Chocolate Milk in a Bag (Asaf's childhood favorite)

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Asaf (Jason's Hebrew name, seems appropriate to refer to him that way while we are in his homeland) wrote the below at 3am:

It is 3 AM here in Israel, and we are wide awake. We just got back from my brother Nadav's wedding. It was a really wonderful event. Especially considering that he only planned it a few weeks earlier, and seemed very casual about the whole thing (we were hanging out and swimming on the beach with him less than 2 hours before the wedding). But that's often the way it is here. And yet, they had a beautiful wedding in a beautiful garden, with great food and music. Of course, being Israel, there were 200+ people, most of them relatives. Our family alone is having at least 4 or 5 weddings in Israel this summer.
It was so nice to come here after rainy Amsterdam, and soak up the sun, and swim in a warm ocean. Something we don't have back home in California. I've been able to eat a lot of my favorite foods that I grew up with, see many of my relatives, hang out in the old neighborhood, and, did I mention the food?
Israel evokes so many different memories and emotions for me, but there is so much that is wonderful here. Things that I miss, and that will always be a part of me.
My brother Nadav, who moved here a couple years ago, now lives in a place that is not far from the city and the beaches, but feels very much like countryside, with single family houses, no apartment buildings, fields, horses, cows, lots of open space... I love it. Today we ate at the most charming outdoor cafe here, overlooking an orange orchard. We are staying here tonight. But mostly we are staying in my parents' old apartment in Haifa, which is the house I grew up in.
It's only been a couple days, and there is so much to explore. I want to show Erin Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, the Sea of Galilee, Akko, more of Haifa, and maybe even the Red Sea. And of course, there are many people who invited us to come visit. And then it's tempting to just hang out on the beach all day, and go swimming in the water with its perfect temperature.
So far, we're having a great time.

And now for my bit:
Today, we had lunch with Asaf's parents and brothers before they left for the airport (his parents have been traveling Europe for the past 4 months and are on their way home now). Asaf and I then went down to the beach and swam in the warm Mediterranean Sea. Israel is great; it feels a lot like a miniature California-- the landscape and beaches (except you can swim in the water here) resemble home. The food has been great, not just the falafel, but the fruits and veggies are so fresh and delicious. His family has been very warm and friendly to me. It's only been a few days and I already feel a world away.

On that note, it's slowly sinking in that we'll be on the road for the next 6 months. I've never been out of school or not worked for that length of time ever, in my life. Today, it's starting to sink in, excitement, shock, anxiety, concern, and something else, I can't quite place my finger on...I hope the relaxed feeling comes soon. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy I'm here and I'm having a great time, but home feels pretty far away.

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Comments

[Jodi]

Amazing
Love the blog entries! So descriptive it transports me and I feel like I'm there. Mazel tov on the wedding! How special for you both to be experiencing this together and for Asaf being able to soak up the goodness of his homeland. Wonderful! Enjoy. Stay in the moment. Blessings! Love, Jodi