msmatx

[msmatx]

04.25.23-04.26.23— Yom Ha'atzmaut [Independence Day] Week 30 [TLV]

We went to Dizengoff Square not knowing what to expect. It was such a happy scene of kids playing in the dark around the fountain and parents standing around visiting, while also trying to supervise the madness. The tradition is to being enormous cans of shaving cream and spray them all over each other. The fun celebratory energy followed the somber serious evening of the night before.

I bought six cans of cream and once they’d squirted most of it we went for ice cream with my friend Tanya and her family. Her son and atlas are the same age.

And the next day we walked over to our friends apartment to watch the air show flyover from their rooftop. Emanuel and Hero were in the same class. The air show was loud and hot. But so impressive. It was longer with more planes to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Israel’s independence.

After the air show Emanuel walked with me, A+H to the juice stand to get a healthy smoothie.

[msmatx]

04.24.23-04.25.23— Yom HaZikaron [Memorial Day]

We attended the Yom HaZikaron ceremony at Hero’s school, Yael Nordau. It started at dusk and all the students and families sat outside while teachers, students, parents, and administrators performed dance and musical skits in remembrance. We could only understand based on context clues since everything was in Hebrew. During the ceremony, there was another one-minute siren sound.

The next day we spend at the beach since it was a holiday.

[msmatx]

04.17-18.23— Yom HaShoah in TLV [Week 29]

On Monday night, April 17, we went next door to the Dov Hoz community center to observe the Yom HaShoach remembrance. They set up a big screen to play a film with footage of the Holocaust. Then musicians played beautiful classical music. And eventually, people spoke about their experiences with the Holocaust. It was all very solemn and intriguing. The boys lit candles with their friends, Ayal and Noam.

The following day, after I dropped off Hero at school, Atlas and I made our way to the beach. He wanted to be around people and traffic when the sirens went off at 10am. The sirens blared for two minutes straight and everyone stopped. I can’t stress this enough. Everyone stops everything everywhere. People stop their cars mid-drive, get out, and now their heads. People working construction on rooftops stop on the roof and bow their heads. Women pushing babies in strollers stop mid-stride and bow their heads. It’s such a powerful image. And it’s a mix of absolute silence punctuated with a loud siren. This was one of the holiday's atlas was most excited to witness in Israel. It did not disappoint. I became quite emotional. For people to have such deep reverence for something that many were not alive for is incredible and a lesson to learn. Atlas and I remarked that we have nothing similar to compare it to in the United States. For memorial days in the US, we have BBQs and special retail sales.

From the sirens, I went straight to class, and Atlas returned to his schoolwork.

[msmatx]

04.15.23-04.22.23— Week 29 [TLV]

Marc left on Friday night and we had Saturday to explore. We walked up Ben Gurion Street toward the beach, stopping along the way to swing at the playground.

Once we arrived at the beach we explored the promenade that walks out to the beach with the rock walls, which we’d never done before. It was a beautiful day.

We stopped for a snack at the smoothie place, Tamara, on the beach. Usually on Saturdays, after we explore in the midday, we spend the afternoon relaxing, and then the evening having dinner. Saturdays hit differently in Israel than they do back home because it is a school night, with Hero having to get up for school on Sunday.

On Monday, Atlas and I took the opportunity with Hero at school to run toward the shuk. We got a great smoothie and did some looking around.

And we spent Wednesday, a day off from school for Yom HaShoah, at the beach.

And Friday was a class field trip!! I couldn’t volunteer as a parent to help out with the class because I don’t speak Hebrew. But I also could not bare to stay away from seeing Hero and his classmates on their field trip to the beach. I walked over and spent most of the time watching him play and interact with his friends and teachers. And then I walked back to the school with the class. His teacher, Alon, is an incredible human being.

That afternoon we went to the bakery for our usual challah purchase and sandwich lunch, one of my favorite things to do all week.

Friday evenings are for walking the beach.

[msmatx]

04.08.23-04.14.23— Week 28 [Chag Pesach in Israel]

I absolutely loved being in Tel Aviv for the week of Pesach. The energy is noticeably different. Fortunately, many of the locals leave the city/country for holidays. So the pace was much slower. The kids were astounded by the difference between non-Pesach Israel life and Pesach Israel life. They didn't quite believe me that they wouldn't be able to buy certain foods during Peasach. They quickly learned! We would walk into stores and many used plastic tarps to cover the shelves that had hametz or non-kosher Pesach foods. Gum was the biggest shocker. I suspect the corn syrup. And the bakeries....completely shuttered. Atlas had a lot to say about all of this. He was frustrated and came to the pre-teen conclusion that "it is all stupid." I stressed how impressed I was with an entire country and culture's commitment to following a rule that clearly required a level of discipline most people would avoid. Lots to talk about.

On Friday we headed out to have lunch at Aroma and then did our normal shopping for Shabbat, sans bakery visit. They convinced me to take them to the new bubble tea store on Dizengoff.

On Friday afternoon, Hero and I took his friend Emanuel to the schoolyard to play.

And Saturday evening, Marc arrived for the week. Happy happy reunion for all. Hero was quick to indulge in all the treats with is papa; he was even willing to try [his new favorite] salmon hand rolls. Hero and Atlas convinced Marc to take them to the new Otello ice cream store on Dizengoff.

By Tuesday, Marc had had enough of the "dirty" Tel Aviv streets. Not even his nightly dinners at the Kempinski could convince him to stay in central TLV. He booked a few nights at the Ritz Carlton in Herzliya. The joke was on him because he traded the urban energy for a hotel filled with large NY Jewish families [with many, many kids per family], kosher for Passover [aka very limited menus], and no sun [so no pool].

We made the most of the lobby bar, the breakfast buffet, the kids' lounge, and room service. The view of the port was lovely when it was not pouring rain. And it was nice to see Herzliya on our drive to and from.

And then it was back to TLV to get ready for Marc to head home. A final dinner at the Kempinksi; Hero raiding the bar for smoothies, dessert, and Shirley Temples.

And then it was back to TLV to get ready for Marc to head home. A final dinner at the Kempinksi; Hero raided the bar for smoothies, dessert, and Shirley Temples.

This goodbye was the easiest thus far since we knew we would all be back together in a few weeks.

[msmatx]

04.02.23-04.07.23— Week 27 [Pesach in TLV]

It was so special to be in Israel for the week of Passover. I was frequently reminded that when I had the idea to live in Israel for a year, I very much wanted to be here for all of the major holidays. It has proven to be such a memorable experience each time.

Passover in Israel is a major undertaking! There’s the week ahead with preparations, the chag week, and the few days after transitioning back to “normal.” It makes our few days prepping for a short two hour Seder seem a little flighty.

On the Sunday before Passover, Hero asked me to take him to Dizengoff mall to look at sports gear. He wanted to look at soccer shoes and team shirts. After seeing lots of Messi jerseys, he decided he wanted Marc to bring Austin FC gear from Texas. Soccer culture is super strong in TLV. Most kids wear soccer gear from head to toe everyday. Kids walk around the streets kicking along a ball. It was bound to happen that Hero would get the soccer bug.

Later that night the kids found a hedgehog by our front stoop! We did some research and learned that hedgehogs are native small mammals to Israel. We messaged some friends who said they hibernate in the winter and this one was probably becoming more active post hibernation.

On Monday I needed to pick up an item I’d purchased from a store at the port area. There’s a great food hall where the kids and I had lunch. Atlas and I shared an a choice sandwich, which was the best sandwich I’ve ever had in Israel. Hero went for the standard hamburger. Then the kids wanted to play at one of the three recently opened playgrounds. They agreed to walk back to the apartment with me, in exchange for lots of video game time.

That evening I met my girlfriends Tanya and Biraj at a nearby seafood restaurant. We celebrated Biraj’s birthday.

We had a quiet Tuesday hanging out in the neighborhood and running errands for the Seder. I really enjoyed this week because I had no school to attend, or assignments to think about, and could just be with the kids. Hero and I enjoyed some one on one time playing uno at our cafe.

On Wednesday we went to the synagogue in our neighborhood as the guests of our friends Ariella and her son, Emanuel. She has been so generous with her time since we arrived and she was so sweet to invite us to her family and friends Seder. Hero and Emanuel play soccer every Saturday morning. Emanuel greeted us on the street corner and we spent the next five hours going through the Haggadah and enjoying the meal. Her guests were from Israel, France, Austria, and Australia. It was a fun mix of ages, backgrounds and experiences. Atlas and Hero were most curious about the IDF soldier (Ariela’s nephew) wearing his machine gun at the table the entire night.

It was a beach day on Thursday!

[msmatx]

03.27.23-04.01.23— Week 26 [TLV & a National Strike]

On Sunday we went with my cohort to learn about and visit the Gaza envelope. Immediately upon arriving back at TLV, atlas said he felt sick. At first, he said he was nauseous. Then he said he also had a sore throat. Hero had been sick the few days leading up to our Gaza trip but was feeling better on Sunday so I thought he just had allergies. I immediately got them home and walked to the pharmacy to get strep throat tests. We all tested positive. When I had initially arrived in TLV, Hero’s friend’s mother, Ariela, WhatsApped me with the contact information of a pediatrician who makes house calls. I’ll never forget what she said, “Trust me. You’ll need this someday.” Sure enough, I was frantically messaging him Sunday evening.

He asked me to send photos of the positive tests. Then he agreed to write three prescriptions for each of us and instructed me to pick them up at his apartment at 8pm. Anywhere else in the world, I would have been paranoid by this. Not in Israel. Upon arriving at this apartment, his mother invited me and tried to serve me a snack. But the taxi driver was waiting to take me back. Three prescriptions, no doctor's visit necessary, record time, and at no cost. I went straight to the pharmacy to get the prescriptions filled and then home to get us ready for bed.

I woke up at 3am and checked my phone, which had numerous messages from friends back home indicating something was happening with the anti-reform government movement. During the day on Sunday, Netanyahu fired his Deputy Minister Gallant because Gallant had been vocal against the coalition's push to overhaul the judiciary. The firing was widely unpopular. The protests later that night had grown to the largest size and now included tire burning on the highway. The protests continued through Monday and were widespread across the country. Early Monday morning we were getting notifications of strikes: the banks, malls and stores, transportation, the airport, and schools (Hero’s and mine). It was anxiety-inducing because the situation felt very unpredictable. We were all still feeling under the weather but I made a trip to the grocery store before it shut down. Eventually, we mustered enough energy to sit at the beach for a few hours. On our walk there, Atlas noted that it felt like Shabbat; the streets were eerily empty for a Monday. Many people were waiting for Netanyahu to announce a half to the government reform bill until after the Passover break. That announcement didn’t come until 8pm. While it was a relief once it came, there was a palpable level of exhaustion for a few days after. And many people remain speculative that any meaningful negotiations will come from the cooling-off period.

Our week carried on as usual. Enjoying Midas Chocolates, a chocolatier in our neighborhood. And sushi at Moon on Tuesday.

Hero finally returned to “school” on Wednesday morning. His school was officially on Passover break but his teacher was the lead teacher on Wednesday for the holiday camp. Atlas and I dropped him off and walked around the corner and saw him come out of the school building to the garden. Two of his classmates ran to greet him and his teacher, Alon, gave him a huge hug. Alon has been such a remarkable person in his life this school year. Hero adores his teacher and they share a special bond.

I sent this photo to A+H of me sitting in the hallway before my class. Many of the campus buildings have a resident cat. This one was particularly friendly.

On Wednesday afternoon, Atlas & Hero took the bus alone to meet me at the university. We had dinner at the university food court and then we walked over to the ANU museum on campus to see the Codex Sassoon. The kids loved teasing me that I was making them "see a piece of paper. Ohhhh, see a really old piece of paper." They were not wrong but I was not backing down. And I do believe that they were curious about it once we were there and could read more about the exhibit. It’s not everyday you get to see a 2000+ intact Hebrew bible that is likely to sell this summer for $30-50M.

And on Friday, we headed to the beach for our evening walk.

[msmatx]

03.21.23-03.28.23— Week 25 [TLV & the Gaza Envelope]

On Thursday I picked up Hero from school and he and Atlas wanted to go for a cookie treat.

Later I was able to sit and watch Hero play basketball with his friends.

On Friday, my dear friend Biraj had me and Augusta and her partner's friends over for an amazing Indian feast. Biraj is Indian byway of Kenya, where she was born and raised and studied in England. The food was incredible and the conversation was very lively. Her partner, Aviv's, friends were so eager to chat all things Israeli politics and culture.

On Sunday our cohort went on a tour of the Gaza envelope. A+H were able to join me for this field trip. We started at this very old [restored] Ottoman-built bridge.

Near the bridge was this Egyptian war memorial. Yes, a memorial was built in Israel honoring Egyptian soldiers, which was part of the Camp David an agreement between Israel and Egypt. I had a proud moment when the tour guide asked the group what four languages were represented on the memorial. The first three were easily named: English, Arabic, and Hebrew. Then the group of graduate students all attempted to name the fourth language, suggesting about 15 various languages. Atlas chimed in "Egyptian?" The tour guide said, "that is the closest correct answer. Yes, Egyptian hieroglyphics."

Next, we went to a look overlook that allowed us to see Gaza City from afar.

Our third stop was to see the physical border wall between Gaza and Israel. The wall is a fortress with many outlook military towers, layers of barbed walls, concrete walls, and military-vehicle-only paths.

We stopped at lunch in Sderdot, which is often in the news because of its proximity to Gaza and frequent target of rockets. We saw many public bomb shelters along the streets and we were told that residents have about 15 seconds from the time they hear the sirens to safely get to the shelter.

Hero does not care so much about all the information shared. But he loves to come along for all the treats he gets at the various stops.

After lunch, we went to Erez Crossing, one of the few physical crossings for Palestinians to go back and forth between Gaza and Israel. There were people crossing while we were there, mostly men. And it was a lot of commotion and noise, and cars filled with men zooming out of the parking lot once they had packed in the passengers. The facility is huge and obviously built in a time period when more people were allowed to cross back and forth more easily than is permitted today.

We ended the trip at a Kibbutz but we were all so exhausted that I didn't get any photos.

[msmatx]

03.13.23-03.20.23— Week 24 [TLV]

Getting off the bus from school on Tuesday. It is hard not to absolutely love TLV despite all the challenges. Things right now feel very tense and uncertain. All of my professors opened their first day of class this semester with an ominous assessment of the political unrest and their thoughts. Everyone had the same message, "it has never felt like this before in Israel." We deal with weekly protests [usually on Thursday (“Day of Disruption”) and Saturday nights after Shabbat]. We see that people around us are uncomfortable and consumed with the uncertainty of might happen with the government reforms. It is impossible to have an adult conversation where Israeli political issues aren't discussed.

I do not have school on Wednesday so I am able to spend quality time with each. Atlas and I ran along the beach while Hero was at school.

Hero and I walked to the convenience store on Dizengoff to get his chips after school. I encouraged him to get two Chupa gum flavors for us to taste test. We went to have the taste test at Dov Hoz park. Kids always hang out at this park area, and Hero's friend walked over to join our taste test.

On Friday night we had a usual beach walk/run.

Saturday night we ventured out to see the start of the protests. The large size of the protests makes me nervous, despite the fact that they stay calm and peaceful. It still seems possible that a group of this size can be unpredictable. But I very much wanted the kids to see the energy that comes from these gatherings. The protests gathered for the first hour at Dizengoff Square, a short distance from our apartment. The signage is impressive. The chanting is impressive. And the diversity of the gathering crowd is impressive. Older people, families, and LGBTQ. We stayed for one hour and then headed for ice cream.

We take a lot of pictures of the Cats of Israel. They are very adorable especially when the temperatures are colder. They seem to wait for the humans to let them into the buildings. And spotting a cat at the shuk, among all the vendors and shoppers, is exciting.

Hero returned to school on Sunday and atlas and I ran through the shuk for our running date.

[msmatx]

03.05.23-03.12.23— Week 23 [Back to TLV]

Back in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night, I had Thursday to get organized before a few days off again with the kids.

Hero went to school late on Thursday because of another Day of Disruption. I am forever grateful for the dear friends [parents of Hero’s classmates] who send me texts to ensure I know about these events. It’s hard to keep up [I literally have to screen shot every WhatsApp parent-group message and google translate it] and our little community checks on us and helps in many ways.

Thursday evening we experienced our first terror attack, something that our Israeli friends understand as a way of life. It happened four blocks from our apartment on Dizengoff Street. A Palestinian man shot people eating at a restaurant around 8:45 pm. I noticed all the emergency vehicles driving down our street followed by many Whatsapp messages from friends, teachers, parents, and my university cohort. For the first hour, I was concerned, based on social media alerts, that there was a second shooter in the neighborhood. The neighborhood was told to stay home and close all windows. I didn't tell the kids what was going on, opting to have them go to sleep peacefully and discuss it with them in the morning. Strange knowing that this shooting occurred across the street from the fruit stand that Atlas visits about 2-3 times a week to get his smoothies and puddings.

On Friday, I picked up Hero from the schoolyard where he was sorting seeds with friends. I love observing him with friends. It’s fascinating to see that he 1) understands Hebrew more than me and Atlas, 2) when he doesn’t understand his teachers or peers, he doesn’t seem to care or be bothered, and 3) his peers are so patient with him.

After school, we walked to Dizengoff for our shopping. The kids were reluctant because I had given them a simple overview of what happened the night before. It was not an easy decision to tell them about something that is scary to adults, and very scary to kids. But A+H spend a lot of time apart from me and I have noticed they are curious when they see a group skirmish on the street. Their tendency is to go toward it, not away from it. So I need them to understand that if a crowd is getting agitated, it is important to move away, whether I am there to help them, or not. We all pushed through our fears to get a little shopping done and carry on with life. Certainly an experience to remember.

Later that afternoon we headed to the beach. Everything feels better with sunshine, beach waves, and some body movement.

On Sunday the kids convinced me to pick up Hero early so that we could all go to the indoor trampoline park. It is the perfect day to go to a fun place because all the kids attend school on Sunday afternoons and most parents are working. We had the place all to ourselves.

[msmatx]

03.05.23-03.12.23— Week 22 [Athens, Greece-Day Three & Four]

No one was in a rush to leave the hotel on our last full day. This trip was seriously the most relaxing time we’ve had since we left the United States. A+H absolutely refused to go to a museum but was willing to go on a trail hike near the hotel. It was a breathtaking view the entire hike.

Then we came back in time for more pool time. Hero managed to convince the spa attendant to find him a robe of his size.

Atlas wanted steak for our last dinner at the hotel. We all agreed to go back to the room to order and share ice cream.

Wednesday morning we headed to the airport for the flight back to Tel Aviv.

Things you see while traveling outside the US.

[msmatx]

03.05.23-03.12.23— Week 22 [Athens, Greece-Day Two...more pictures from the Acropolis]

[msmatx]

03.05.23-03.12.23— Week 22 [Athens, Greece-Day Two]

Breakfast buffet for the boys. They hit the buffet twice, solo while I worked out and a second time with me later in the morning.

Then Hero wanted to swim in the indoor pool before we went to the city for the afternoon.

Capturing the view while waiting for the taxi to pick us up.

The taxi ride from our hotel to the city was about 45 minutes. My friend had warned me that this was the one drawback to staying at this hotel. It ended up being okay because we saw a lot of Athens on the rides to and from Athens downtown. Once we arrived at the area of the Acropolis we, of course, immediately had to find somewhere to eat. One of the best meals we’ve had in a long time. And the Acropolis in the distance was a nice touch.

After we ate lunch we started the hike up to the top. Immediately they started hemming and hawing about how tired they were and this was too long of a hike. I implemented the rule that “there will be no complaints while we walk. But as soon as you get to the top, you can let all the gripes out, cuss and yell all you want.” It worked. Once at the top the view was too amazing and they didn’t complain at all.

Across the street from the Acropolis is the beautiful Museum of the Acropolis. We didn’t have much time to have an in-depth visit which they were okay with. But they saw enough statues and friezes for Hero to remark “there are a lot of penises in Greece.”

After the museum, we walked back to Plaka Street and had ice cream for an early dinner.

Hero, my child who loves to relax, was more than ready to return to his bathtub and robe.

[msmatx]

03.05.23-03.12.23— Week 22 [Athens, Greece-Day One]

We went to Athens! I woke up in a panic Saturday morning thinking "we are running out of time to see places before we leave this side of the world." The week of Purim, Hero and I both had school days off. As sad as I was to miss the Purim festivities, I thought it wise to take the opportunity to go on a quick trip. The Acropolis and Greece seemed like good places to check off the bucket list.

The kids are having fun learning about airlines--specifically "low-cost carriers" as Hero loves to point out--while living here. These airlines pick up and drop off old school, as in you take a bus from the terminal to the stairs. And deplane the same way. It’s all very dramatic and exciting for the kids. I do have to say, it is very glamorous to step off a plane into the crisp cool fresh air and look out and see the mountains of Milan and Greece.

The taxi from the Athens airport to the hotel had candy. Hero has never had a bowl of candy to pick through while sitting in a taxi. It was a very tempting taxi ride and his “one please, Hero. You can only have one,” quickly turned into two fistfuls of candy.

They arrived at the hotel famished so we waited in the bar area to have lunch while they readied our room. Then it was time to explore our room and the hotel. They initially put us in a regular room on the top floor because of the gorgeous view. While it was a tough choice for atlas (he really liked the view), I insisted we move to a larger room with a slightly lesser view.

Areas of the hotel were closed—outdoor pool and a small beach for food service—because it was the off-season. But the kids had run of the hotel otherwise. I’ve come to prefer taking my kids to hotels in the off-season. The staff is very adoring of kids when there are only two to spoil. This was certainly the case on this trip.

Hero immediately went to the bar for an afternoon Shirley Temple and snacks while we played a few games of Uno.

After a long day of traveling, it was dinner in the hotel room. Hero had his hamburger in the bathtub and Atlas enjoyed his grilled octopus.

[msmatx]

02.26.23-03.05.23— Week 21 [TLV]

It was a quietish week. I had my mediation workshop most days, which made for long days away from A+H. I think Atlas mostly liked the alone time though I do worry about him. He did his school work during the morning, and ran errands and spent time with Hero in the afternoon and evening. It was much harder for Hero who would great me at the door “I haven’t seen you since 8 this morning! That’s 12 hours!!!!” Hero has always been the master of telling and keeping time so it’s hard to know if he missed me or just wanted me to know he knew exactly how much time had passed. They did an amazing job of taking care of each other.

On Saturday, Hero’s friend, Ayal, came to play after our afternoon at the schoolyard. Arielle [Emanuel’s mom] and I have been paying a soccer coach to play one-on-one with the two boys every Saturday. They have a great time getting the coach’s undivided attention and then playing for another two hours or so. Other kids are usually at the schoolyard to join them after their soccer lesson. And Arielle and I sit and chat the entire time. She is always so fun because she holds nothing back. She’s Austrian but has lived in Israeli for 20 years. She’s traveled all over the world having worked in the hospitality business. She’s very no nonsense and has lots of opinions and observations. Ayal and his little brother Noam live half time with their dad one block from our apartment. Their mother is from California so they speak perfect English. Hero was very excited to have him to our apartment for a play date.

On Tuesday night, after being gone all day, Hero wanted my full attention and went through his school picture roster. He told me about everyone, wanted me to tell him their age, and any other details I could translate with google app. He so loves his school, peers, and especially his teacher, Alon. The US could really learn a lot from the value of male teachers. It makes such a tremendous difference.

Wednesday was a "Day of Disruption," something that is becoming a more regular occurrence. I debated taking A+H but ultimately decided that if things became uncomfortable, it would be trickier to get Hero out of the area than Atlas. These demonstrations involve hundreds of thousands of people attempting to [often successfully] stop traffic or slow movement. There are tons of flags and noise makers, and people are chanting and singing. They usually head down a major thoroughfare and different groups convene on the highway or near the airport and stop traffic for hours. In the US I'd be terrified that someone would drive a car into the crowd or start shooting. The atmosphere is the complete opposite. It is calm and peaceful, and it can be joyful at times. I find it very emotional and Atlas thinks I am nuts.

That evening we took advantage of my not having class and Hero went for a bike ride while Atlas and I ran along the beach.

Friday my mediation workshop was meeting on campus. By Friday, Hero was tired of going to school [it is a six-day school week!]. So, he and Atlas begged me to come along with me to the university. An early morning bus ride for Hero is always more exciting than first grade! Unfortunately, when we arrived we learned that the campus water main was shut off so all the restaurants and cafes on campus were closed. After an hour, they went home alone while I completed my workshop.

When I was done we all went out for our Friday Shabbat shopping. We always head to our Dizengoff bakery for our Friday afternoon snacks, people watching, and weekend pastry buying.

On our way home we came upon the Love Boat theme party at our Dov Hoz cafe. This was the weekend before Purim. Something we learned is that Israel loves a holiday, especially a joyous one so Purim, an otherwise 2-3 day festival holiday was stretched from the weekend, through the work week, and still going the weekend after. The cafe party had acrobats, music, and carnival food and game stations. It was so lively and fun.

That evening we headed out for our pre-Shabbat run/walk along the beach.

[msmatx]

02.18.23-02.25.23— Week 20 [TLV]

Sunday mornings in TLV are the start of the week. Off to school with the Paris hat. Since I don't have school on Sunday and Hero doesn't have basketball, we went for a run/bike ride on the beach. Atlas's bike was stolen so he now has to run with me.

Turned out to be such a tough week. Hero woke up on Monday with sniffles. Nothing serious but enough to stay home from school. I was okay with it because I knew that on Wednesday I would be starting my mediation workshop with long days away from them. The idea of spending the day together was exciting. I told them if they were going to be with me we’d go to the Eretz Israel Museum on the university campus.

On the bus to campus, Marc called and I immediately knew something was not right since it was 3am Austin time. He had to tell me it was time to call the vet for Watson who was suffering too much. The kids and I continued onto the museum but the visit was filled with so many tears and a few more difficult phone calls. We eventually went back to the apartment.

I got to take Hero to basketball, which is always a treat. Here he is shooting hoops with his second favorite friend, Emanuele.

We prioritized lots of relaxation time this week after all the emotional upheaval. They really helped me to feel better all week and were so thoughtful when I was so sad.

Wednesday it was back to school for me and the days for the workshop were long [noon to 8]. I was able to do the afternoons on Zoom because the professor was sick but still, they had to fend for themselves until I was done in the evening. This is Atlas showing Hero how to play the flight simulator, their new favorite game.

And Thursday was a strike day! So Israeli!!! The municipality went on strike so the school did not have any cleaning staff, bus drivers, or security staff, therefore they could not hold classes. We met up with Emanule and his mom at the cafe in the morning for the kids to play before I left for school. By Friday, classes resumed though Hero didn't go so he could watch me run the marathon. He didn't go to school four days this week, making it a long week.

[msmatx]

02.24.23— Week 20 [TLV Half-Marathon]

Tel Aviv Half Marathon. I have never been so unprepared for a race. Except for the fact that mentally the race was an analogy for our stay in Israel. It also happened to be on our five-month anniversary, and likely our halfway point.

I never considered quitting school or returning to the states early. And in hindsight, I am shocked we didn’t quit. Those first few months, up until end of December, were so unbelievably hard and we [me & atlas] were so overwhelmed. But we pushed through and I took that same mindset into the run.

Not only did I not do a proper training regimen prior to running, but I was also eating croissants and macarons for three weeks straight on vacation. And then I sat down for eight days straight to write my term papers. And then Watson died earlier this week and I lost so much sleep and was just emotionally a mess. I thought about not running up until the night before. The thought of getting to and from the race was also a good reason to not cancel.

But I got up at 5am, got myself ready, and headed out the door. As I walked to the street, convinced I was going to get a Gett, I noticed two runners trying to hail a cab. No cars driving by was a big clue that this would be tricky so I started walking toward Dizengoff. A few minutes later, I came across the runners I’d seen earlier. They had panicked energy and we concluded that getting a cab was going to be a hat trick. Eventually, one appeared, driven by a man who spoke no English (but oddly threw out some Spanish words in my direction). The other two runners were from Poland and NYC. They had cash; I did not (bad planning). I had just enough Hebrew to convince the driver to take us and tell him where to go. The driver was so annoyed with us. When we were near Hayarkon park, where the race started, he literally pulled off to the side of the highway and motioned us to get out. We were close enough.

The half marathon stared at 6:00am and the full marathon at 6:50am. I started with the marathon wave, which was nice in the beginning. Great energy. At mile two those runners went right for the longer course, and I went left with about three other runners. For much of the remainder race, I was one of a handful of runners on the half marathon course. Eventually I was lapped by the elite marathon runners, which was quite exciting to see. It was a lovely way to take in all the sites and sounds of TLV. I ran through neighborhoods I don’t normally visit. It’s amazing how quickly we become insular to a few block radius.

About halfway through, I ran by our old street [Mapu] and the closest point to our current apartment. And Hero and Atlas were waiting on the sidewalk with their cute signs. It was everything. They’d worked on their signs the night before and wouldn’t let me see what they’d written. I loved the surprise and their signs were great representations of their personalities.

Then about two more miles along the course, I called them and told Hero to go to school. The race was on Friday morning so it was a school day. Atlas kept saying “why?” Five minutes later I turned the corner and they were on the sidewalk to surprise me. I had no idea they’d figured out how to make their way to another part of the course.

The end of the race was super hard. The last four miles were definitely a slow run/walk. I did get to see the well-known Israeli marathoner, Lonah Salpeter. She was attempting to break her PR10k in this race and she lapped me the last quarter mile. It was so exciting to see her run by with all the cameras and pacer vehicles. She didn’t break her record but she is clearly a rockstar in Israel.

After the race, I had to find my way back to the apartment, as arduous as it was getting to the race, it was just as challenging getting home after the race. The start and finish lines were in Hayarkon park, an enormous park in central TLV. I had to walk two miles to get to a neighborhood where I could get a cab. The cab driver and I sat in traffic for 45 minutes but we had the most enthusiastic conversation about Israeli politics. Such a great way to end the experience.