Week 1 Highlights

Hard to believe we've been here a week already.  When I came on Nativ those many years ago, our staff kept using the phrase "hit the ground running".  It feels like that is what we did, and now I am exhausted!

Here are some highlights from our first week as an Israeli family:

• Shabbat in Jerusalem - there is something tangibly different on Shabbat here than other days of the week.
• Walking home Friday night and hearing people singing zemirot
• Having supermarket clerks wish you a Shabbat Shalom
• People pronouncing my (Bat-Ami's) name correctly; the first time
• Reconnecting with family and friends
• Driving without freaking out (okay, only freaking out a little)
• Opening our bank account in under 2 hours (yes, that is a small victory here)
• Having a productive meeting at Misrad Haklita and finding out the pekida who was helping us is originally from Seattle.
• Finding an apartment, and starting rental negotiations
• Going to Machane Yehuda and getting reprimanded by the produce guys for not buying in large enough quantities, also seeing a cow head; teeth, eyes, and all (more a boys' highlight)
• Option paralysis at the food court at the mall in Modiin; Milchig? Fleishig? Too many choices! - of course we all wound up choosing shwarma