Quite a bit has changed in my life since last I wrote. After losing my mother to cancer three months ago, I was given the opportunity to reevaluate my life and look hard at the things I wanted. Having carried the dream of living and learning in Israel for over five years, I realized that now was the perfect time to make it happen. My baby is young, my husband’s job is portable (Thank Gd for the internet), and so, once afternoon, I looked at Shuie and said, “Let’s do it!” One month later, we’re here.

While this blog was originally meant for musings of the musical persuasion, it will be evolving into a travelogue of sorts during my year in the Holy Land. Not only will it give me an outlet for all of the wonderful things I’m seeing and learning after only a week here, but I’m hoping it will also give the people I love some sense of being here with me, and some peace of mind that I’m actually accomplishing something, not just chewing peote and dancing naked in the Sinai.That said, allow me to fill you in on our current events here in Israel.

After running around like mad for the past week, looking for a place to live, we’ve finally settled into a gorgeous apartment in what is apparently “THE” neighborhood of Ramat Eshkol. Though I was willing to live in a concrete block like most other Jerusalemites, I harbored a secret dream of having a view and maybe even some greenery. Well, I got it. And more. Our apartment not only has a backyard with pomegranate, lemon, fig, olive and sheset trees, but we have an incredible view of a nature reserve. As I stand on our back porch and smell the sweet air, I can’t be anything but grateful.

I’ve started my first day of school at Midreshet Rachel V’Chaya, which is a half-hour bus ride and short walk away in the neighborhood of Kiryat Moshe. I didn’t get much of a chance to socialize since I’m just there for the mornings, but I was able to sit down and start learning almost immediately. They’ve placed me at the top of the second level (there are 4), which I’m grateful for. I was afraid that my reading skills went out the window along with my common sense and short-term memory after Yonah was born.

Getting to school wasn’t too hard. I was too chicken to take on the Israeli bus schedule this morning and cabbed it after dropping Yonah off at Rivka’s, his mitapelet (daycare provider). However, the high fare made me happy to take the bus on the way back. It wasn’t so hard, as it turns out. Most people are happy to help, especially if you know Hebrew, which I like to pretend I do. Actually, from what I’m told, my Hebrew is not so bad, but I’m looking forward to picking up more of it day by day. My goal is to be fluent by 30, and as my 28th birthday approaches, I think I may have a shot. My favorite new expression is “Chaval al Hazman!”, which literally means, “A Waste of Time”, but is used to express appreciation of something really great. For example, Shuie he took a bite out of one of my oatmeal-honey muffins and cried out, “Oy! Chaval al Hazman!”. I like the phrase so much I’m trying to come up with reasons to use it: “That refrigerator is so cold! Chaval al Hazman!”

In the meantime, Yonah had a great first day at Rivka’s, where he has a new baby friend named Tzvi. Apparently he slept for two hours, drank from his sippy cup and played nicely. I knew he was a doll, of course, but she got a two-hour nap AND the sippy cup? I have to wrestle that thing into his mouth! Rivka smiled at me. “HaMitapelet osah nisim (The mitapelet works miracles)”, she said. You’re telling me…

Shuie may have found a program where he will be able to learn in the mornings and which has a kiruv (jewish outreach) component. If he chooses this route, there is also a weekly class for wives that I will be attending. I’m sure they will be interesting, as long as they’re not along the lines of, “How to cook for fifty people in half an hour”.

As I sit on the bus, weaving through the streets of Jerusalem, or I sit on one of our chaises, looking out at the trees (or in one memorable moment, spotting a gazelle), I am amazed at how quickly life can change, and at how miracles truly are possible, if I make room for them. My mother was able to see the little miracles in life every day, and I know she’d get a big kick out of this one. It wouldn’t surprise me if she put in a good word for me upstairs.