Here For The Year

And so my family and I started our journey to a far-away land that my sister and I could only imagine, where we would try to make ourselves happy and at home. My mother left two weeks before us to get everything set up for our arrival, while we stayed behind to finish tying up loose ends. Those two weeks were absolutely crazy. There was always one more thing to try to stuff into a suitcase, one more membership to cancel, one more family member to see for the last time. I can remember the last night. It was a nightmare. There were three families in the living room to say good-bye and two more on the phone. In the meantime, we still had tons to finish up.

Our arrival
We arrived in Israel after a tiring and long journey. My father did not mention to us (although he was personally anxious that two bombs had just gone off in Machane Yehuda, which he found out from a newspaper in the airport. My mother was there to greet us, and we took our first ride through Israel in a taxi to our new home in Jerusalem. When we got there, we were in luck to find making ourselves at home would not be terribly difficult. The new home my mother had arranged and set up for us appeared to be much more than we imagined it would be. It was exactly what we were looking for-- a place to feel comfortable and secure in and a place to call "home." We immediately went to sleep since we were all so wiped. Our first days here
After regaining our strength, we set out to explore the city. What we found was different than any of us could ever have imagined. Something so different from what we were used TO--A new and strange city, culture, and way of life that for years we had been discussing in class like it was on the moon. We were all very pleased with the newness and discoveries: walking and taking buses everywhere, going to the bakery for a loaf of bread, walking to the macolet (minimarket) or to a falafel stand for a snack. We took teulim (trips) to different places in Jerusalem and even other cities. Then school started.

School
School was not something my sister and I were looking forward to very much. From what we had heard, school in Israel was very disorganized and casual. That turned put to be the biggest understatement I ever heard in my life! Compared to the United States, school in Israel is like a huge party. It's like when you do a skit showing a classroom and you over-exaggerate it by having kids screaming and throwing spitballs and making paper airplanes. That is school in Israel on a good day. None of that was really what worried US, though: What we were afraid of was the fact that all our classes were in Hebrew-all but English, French, and Arabic class, of course. We found that although we weren't able to understand more than 1 out of every 15 words, neither could any of the other kids, or they just decided not to. Usually though, teachers don't show up, so it isn't a problem.

Friends
Fortunately, both my sister and I instantly made English-speaking friends and ARE learning a lot of Hebrew just by speaking and hearing it all day long. I made one really good friend named Adam. He was born in Manhattan and came to Israel the same day I did and is also here for one year. We found out instantly that we have the same interests and became pretty much the best of friends.

Unfortunately, after a while the newness and novelty of the whole situation started to wear off. Having to deal with trying to find which hasa'a (van) I'm on has gotten to be a pain instead of fun. My teachers at school all seem to be mean and not like me or Adam because we don't speak Hebrew. With all the security issues, my parents don't want me riding buses or going to busy places. That sometimes makes it hard---when friends are doing things that I'm not allowed to do. Even though I'm learning a lot of Hebrew, I'm not learning a lot else and school days have gotten to be very boring.

Where I stand today
That is where I am currently: trying my best to pick up as much as I can and still enjoy myself. Struggling with the Israeli culture and politics and way of life. Hoping to get as much out of this year as I can.
I often ask myself if I am really enjoying this, if I feel that all the difficulties seem really worth it to me. Although the hardships often blind me from seeing the benefits and good things here, it is always very obvious how much this is an "experience of a lifetime." When I think about everything I have gained and learned about myself and about life, it is easy for me to say that I don't regret coming at all.
-Joshua