PACKING...

I love this City so much. The excitement, speed, and beauty is pretty intoxicating. One of the only real hard parts about living in New York (aside from the frigid winter weather!) is how far away we are from Israel and all of our family. Both my husband and I grew up there, and our parents, siblings, extended relatives, and childhood friends all still live there, throughout the country. And, though New York is now our home (away from home!), we still miss Israel every day.

We always like taking one big really long break from NYC during the winter. In the past, we were lucky enough to be able to to take the boys back to warm, beautiful Israel for a long 5-6 week visit. This year will try to for a month+ few days (I fly out with the kids by myself (wish us luck!) and Noam joins us 2 weeks after we land). Our little Dekel family is counting down the hours until we fly back to visit all of our relatives (and escape the impending winter cold!).

When visiting back home, we get to enjoy non-stop extended family time - something we really miss on the daily here in the US. It's harder than you might think to be so far away from loved ones, even while still feeling so comfortable living here with the great friends we've made. Having the opportunity to hang out for hours with my parents and sister in their yard (my childhood home!) and eat delicious Israeli food (my mom's food is to die for, and Mediterranean food is THE.BEST. especially when it involves hummus at all hours of the day!) is so special. The boys love getting to see my parents day in, day out. And, it's a real treat for Yuli and Ori to spend time with all of their extended cousins, too.

There is one thing about returning home now that is a bit funny, though. When I step off the plane at Ben-Gurion and walk down the familiar ramp-way to passport control, I almost feel like a faux tourist, entering a familiar country I love dearly, yet ready for new adventures. As an adult who lives abroad here in New York, I feel like I am able to explore Israel more and more each time I visit. Whether this translates into eating at new restaurants, road-tripping to favored locations long unvisited, or scouring the neighboring Shuks (outdoor marketplaces) for cute items - a visit home really does turn into an adventure for our family.

Get excited to experience the magic that is Israel, along with the Dekel family.

Neshikot= Xx