J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in Lord of the Rings that "not all who wander are lost," a phrase that became popular for outdoor/adventure enthusiasts and those annoying "Life is Good" t-shirts. Sure, not all who wander are lost... but some are.
The past month has been a pattern of packing, going, un-packing, staying, re-packing, and going again. I took myself on a two-week road trip, spent a weekend packing up my life in State College, and am currently sitting in the Atlanta airport en route to work at a summer camp in L.A. (don't ask me why I booked such an ass-backward flight).
Let me say more before this starts to sound like a ridiculous humblebrag. (PS- I just learned what a "humblebrag" is... hilarious). I am extremely thankful for this "time off" to be visiting friends and taking time for myself. But I'm sure my busy schedule is a product of my inability to sit still, my reluctance to just relax. I'm afraid that if I stop for too long, I'll think too much about what I'm doing and where I'm going... and I won't have the answers.
It's a strange feeling for me to pack my life up into boxes, not sure when I'll be opening them again. I won't have a feeling of permanence for a while. While many of my friends are getting engaged, buying houses, adopting dogs and making other long-term commitments, I feel as if I'm just floating around from place to place.
But I guess my wandering isn't aimless. I'm not really lost. I have a sense of where I'm going, and the rest I'll figure out along the way.
For now I'll just enjoy sitting at the Atlanta airport, eating my medicore, over-priced, breakfast while watching people go ape-shit when they miss their flights. Life is good.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Too-Huge World
"What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing?
It's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye.
But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies." -Jack Kerouac
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
FAQ, part 2
Here are some more Frequently Asked Questions. Find the first ones here.
When are you moving to Jerusalem?
I'll be arriving in Israel on August 16th but won't actually be moving in until the 26th.
What are you doing until you move?
I just finished up my job at Penn State Hillel on May 13th. From mid-June to mid-July, I have the privilege of working as a program fellow at the Brandeis Collegiate Institute in Simi Valley, California (more to come on this amazing program).
In the off-time, I'll be living at home with my parents, doing the following:
Also, I've been noticing is a similar reaction upon telling some people that I'm going to Israel, which is one of fear. There is an immediate, "be safe," or a recoil, and then the question, "is it safe there?" I've also received a few, "are you scared to go there?" or "is this the best time to go there?"
I can't blame people for asking this, especially with all of the recent middle east news coverage. Living in America, our perception of Israel is distorted, as all that we see on the news are the bad things: the wars, the suicide bombings, the conflicts surrounding the peace process.
The reality is that Israel is a thriving and vibrant country. A very young country, Israel has already contributed so much to the world (check out some of these things here). Tel Aviv is consistently voted as one of the top cities in the world, dubbed the "miami of the middle east." Ok, I could go on and on about how awesome Israel is (maybe a later post).
Like any other country, Israel also has problems. Some major. Like the fact that it's surrounded by countries that want to wipe it off the map. It's unsettling, but it's the reality. So, bad things do happen, and things are uncertain, just like anywhere else.
So am I scared to go? I'm scared to move halfway around the world and live in a new place with new people and a new culture. It's a risk. But life's about taking them, and there's no place I'd rather spend time than the beautiful little country of Israel.
When are you moving to Jerusalem?
I'll be arriving in Israel on August 16th but won't actually be moving in until the 26th.
What are you doing until you move?
I just finished up my job at Penn State Hillel on May 13th. From mid-June to mid-July, I have the privilege of working as a program fellow at the Brandeis Collegiate Institute in Simi Valley, California (more to come on this amazing program).
In the off-time, I'll be living at home with my parents, doing the following:
- Visiting friends.
- Studying Hebrew (using a combination of a workbook, Rosetta Stone, stalking my Israeli friends' facebook statuses, and these).
- Cooking with my dad (this will be a challenge, as I have been a vegetarian for the past 10 months or so, much to his chagrin. He refuses to eat any of my "hippie crap.")
- Getting back into running.
- Catching up on some TV smut that I've missed, including the occasional Hoarders, My Strange Addiction and other shows profiling socially deviant people.
Shitless. Next question.
How do your parents feel about you moving?
My parents are being very supportive of me. They are even coming to visit halfway through my program (their first time in Israel!).
However, my mom is afraid I'm going to bring home a guy that looks like the first picture.
My dad is afraid I'll bring home a guy that looks like the 2nd picture (sans the political views).
Who do you think I'll bring home?
Also, I've been noticing is a similar reaction upon telling some people that I'm going to Israel, which is one of fear. There is an immediate, "be safe," or a recoil, and then the question, "is it safe there?" I've also received a few, "are you scared to go there?" or "is this the best time to go there?"
I can't blame people for asking this, especially with all of the recent middle east news coverage. Living in America, our perception of Israel is distorted, as all that we see on the news are the bad things: the wars, the suicide bombings, the conflicts surrounding the peace process.
The reality is that Israel is a thriving and vibrant country. A very young country, Israel has already contributed so much to the world (check out some of these things here). Tel Aviv is consistently voted as one of the top cities in the world, dubbed the "miami of the middle east." Ok, I could go on and on about how awesome Israel is (maybe a later post).
Like any other country, Israel also has problems. Some major. Like the fact that it's surrounded by countries that want to wipe it off the map. It's unsettling, but it's the reality. So, bad things do happen, and things are uncertain, just like anywhere else.
So am I scared to go? I'm scared to move halfway around the world and live in a new place with new people and a new culture. It's a risk. But life's about taking them, and there's no place I'd rather spend time than the beautiful little country of Israel.
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