Jerusalem

     Today was the day that everyone was looking forward to… The Kotel.  We walked around the city for a while and investigated the archeological digs that were in progress.  Then our guide Karen, asked everyone who had never been to the Kotel to walk hand in hand with our eyes closed.  She played beautiful Israeli music as we walked. 

     Nerves mounted as I was guided to our destination.  We stopped (eyes still closed) and she placed me at my spot.  Then she whispered into my ear … “Open your eyes.”

     I will never forget that moment, as long as I live.

  I opened my eyes to view the Kotel for the first time in my life!  At first I thought I was dreaming.  It looked like a picture, a moving, flowing, heartwarming picture.  I smiled when I realized I had completed a dream/wish.  I was looking upon the Bet Hamigdash, the Holy of Holies.  I was breathing the same air as my ancestors and it was breathtaking. 

And so I cried…  and I wished my father could be standing next to me at that very moment.  And I cried again, my life made just a little bit more sense in that moment.

My First Day In Israel

     My first day was exhausting but wonderful.  We visited a lookout point where we saw the whole of Jerusalem.  It was beautiful.  I took photos of the Mount of Olives.  It reminded me that Netanel’s Great-Grandparents are buried there.  Our guide Karen,  spoke about how being buried there makes you a holier person and how those buried in the cemetery will be the first to enter the Bet Hamigdash be with the spirit of G-d.  It was breathtaking.

     The drive from Tel Aviv/Lod, where the airport was, to Jerusalem brought back memories.  It reminded me of a mix of Northern Georgia and the highlands of Canada.  The spectacular hillside views here are something not to be ignored.  By the time we got to our hotel (a Kibbutz north of Jerusalem city) we were all exhausted.  I ate alone tonight, as I was a little late getting to dinner (took a nap) but I didn’t mind.  It gave me time to think.  We are sleeping 3 to a room and it will change everyday.  The only English channel was a perverse show about female masturbation.  Odd Israeli programming huh?

 

My First International Experience

     Getting to JFK in New York proved to be quite a pain.  After a 4AM reschedule of my already cancelled flight, I figured I would be ok to get to New York.  I was WRONG!  Due to the cancellations and some unfortunate weather in Atlanta, I missed the second flight.  I had to run to Jet Blue and shell out an additional $320 for a one way direct flight to JFK.  In the end I made it to New York and enjoyed the Jet Blue flight.

     Wow, this EL AL flight is LONG!  Sleeping is extremely difficult.  It is made drastically worse by the two twin babies who have been having a screaming competition in the row in front of me for the last 6 hours.  I can already feel the difference from America.  From seeing men and boys alike meeting to pray in the back of the plane, to the Israeli flight attendants speaking to me in Hebrew.  Security was quite a change too.  The 15 minute interrogation before I was even allowed to check in was a new experience.  They asked a lot of questions about my relationship to my husband.  It was not aggressive though.  It was like a semi-formal conversation. 

     I had an aisle seat on the plane which I hate but I’m making the best of it.  I couldn’t take any fly over pictures but I had some friends on the plane take a few for me.  About an hour before we landed in Israel a calm came over me, a peace of sorts.  It’s a great feeling knowing I’m almost home!

 

Problems Already!

     I’m sitting up at 3 AM on the phone with Delta.  Apparently it’s standard practice to cancel flights 5 hours before hand and call customers at 2AM to tell them to work it out.  So that’s what I’m doing.  Sounds like I will get to New York but it’s going to require an additional stop and an extra 2 hours.  Joy to the World.  So instead of enjoying my sister’s birthday with her and resting before my flight… I am on the phone playing lets make a deal with the ticket agents. 

 

What a great start.  It’s now 4 AM and I’m exhausted and I need to be up in 30 minutes.  

Can We Say POWER NAP?…