I know I’ve written quite a bit about how absurd it is here, but I think I’m finally, finally coming to terms with it. Last week marked a turning point in my feelings about this trip.  I know which stalls at the market are a ripoff, how to ride the bus and where the best hummus places are. Even not having a smartphone this week has made me even more confident, not having to rely on a crutch and realizing that it’s not a big deal if you get lost. Things always seem to work out here. 

I think one of my favorite parts of this trip is getting to spend time with family. I feel like a little kid every time I go to visit my grandparents, telling everyone gleefully that I’m going to granny’s, and bringing back tons of food. I know I can’t make up for 24 years of not being around, but I’m glad I finally got around to visiting for more than a few weeks. I remember when this trip was just a stray thought in my mind. I was driving home from work, completely fed up, and I told myself, “I should just go to Israel.” This trip was always my backup plan, if things in my life went horribly wrong, but it should have never been an escape plan. There’s no reason I can’t have my cake and eat it too, and as hard as things might seem sometimes, I know I will be thanking myself years down the road for finally going.

So, what have I done lately? Things are settling into a routine, so there haven’t been any trips, but day-to-day life has been good. We went to a beer bar on a recommendation last Thursday that ended up being amazing called Porter and Sons. They had 50 beers on tap, and probably another 50 in bottles. I ordered a Quadrupel that was so delicious, and it came in a huge goblet. We were actually drunk after just one glass, and the prices were awesome, especially for Tel Aviv. The following day, my roommate Lauren suggested we go check out Shuk Levinski. After a 30 minute walk, we found it, and it was absolutely worth the hike. Fresh seeds, nuts, grain, dried fruit, you name it. I also found an Asian market there where I bought a kilo of tofu for about $5.

Sunday was my grandparents’ birthday. Yes, both of my grandparents have the same birthday, so this week has been full of celebration. On Sunday, my mom really wanted to do something for them so she had me take them to a restaurant in Old Jaffa called The Old Man and the Sea. They served over 20 delicious salads and I’d like to think my grandma had a good time despite her complaining. My grandfather definitely enjoyed himself though and had a really beautiful piece of fish.

This week also was the election here, so everybody had the day off since I guess it’s considered a national holiday. The streets, once again, were buzzing with people campaigning last minute and also with families just enjoying their day off. As for me, I went to spend time with family again. We went to this enormous park in Ramat Gan and had a barbecue to celebrate my grandparents’ birthday with everybody. It was a beautiful day filled with food and shesh besh. I beat my grandfather twice and almost marsed him once, but it was difficult enough getting that close.

Another week is ending here, and I’m looking forward to seeing what this weekend has in store. Things are already starting off right. Greg finally got his vacation time approved, which means we’re going to Europe in July! I’ve also got some other traveling on the horizon. The week after next, Career Israel is taking us on a trip to the south, which will be the first real trip we take. Also, I’m supposed to be doing some research on going to Eilat next month after Passover. Another girl who dives is coming to join Career for April so now I have a dive buddy and a fire under my ass to plan a trip.

As always, I’m missing everybody back home. Sending my love to everyone and I’ll see you soon!

I apologize again for my terrible-ness at keeping this updated. I’ve barely had a minute to myself this month. This city has been pretty taxing and I’ve definitely had my share of ups and down, and so much is happening, but I’ll try to fill in from where I left off.

The first two weeks in Tel Aviv were mainly orientation, filled with speakers and intensive Hebrew lessons each day. One of the highlights was going to visit Google Israel, which was brand new and state-of-the-art. However, they weren’t really allowed to tell us about anything they were working on in detail, since it’s all top secret. But, it was cool to say that we went to Google, and I got a photo in the slide!

Another highlight was a walking tour of Jaffa. It’s a beautiful area but there’s a great deal of history there, and not to mention, great food. I’m kind of fuzzy on the history part, but we had dinner at the famous Doctor Shakshuka, which was very tasty, but maybe not worth the hype.

Last week was the first week of my internship at Almog Dvir. So far, it’s been challenging but nothing that I can’t handle. My office is located in Hertzeliya Pituach, which is a very nice business district just north of Tel Aviv. The commute time is about 45 minutes each way, but it’s given me plenty of time to catch up on my podcasts. The studio consists of a very small team, just three other designers and a project manager, along with the owner, Dvir. The first project they had me work on consisted of some logo concepts for a rebrand of a local brewery, Negev. Israeli craft beer hasn’t been around for very long, which poses a challenge in selling since its a beer without much history. I have to say, it’s a very cool project but identity isn’t my strong suit. That’s one of the reasons I chose to work here, to improve my branding skills and to be able to work with a lot of different clients. While week one wasn’t particularly productive, I feel like I’m finally getting into the groove this week.

Aside from work, I haven’t had much time for anything else. I’ve been freelancing way too much for my own good, and when I’m not doing that, I’m visiting my grandparents or going to the beach. I find it hard to believe that I’ve been busier here than I’ve been at home, and it hasn’t been the trip that I thought it would be. Even a month in, I’m still having a hard time adjusting, and life hasn’t been without its setbacks. For example, I had an unfortunate incident at the shuk on Friday. Every time I approach the market, I remind myself and everybody else that it’s a popular place for thieves, and to watch your bags. Can you guess where this is going? My iPhone was stolen right out of my backpack. Fortunately, I have an amazing family who lent me a phone (a dumb phone, but it’s still a phone!). This was a really low point for me. But you know what? I never had a smartphone in college, so what difference should it make now? So, I’ll have to wait a month for someone to bring me one from the states (Import taxes here are astronomical), but, maybe its a lesson in patience. Savlanut.

This city has tested my patience more than ever. It’s such an incredible blessing to be living where I’m living, but it’s not easy. Part of the reason I guess I haven’t been updating is that I haven’t had much of a chance to be with myself. There is very little privacy, which was expected, but I guess the good thing is that you’re never alone here. For example, Purim happened here last week. I’ve never seen a city in costume for a week straight, it was electric! There were so many parties, from the bars and clubs, to the park next door, to the streets, and everyone was loud and all about it. It was a blast, but incredibly overwhelming in so many ways.

The bright side of all of the troubles I’ve had is that things can only get better, and if things still don’t get better, I’m learning to shake things off like a true Tel Aviv-ian. I am so thankful for all of the good things in my life, and the awesome support system that I have here. I know everything will be alright.

I will try – Key word try – to be better about updating. With the spotty Internet and the amount of work I’m doing, it’s been difficult, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I miss you all back home, and I hope you’re all doing well. See you soon <3