived in Mexico and then in Miami, so there we have a few things in common. As we are filling out a form to get a discount, she asks for our address and as we say "Migdal Oz", she says "I live in Migdal Oz! what tower?" (there are 11 towers). "Number 1", we say. "I live in Number 1 too" she responds, amazed at the coincidence. her mom has already come up to our apartment to welcome us and offered us help in whatever we need.

OUR LIFE IN BOXES (PART DEUX)

Two hundred boxes made it across the Atlantic and were delivered to our door on Migdal Oz just a couple of days ago. The sight of boxes piled high and covering every square meter of our apartment is nothing short of overwhelming. I thought it would be a good idea to stay at the fully furnished apartment we rented until our container was delivered, for a couple more days until we get a chance to unpack a little, but after a month of being nomads, the idea of sleeping in our own bed sounds very alluring. We had shipped our stuff about 3 weeks before we traveled and stayed with my aunt in Miami for that time and then rented a temporary place in Modiin for 10 days. We decided it would be better to be uncomfortable for a month where we know our surroundings and feel "at home" rather than in a new place where we don't know how to move around, so we are lucky that after only 10 days of having made aliyah, our stuff has arrived and we can begin to build our new home and our new life with our own stuff. I am grateful for this, but still, the sight of 200 boxes invading our apartment is not a pleasant one.
I am maniac, obsessive, compulsive and un-diagnosed with every related disorder when it comes to having my house in order. "one day at a time" and "leat, leat" are not part of my vocabulary. I have unpacked all my prior moves in two days, so I figured now that I have two kids on board, I should extend the deadline a little. Erev Rosh Hashana (a week from now) I want every box, every piece of bubble wrap and packing material gone! We have been unpacking for 3 days straight and are down to about 15 boxes.

As one of the many surprises we have encountered here, we have been informed, after having purchased all of our appliances and having had them delivered, that the delivery guys do not install. This is a separate transaction that needs to be scheduled, so we now have 6 appliances sitting in our apartment boxed up (as if we don't have enough boxes) and have been calling for two days to schedule the installers, but have not been able to achieve what seems like such a simple task. Is it too much to ask for a little customer service? I guess the "the customer is always right" memo got lost in the mail on the way to Israel. Did I mention we have no refrigerator (we have been eating out breakfast, lunch and dinner for two weeks) and a pile of dirty clothes and nowhere to wash it? Grrrrr... There. I vented. I feel better.

Overjoyed and Overwhelmed

When we decided to make aliyah, we knew that one of the benefits provided to Olim by the Israeli government was a paid flight to Ben Gurion Airport. We soon found out that one of the ways to fly to israel, rather than coming by yourself on a commercial flight, was to join a Nefesh B Nefesh charter flight.  A flight where every passenger on board was making aliyah. We saw some videos on youtube of past arrivals and I immediately thought "if we are making aliyah, we are making it big and we have to get on a charter flight".  It was a challenge, because the flight left from JFK, which meant, our husband and I, our two kids, our dog, our 6 suitcases, a stroller, a pack and play and two car seats needed to make it to JFK from MIA somehow. It didn't matter how difficult it was going to be, the dream of joining this flight and making part of the incredible atmosphere aboard this plane was going to be worth it. And boy, was it worth it... As we arrived in Israel, we realized we were making history as it was happening before our eyes. The atmosphere aboard the plane was amazing. A mix of nervousness and excitement, nostalgia and hope from every single passenger aboard this plane. As we started to descend onto Ben Gurion Airport, passengers started singing Israeli songs, clapping, celebrating. Only on El-Al does the pilot have to ask more than once for people to please stop dancing and take their seats so we can land.  As we landed and the doors of the plane were opened, we descended a flight of stairs onto the tarmac where as Israeli music was playing loud, staff of NBN, hayalim and the families of those arriving, greeted us with signs reading "welcome home" and handed us little Israeli flags. The feeling of joy was so great, tears started to uncontrollably run down my face. The faces were a blur, as we didn't know anyone, but at the same time, they all looked familiar. They were greeting us as if we were family, which in a way, I guess we are. Finally, at the end of the welcoming line, a familiar face; my uncle who had come to greet us. We proceeded to a welcome ceremony, where the fact that it was 2 in the morning in America and we hadn't slept hit us. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and fatigue settled in. We still needed to pick up our teudot oleh and our ride home (or wherever our first destination would be). About 4 hours later, we got to a small apartment in Modiin where we would stay for about a week or two until we move to a more permanent home. Our friend Ethel was waiting for us at the door to the building. She had picked up the keys form the owner earlier that day and had filled the refrigerator with basics which would later that night when our jet lagged stomachs awoke, save us from hunger (not sure if this is an Israeli thing, or a very-special-person thing, or both, but the fact that she went to the supermarket and took the time to buy groceries for us was an incredible gesture).

From that moment on, our few days in Israel have been filled with incredible joy coated by overwhelment. Still feeling like a foreigner while trying to get settled in what is now our home. Trying to use my poor Hebrew to communicate so that I can start practicing turns into an entire new language with too many English words in it. We have so far picked up our teudot zehut, registered for health insurance (very easily done at a fair held by NBN-one more of the benefits of making aliyah in bulk), opened bank accounts (we are yet to see how the banking system takes us for a ride as everyone has advised us of the banking fees they charge, even for depositing cash into your account),  have registered our older son in school, have Israeli cell phones and have applied for a file in customs to have our shipment released. We have accomplished so much, yet there is a laundry list of things to do that grows by the yard after each meeting we have with the different coordinators and advisers.Our shipment has arrived, which means next week will probably be unpacking at our new apartment. My cousin has offered help which I have gladly accepted. We will need to transfer the electric, cable, gas, etc to our names, which we have yet to figure out how to do. We need drivers licenses so we can buy a car, go to the ministry of absorption to register for our sal klita, buy uniforms and school supplies and so many other things that I must not bore you with and that there is no point in writing since I have them already neatly listed on a Basecamp application on my phone :)  . Checking things off the list gives me such a great feeling of accomplishment!

Having been able to make aliyah in one of Nefesh B Nefesh' charter flights was the best opportunity we could have had. First of, NBN is an incredible organization. The red carpet of aliyot. They helped and guided us through the pre-aliyah process from gathering paperwork to recommending vendors and choosing the right city for us to settle in, they greeted us at the airport and helped us through the check-in process, held a farewell ceremony, took care of immigration from aboard the plane and since we have arrived, they have made the entire process of settling in (obtaining teudot zehut, registering our kids in school, obtaining medical coverage, etc) more manageable and less stressful. We have been lucky to have been able to make aliyah with their help.

Good bye, so long

And so the time to say good bye has finally arrived. 

After so much planning and thinking about this moment, the day to say good bye to all of our friends and family is here.Tomorrow is the day! 

The last few days have been a bit of a blur. Mixed feelings is a total understatement. Hearing the sadness on our closest friends' and family's voice is tough. I had made a silent promise to myself that I would say casual good byes. No sweet words, no long hugs. I broke my promise. It was inevitable. I said good bye to our best friends who we have shared the good, the bad and the ugly with, we said good bye to our cousins who we spent countless Shabbat dinners with, and the toughest of all, I said good bye to my brother and my sister in law. How could I keep my promise not to cry? It was the best broken promise ever! I sobbed like a little girl. Well needed and well deserved closure. 

We spent the day at the pool, with exceptional weather, clear blue skies, friends and family. We said good bye, cried a lot and promised to stay in touch. 

 I tried to talk to our friends and family in Israel, as much as i could as to compensate the "we'll miss yous" with the "we are waiting for yous"

14 years of wonderful experiences, of building a life in Miami, give way to a new chapter of our lives. I came to Miami as a teenager and leave now, just a tad older and a little wiser. Add a husband and two   kids, amazing friends and a ton of sunshine. Wow, I really will miss this place, no doubt about it, but I do feel more excitement about what's coming than nostalgia about what we are leaving behind. 

I am certain that what's awaiting us is amazing!

11:11 - It's time to go

No, our flight doesn't leave at 11:11, nor does it leave on 11/11, but lately, in fact, since we made the decision to make aliyah, I have become more and more drawn to glancing at the clock whenever it's 11:11.

Numerologists believe that events linked to the time 11:11 appear more often than can be explained by chance or coincidence. Some authors claim that seeing 11:11 on a clock signals a spirit presence. (excerpt from Wikipedia)

I have never really found any significance in this number, other than our family on my dad's side used to call this "la hora del tito" (my grandfather's hour). He always found this time "interesting" and the number always called on his attention, so much so, that two of my cousins have tattooed the number on their skin in his memory.

My grandfather (el tito) was born in Palestine. At a young age, his parents took him to Colombia to pursuit the dream of a better future. When he turned 18 years old, just as Israel was fighting for a Jewish state during the Israeli war of independence, he decided he needed to go. He left his family behind and in pursuit of an ideal that back then didn't even exist, he traveled thousands of miles to enlist in the Palmach. Zionism already traveled through our family' veins. In Israel he met my grandmother, had two of their three children and after some years moved back to Colombia.

I am not sure if it is pure coincidence or my grandfather hoorraing for us from above. I'd like to believe the second one is true. I may be fantasizing, but I'd like to believe that our decision to make aliyah is part of some great plan, part of my family's legacy being realized, my grandfather supporting our decision and making sure this time around, our moving to Israel sticks!

Meant to be

I don't consider myself superstitious. I don't particularly like it when people say "if God wanted it to be, it would be", but don't put any effort on their part to make it happen.

Now, don't get me wrong, I do believe in God and the fact that He has a plan that is much better designed that your own. Having said that though, I also believe that you have to make a great effort to achieve whatever it is that you want and if God thinks your plan should work, then things will roll smoothly for you and if He thinks your plan sucks, then He will make sure you find a new plan. Now, a few bumps on the road don't mean you should give up. Challenges build character and make whatever it is you are working towards that much more valuable when you do achieve it. But no bumps on the road, now that is a sign! A sign that your plan and God's plan match!

Our Aliyah, if my theory above is correct, is nothing short of a plan made in heaven! 

Let me give you a little bit of background and then I will come back to the point. When I graduated high school, I considered (for like 5 minutes) to make aliyah. So did my husband Ivan after he spent his year of ajshara (i am sure that is not how it is spelled, but bear with me). Instead, he moved to Miami and I stayed in Colombia and started college in Bogota. After three years, I decided I wanted to do a semester abroad in Paris, learn some french, take some baking classes, see the world... As I started to plan my semester in France, a semester started to turn into finishing college there and then those bumps on the road I talked about started to appear. One day, my grandparents said "why don't you go to the US and finish college there? The education is reputable worldwide (it is not like I was going to go to the Sorbonne if  I moved to France), and you can do your semester in  Paris  afterwards". The suggestion had a ring to it and I thought "it doesn't hurt to apply".  This conversation with my grandparents took place in April, I applied and got accepted at FIU right away, my student visa came in quickly and in June I was living in Miami, looking for a roommate and ready to start school. Now, talk about no bumps on the road. 

Now, perhaps my plan to go to Israel after college or study in the City of Love or my husband's plan to make aliyah before moving to Miami was a good plan, just the timing wasn't right. I am sure of that now (hindsight is 20/20). I met my husband after only two weeks in Miami and we have two beautiful children.  We were both meant to be in Miami at that time. 

Today, our plan is God's plan. I am certain of it. It may not have been years ago, but today, it is. From the moment we said "let's look into it" until now, our road to aliyah has been bump free. I would even dare to say we've been "pushed". I know that moving to a new country, learning a new language and a new culture will come with its challenges, but I also know that just as when things happened so easily for me when I decided to "look into" moving to Miami, if things are happening so easily for us to make aliyah, it is because good things are awaiting for us just around the corner (well, just at the other side of the world)

OUR LIFE CONTAINED

"The year 1866 was signalized by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Not to mention rumors which agitated the maritime population, and excited the public mind, even in the interior of continents, seafaring men were particularly excited. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and the Governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter." (20,000 Leagues Under The Sea)

No, my life was not written by Jules Verne, and I am pretty sure that our 20ft container filled with every one of our belongings does not quite "agitate rumors amongst the maritime population", but to me, this is huge! I never thought a container traveling half way across the globe would make part of my life. This is very exciting! And to think of the journey that it is about to embark on. Wow.

The guys from Omega Shipping have been here for two days straight. Great crew by the way, would highly recommend them. Yesterday was packing and today, loading the container. We are crossing our fingers as we were told that we may not be able to fit everything in the container. What this means is an extra shipment, which is not only more money, but as Olim, Israel allows us three tax free shipments, so two separate shipments means using up two tax benefits. We are full about 2/3 of the container. Will keep you posted on the progress.

OUR LIFE IN BOXES

And so this light stomach pain that feels like a mixture of an unsettled stomach, a knot and butterflies all at the same time, and that I have been feeling for the past couple of weeks as our aliyah date approaches and moving to Israel seems imminent, has today manifested in the shape of my first shed tears as our home (and what feels like our lives) is being packed into boxes. The kids’ rooms that we painted grey and pink for Ilanit and grey and blue for Nathan are now bare and breath an air of emptiness but at the same time are filled with so many memories. This hasn’t been our home for too long, but this is where our oldest son grew from a crib to a big boy’s bed and where our daughter was born. This is where we shared as a family, where we invited friends over for barbeques and shabat dinners and Passover seders. And I get it, I do, home is where the heart is, but I can’t help but feel nostalgic.