Between trips, I’ve been coming home to Israel. And counting my various relatives, friends, family friends, Gidon, and the apartment I am renting in Jerusalem, there are quite a few homes to come home to. It has been wonderful to be here – seeing friends, hiking, beach-ing, volunteering, and dusting off my Hebrew. Despite having spent approximately 2+ years of my life here, spread out amongst well over a dozen trips, there are so many uncharted corners of the country. I’ve explored Byzantine ruins, mountain hikes, clear springs, cities, and neighborhoods that I’d previously never been to. I’ve had a bizarre number of “small world” encounters, met people from communities with which I’ve never before engaged, and am reminded every day how much I love Israel – though the old woman at the bus stop might push you down to get ahead of you in line, no one is more hospitable than the people of Israel – from free cab rides to Jerusalem when I was having visa trouble to take-out restaurants offering to return my call so it would be free, Happy almost 63rd Birthday Israel!
