I am sitting in my room, the walls are pure white. My suitcases are busting at the zippers, but they stand sentinel, ready to wheel on home. I'm leaving this place in 7 hours. I'm comforted by the fact that Israel will always be here for me to visit, however, it will be impossible to recreate specific moments and revive the feeling of living here. I've gotten over the shock of leaving and ending this chapter several days ago. Now, as I return my phone, my keys, and put one last coat of white paint where photos, postcards, and other memories used to be, the fear has transformed into excitement. I don't know if this is my last post, so I don't want to say goodbye. "Shalom" has three meanings, and I like to think I am experiencing all of them now. I really don't want this to be corny, sappy, and mournful. My entire blog is the true testament to my journey this year.
- Israel
- Kfar, I learned to love your cats, loathe your reeking elevators, and admire your Jerusalem stone charm.
- Town, for your tourists to mock and sometimes identify with, haggling with your taxi drivers, haunting your streets at night for some food and drink, and shlepping beautiful produce from your shuk
- Cafe Kadosh, and your delicious savory french toast
- Mamila Mall
- Afula, and your lulling kibbutz life.
- Egged and Dan busses...I did my best sightseeing and thinking while looking through your windows.
- Tel Aviv, old stomping grounds
- Bezalel, my messy studio, lugging canvases and drawing paper through your labyrinth hallways
- Teachers. I grew so much as an artist thanks to them. Specifically my drawing and pottery teachers. I now know how to express myself differently.
- The dank piano room (dank is used with a negative connotation, but without you, oh piano room, my musical inclinations would have been unrealized)
- Friends with a history of living together for a year.
- My room, festooned with photos, transvestite wrestler figurines, and every flavor of Must gum. Oh...and bless those shades that make the midday dark like 9 PM.
Peace
- to israel
- to everyone i've met, and to everyone I will meet in this next chapter
- to the few readers of this blog
Hello
- family
- bagels and lox
- our swimming pool
- wild raspberries in the backyard
- the grand piano
- netflix
- fireworks
- sleepovers with friends
- hottub
- drumming for the old people
- skim milk
- summer thunderstorms
- Sushi sunday
- driving in cars
- concerts on the green
- Sparky
- the ECA crew
- shakespeare in the park
- grilling
- cape cod
- camping
- my room
- the sound of crickets at night.
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