On Going Home Again

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...