Coming back home
It's been a week since I arrived and I'm still trying to take everything in, commit to memory, and enjoy the moment. Coming back home means to me a huge assault on all senses. It's a positive assault, the type that renders me so calm and relaxed that it's almost addictive in nature.
The warmth of the sun, the light of day, the smell of the salty Mediterranean, the smells coming from restaurants, the noise of people talking Hebrew and Arabic, the touch of my nephews hugging me, the sight of the most beautiful architecture I've seen in all places I've ever been to around the world, the sight of Mt. Carmel dropping to the sea. All these combine into an experience that I wish I could record and share with you.
I take lots of photos all the time. I videotape, too. And I will upload it one day. But for now I just want to enjoy the time here. Enjoy being back home where I really belong, and where I feel most comfortable.
I've met a couple of my friends so far, and five more scheduled for this week. The rest will have to live with just a phone call from me. My mother still thinks it's a mystery how in 14 years of living overseas I still have Israeli friends who want to meet me. She thinks I'm imposing myself on them and forcing them to meet me. Funny thing is that I actually had to cut down on the number of friends I call because it seems that everyone wants to meet with me. Everyone wants to see me and talk to me. Some are coming all the way from Tel Aviv - something not too common because there's a rivalry between the two cities to a point of - "why don't YOU come to Tel Aviv, rather than me coming all the way to that small northern town." ["Small"- I will remind everyone means, the third largest city in Israel!]
Sukkot started last night and with it all the kids are out of school for eight days. A film festival began today on Mt. Carmel. I took a stroll with my mom along with thousands others. The town was absolutely packed! Earlier this evening I went with my sister-in-law and niece to the beach, where we enjoyed watching all the Israelis dancing folk dances. I videotaped that, too. I'll upload it some other time. It felt so great to see everyone enjoying the outdoor after being shut inside the homes during the war. You could almost sense the new vigor and excitement about life. But hidden underneath you could feel the constant fear that it'll be taken away from us again.
I love my country so much that it really hurts me to realise that in a week I'll be on a plane headed back. I don't want to go back. I don't. But I will, because I have a husband there. And a job.
When I get back it'll be straight to that damn cold weather that I detest. It'll be back to talking English without the Israeli humour I love so much. It'll be back to feeling a stranger in a strange land, even after 14 years of living there.
I tried to upload photos but blogger wouldn't let me. Too frustrating after five trials. I give up.
The warmth of the sun, the light of day, the smell of the salty Mediterranean, the smells coming from restaurants, the noise of people talking Hebrew and Arabic, the touch of my nephews hugging me, the sight of the most beautiful architecture I've seen in all places I've ever been to around the world, the sight of Mt. Carmel dropping to the sea. All these combine into an experience that I wish I could record and share with you.
I take lots of photos all the time. I videotape, too. And I will upload it one day. But for now I just want to enjoy the time here. Enjoy being back home where I really belong, and where I feel most comfortable.
I've met a couple of my friends so far, and five more scheduled for this week. The rest will have to live with just a phone call from me. My mother still thinks it's a mystery how in 14 years of living overseas I still have Israeli friends who want to meet me. She thinks I'm imposing myself on them and forcing them to meet me. Funny thing is that I actually had to cut down on the number of friends I call because it seems that everyone wants to meet with me. Everyone wants to see me and talk to me. Some are coming all the way from Tel Aviv - something not too common because there's a rivalry between the two cities to a point of - "why don't YOU come to Tel Aviv, rather than me coming all the way to that small northern town." ["Small"- I will remind everyone means, the third largest city in Israel!]
Sukkot started last night and with it all the kids are out of school for eight days. A film festival began today on Mt. Carmel. I took a stroll with my mom along with thousands others. The town was absolutely packed! Earlier this evening I went with my sister-in-law and niece to the beach, where we enjoyed watching all the Israelis dancing folk dances. I videotaped that, too. I'll upload it some other time. It felt so great to see everyone enjoying the outdoor after being shut inside the homes during the war. You could almost sense the new vigor and excitement about life. But hidden underneath you could feel the constant fear that it'll be taken away from us again.
I love my country so much that it really hurts me to realise that in a week I'll be on a plane headed back. I don't want to go back. I don't. But I will, because I have a husband there. And a job.
When I get back it'll be straight to that damn cold weather that I detest. It'll be back to talking English without the Israeli humour I love so much. It'll be back to feeling a stranger in a strange land, even after 14 years of living there.
I tried to upload photos but blogger wouldn't let me. Too frustrating after five trials. I give up.
posted at
10/07/2006 11:22:00 PM
2 Comments:
I am glad you are enjoying your time there and happy you are seeing your family and all, but what would we do without you here? It will suck to come back to cold weather and it most likely will be cold when you get back. On that point, I totally agree with you.
By
Mike, at 9:35 PM, October 07, 2006
You are having entirely too much fun. Now just lay off and get back here before the snow comes. You wouldn't want to miss the election and the 856,793 attack ads that accompany it, and now that you are a citizen you are required to view them all. In Florida, it is still in the high 80s, since we know how to live, but you'll probably freeze where you live. (Polishing fingernails) It's just a matter of who you know. Now, come home.
Mtrain
By
Anonymous, at 5:35 PM, October 12, 2006
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