Three Years Later
Today is June 25th, 2008. On June 24th, 2005, I sent out an email to almost all of you guys, with the subject line "I've Arrived!" Over the past three years I've had lots of adventures, traveled a lot, learned huge amounts, and made a life for myself in Israel.
Yesterday I was walking through the park with one of my closest friends here, who arrived in Israel at about the same time that I did three years ago. We took a short detour and ran into what appeared to be a dance performance by middle school girls for their families to celebrate the end of the school year. After a minute or two we got bored and continued home where my friend was going to help me begin the packing process.
As we left I realized that this small event, had it occurred three years ago, would have been the subject of an entire email home. I would have described the scene in detail and used it as a jumping off point to comment a bit about Israeli society and the community that I have found for myself. Yet these days, I doubt that I will even remember the performance in a week's time.
My life here in Israel is just that – a life. I no longer complain about the weird hours of the post office or banks, I just learn to live with them. I have lots of friends here, and sharing huge Shabbat meals with them is no longer an exciting event, but a weekly occurrence. I still love learning Torah at school every day, but that's what it is – learning at school every day.
It's hard to remember to write exciting emails about my life in Israel because it's a life just like everyone else's. I go grocery shopping, I buy produce, I do laundry, I cook, I go to school, I go to bars, I watch movies, I play pool. Sometimes I argue with a taxi driver or try out an exciting new restaurant or make a new friend. I know all the streets in my neighborhood and in most of the surrounding ones and the adventure of getting lost has been replaced by the more frequent giving of directions to people visiting Jerusalem.
In less than a week I will get start building a new life for myself all over again. I have accepted a job teaching 5th, 6th, and 7th grade Jewish studies at a school in Greenwich, CT. I will be living in New York City, on the Upper West Side. And once again, I will learn a new system of public transportation, new grocery stores, and new night-time hang-outs. I will make new friends and try to keep in touch with my old friends. I will build a new life for myself.
These past three years have changed me in many ways, but primarily they have helped me more fully become the person I am now. I apologize for not being more in touch as my time here has gone on; it seemed to have been a natural development from living in the same place for many years. Hopefully I will send out one last email before I go, but I'm not so good at those promises, so don't hold your breath.
Thanks for coming along on this journey with me,
Sarah
Yesterday I was walking through the park with one of my closest friends here, who arrived in Israel at about the same time that I did three years ago. We took a short detour and ran into what appeared to be a dance performance by middle school girls for their families to celebrate the end of the school year. After a minute or two we got bored and continued home where my friend was going to help me begin the packing process.
As we left I realized that this small event, had it occurred three years ago, would have been the subject of an entire email home. I would have described the scene in detail and used it as a jumping off point to comment a bit about Israeli society and the community that I have found for myself. Yet these days, I doubt that I will even remember the performance in a week's time.
My life here in Israel is just that – a life. I no longer complain about the weird hours of the post office or banks, I just learn to live with them. I have lots of friends here, and sharing huge Shabbat meals with them is no longer an exciting event, but a weekly occurrence. I still love learning Torah at school every day, but that's what it is – learning at school every day.
It's hard to remember to write exciting emails about my life in Israel because it's a life just like everyone else's. I go grocery shopping, I buy produce, I do laundry, I cook, I go to school, I go to bars, I watch movies, I play pool. Sometimes I argue with a taxi driver or try out an exciting new restaurant or make a new friend. I know all the streets in my neighborhood and in most of the surrounding ones and the adventure of getting lost has been replaced by the more frequent giving of directions to people visiting Jerusalem.
In less than a week I will get start building a new life for myself all over again. I have accepted a job teaching 5th, 6th, and 7th grade Jewish studies at a school in Greenwich, CT. I will be living in New York City, on the Upper West Side. And once again, I will learn a new system of public transportation, new grocery stores, and new night-time hang-outs. I will make new friends and try to keep in touch with my old friends. I will build a new life for myself.
These past three years have changed me in many ways, but primarily they have helped me more fully become the person I am now. I apologize for not being more in touch as my time here has gone on; it seemed to have been a natural development from living in the same place for many years. Hopefully I will send out one last email before I go, but I'm not so good at those promises, so don't hold your breath.
Thanks for coming along on this journey with me,
Sarah
posted by sarah @ 3:31 PM
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