Tickets!

We finally got our tickets to Israel, and in fact not just Israel, we have a week long 'layover' in PARIS! We are very excited for the opportunity, it is especially convenient because Ben has some family in Paris and we are able to stay in a studio apartment for free. It's pretty great that we have the chance to do this. It took us a lot of searching and talking with travel agents to make it work out in an affordable way. Unfortunately none of the flights have us on the same plane (or even the same airline) but that's just the way it worked out. SO....we head out the morning of August 22nd and will be in Israel very early on September 1st.

We went to the consulate the day before yesterday and got the same information we already had. At first I was very disappointed and frustrated that I wasn't getting anywhere on the work visa, but I feel better about it now and will just need to remember I have a while in Israel as a tourist to figure it all out. Unfortunately when we get to Israel it will be the High Holiday's and nothing will be open for most of September, but perhaps that gives us an excuse just to get used to the country, find a place to live, and settle down a bit. I'm just going to have to have a lot of patience....savlanut.

School is over now, yay I have my Master's degree!! However, I think with that coming to a close I was finally able to realize how big it is that I am moving around the world. I've known it all along, but it kind of hit me the other day, I'm going to miss my family very much. I will be a great adventure with Ben, but it will also be a very challenging experience (I'm up for it though). I'm sure this won't be the last time it feels very overwhelming, but at least I know I can get over it and get excited about the move again. We will have a lot of support over there, and of course we will have each other.

Getting Ready

Getting ready for Israel is a whirlwind of confusion. I was offered a job at a school in Jaffa (Yafo) teaching math, science, and computers. After a lot of deliberating I finally decided to take the job (it was going to be six different preps!) and as soon as I accepted....then took it away! They said they had a, 'slight change in staffing." I am somewhat disappointed, but also relieved as it was making things very complicated in terms of getting the visa in time and being prepared for teaching so quickly after arriving.

Right now the process I am going through is extremely vague. I know that I need a working visa to be able to stay in Israel and of course, to work. However, the Ministry of the Interior in Israel and the Israeli consulate in SF are VERY evasive and I'm pretty sure they don't answer their phones EVER. Or wait, maybe they have just blocked my number:) Despite the hassle I am very excited for the adventure. Ben and I are going down to CA next week to visit the consulate, his parents, and Lindsay and Nate. We will get everything worked out...eventually.

Still no date for takeoff, but we are looking at around August 17th..ish. We are also considering making a detour and stopping in Europe along the way, if it works out. If not..heck, we will be in ISRAEL! :)