The Pilot
Your bags are packed, you've cried so much you thought your eyes would fall out, you've had to say your "see you laters" and your dream is almost a reality. You are one of many dreamers who took their destiny into their own hands. You are surrounded by families hoping to raise their children in the holiest place on earth, barely aged Taglit go-ers just about to have their first taste of freedom, an old couple planning to spend their retirement in Netanya with their great-grandchildren, a group of modest young women radiating with spiritual energy as they walk past you clutching their blue velvety siddurs, men of all backgrounds blindly coming together to recite the psalms which were written so long ago as they grip the leather climbing their lefts arms, and then there is you. Maybe you are just like me, someone who has dreamed of this adventure for years, or maybe this adventure fell into your lap when you were least expecting it. Maybe you are following a career... or even a loved one. Or maybe you just want to see the world and find yourself. Every journey begins with a single step... and yours truly begins the second you step off the plane.
You are home.
Maybe you decided to settle in Jerusalem; the city of gold where the story-telling stones of the old city vibrate with energy that you will never forget or the bright lights and beaches of Tel Aviv are calling your name. After filling up on the falafels you have missed so dearly and spending endless days hearing the clicking sounds of Matkot while watching the most unbelievable colors formed in the sky fade into the horizon over the sea, you know this is where you belong.
Shuffling from misrad to misrad starts to become pretty routine and you are figuring things out faster than you thought, even with your Sunday school level Hebrew. You're even picking up some cool phrases and feeling pretty fucking badass saying them too, well until your social anxiety kicks in (lol). You are doing it!.... and even meeting some cool people along the way. People who have now turned into your fun, crazy and special family. The weeks fly and the weekends feel like a hazy dream filled with happiness and yet, somehow the Shabbats to come are even better than those which have passed.
Moving cities can be challenging but, having moved countries... no... CONTINENTS can be extremely difficult at times with cultural differences, language barriers, career changes, dating, and just normal twenty-something-year-old problems getting in the way.
I definitely don't have my shit together... not even close, but just like you, I'm a dreamer, I'm pretty optimistic, pretty broke and pretty sure this is still the best decision I've ever made.
It may feel like there isn't a lot of post-Aliyah help out there, but there are a lot of people willing to help. I want to write this series to show not only my experience but, to help those who want some advice. So welcome to the first chapter of my story,
"The Pilot" of my life.
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