By: Rebecca

When we first arrived in Israel, it was hard not to make comparisons to things in the US. We found ourselves doing less and less of that as we became more familiar with living in a different country. There were always things we missed and things we wished were more like home, but we did adapt - probably better than we thought we would. 

I had thought that coming back to the United States would be something I looked forward to without any backward glances. I was surprised to find that I was not completely glad to leave. Ultimately, I am glad to be home (the US definitely feels like home), but I will miss Israel more than I thought. 

Spring flowers in the Galilee

Living abroad was an unforgettable experience. No matter where you are from, living in another country for awhile will open your eyes. I considered myself to be pretty aware of what was going on in the wider world. That is even more true now. Even just watching the news from another country gives you a different perspective. 

Our friends and family were worried for our safety because the impression in the US is that Israel is a dangerous place. It can be, but so can the United States. Granted, some of the dangers are very different (I never thought about rocket attacks in NH), but there are dangers everywhere. Israelis face threats head-on and the day-to-day life reflects the general awareness that something could easily happen. When you go to the mall, bus station, university or even the movies, you go through a metal detector and/or have your bags searched. If you drive to the mall, they search your car. Invasion of privacy you might say, but it's all in the name of safety - same reason you don't argue with metal detectors at the airport. The first few times I went to the grocery store in NH, I started to hand over my purse. It had become habit, just like I always fasten my seat belt in the car.

We will adapt to being home and, although it may take a little while, the US will once again feel like a familiar place. It is said that you can't go home again, but I don't think that's true. You can go home again. It's just that there may be more than one place to call home. 

Adventures in the Negev

This experience opened our eyes and taught us things we'd never have imagined. We hope that it has opened your eyes as well, especially now. As the conflict rages on between Israel and Gaza, we hope that our friends and family are safe. You can read more about our thoughts on the ongoing conflict in our post from a few weeks ago.

We have a few more blog posts in the works to wrap up our Israeli adventure. We hope to continue to blog about our travels and may even continue to write about the everyday. Not sure if we'll change the name of the blog or not, so stay tuned...

By: Rebecca and Jason

We have spoken a lot about our home away from home in Israel. One thing we really appreciated about Haifa was the mix of cultures it offered. We visited the other two major cities (Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) on many occasions, but are still glad that we ended up in Haifa. Tel Aviv feels like lots of other big cities - it did not have the same Israeli vibe as Haifa. Jerusalem, although beautiful and fascinating, is very intense. We found it to be a great place to visit, but not somewhere we'd want to live.

Despite our best efforts, we could not put our feelings of Haifa as eloquently as A.B. Yehoshua did in this article for Newsweek in 2011:

I am a proud native of Jerusalem, the fifth generation of a Jewish family that came to that illustrious city in the middle of the 19th century. Nevertheless, after the Six-Day War of 1967, my wife and I made the conscious choice to leave Jerusalem—not to move to Tel Aviv, like so many of our friends, but rather to go farther north to the port city of Haifa. Nearly 45 years later we still congratulate ourselves on this wise decision, not only because religious and political divisions have altered the character of Jerusalem—and undermined its sanity—but also because of Haifa’s unique qualities, which become clearer as time passes.

If I had to define Haifa in a single phrase, it would be this: the well-tempered city. This seaside city offers an ideal blend of various elements, which, in other parts of Israel, give rise to disharmony and conflict...

Read the rest of the article here.

One of my favorite views of Haifa from a park near our apartment

In the past few weeks, we've thought more about our time spent in Israel. Peace, for the moment, seems elusive at best. Perhaps the rest of the country should look to Haifa as an example of how to live side by side with people whose views differ from your own.

By: Rebecca 

Although we are back in the US, we are holding our breath along with all our friends and family in Israel as tensions mount between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We were fortunate to be in Israel during a time of relative calm. We know that our friends and family in the US were worried for our safety, but in reality, we never felt in danger. It's always different watching something from afar - the news agencies always report the worst or blow things out of proportion.

It is different this time. This time there are things to worry about. Rockets are threatening Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and even close to Haifa. We have friends who are running to shelter upon hearing the sirens. People we know are reminding their neighbors how long they have to get to a shelter - 15 seconds to 2 minutes - not very long in any case. We will check in more often, pay closer attention, and cross our fingers and toes.

We have always tried to remain neutral on this blog, to stay above the political fray and to share our experiences good or bad. We had many wonderful interactions with Arab Israelis, all of whom are grateful to be living in a country that allows them to practice their own beliefs; some of whom are in (or have children in) the IDF. We hope that those friends and neighbors are safe as well. 

Even though we are grateful to be back in the US, we also feel somewhat guilty for being here while our friends and family are going through these troubling times. It's hard to watch the news and see places we love under fire. Here's hoping for an end to the violence and a return to a stable (if not peaceful) situation. 

Shalom