The Holy Land: Our Favorite Family Things to Do

 

Israel is a tiny, complicated, precious country, and the only one we call home. She boasts God-kissed mountains, arid deserts, breath-taking waterfalls, and world-famous beaches; more patents, scientists, published books, and inventions per capita than any other nation in the world; world-renown and internationally critical historical, archeological, and religious sites. . Israelis are strong-willed, stubborn, out-spoken, warm-hearted, and intense people. Israelis are always-ready to tell you how to raise your child, open his home up to a perfect strangers, and laugh at the sometimes harder shades of life.  With mandatory military service (3 years for boys; a year and eight months for girls) shaping its people's character, Israelis and Israel is a constant foil of soft and hard, bitter and sweet, surreal and mundane. 

These are our top family things to do around Israel. 

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Leaving What We Loved

When the time to go went from months to weeks, I freaked out. I love my life in Northern Israel. I do.I love the school we established two years ago, I love my friends, I love my job as a family therapist with a radio show. I love the nature and the pace of life in the Upper Galilee Valley of Israel. I love my home! The thought of leaving behind all that I love, deeply love, was terrifying. Why in the Hell Would I Throw Away a Perfectly Good, Rewarding LIfe? Why? Here are the last glimpses into the world we left, before becoming a nomadic family.

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Redefining Our Paradigms

Before becoming a nomadic family, we lived in Israel for almost 8 years. People always ask me if it's scary living in that war-torn desert. What you know about The Holy Land is what the media wants you to know. Let's put it this way; if i listened to the media and to what other people have told me regarding how I 'should' be raising my children in the stability bubble; I would never have left the comforts of my lovely home to become a nomadic family. As a messanger, if you will, of my home land, below are some short and awesome movies about Israel, made by our family and others.

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God Bless America

So, it's our first morning in America. I was so excited to introduce my kids to the culture I grew up in; the land my parents became naturalized citizens of in 1976. The land where mommy can read everything and everyone understands her tiniest nuances. Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Walmart, Andies Mints, certain smells and sights and sounds that only exist here. Ah, breathe in relief. Kobi took the kids down to breakfast. They spoke too loudly, took too much food from the buffet, and spilled too many things onto the table and their clothing. How embarrassing when everyone around you is so cultured, and you feel like your kids just came out of the zoo.

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Packing Up

 

Packing up for our new nomadic family lifestyle was no easy task. We actually began three years before we left. Back then, we started going through the house and saying "do we really need this?" "are we going to store it until we get back?" and out it went. We got the kids involved, and intentionally, months before departure, got us all used to living on a lot less stuff 

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Tasting Fears and Doubts

Leaving my home was heart-breaking, scary, and ironic. We're about to go live a dream we have saving for for almost five years; and rather than be excited about it, I'm freaking out. This entry is a collection of journal entries from April, May, and March of 2011, those last months before departure. It covers a dash of my fears, a teaspoon of my uncertainty, and a pound of confusion.

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Finding Bits of My Soul- Houston, Texas

We meant to leave Israel, see the States,and swing by Houston for a few weeks. We ended up spending two long, relaxing months in Houston; catching up with old friends and catching our breaths. Houston gave us an eclectic taste of city life, tons of time to reflect on what the hell we were actually doing, and great opportunities to see friends and my family. After raising our kids half way across the world in Israel; it was a gift to our kids to have quality time with my mother, step-father, and brother. This entry reflects some of what my soul recaptured in the sights and sounds of the city I spent most of my life in:  Houston, Texas.

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Voluntary Frugality

It is the dream of many a family to travel the world. It was our dream for a long, long time. We are always asked how we can afford to live as a nomadic family. People assume that we are rich; therefore, we can, but they can't. Well, we're not rich. We never have been. We simply made choices that kept our goal constantly in mind. We learned the difference between needs and wants, and chose 'voluntary frugality'. This entry describes some of the frugality choices and mentality that we developed that allowed for this nomadic family dream to become a reality.

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