Today is Draft Day

Alas I am starting the next chapter of my life. Today is the day I begin my Israeli military service.

Due to the recent circumstances of my life I haven't had to have a "real job" in more than a year- so you could say I'm pretty excited to get back out there. But with my excitement to finally be "at work" again and on my feet also comes nervousness. I have zero clue as to what my life will look like in the next two or three years. While the thought of diving into a pool of the unknown surely gets my adrenaline going, I'd be lying if I said I was 100% confident in my ability to succeed and be competent in all do what is asked of me. But all I can do is my best.

What I've been told is that I will spend about a month in general basic training. At the conclusion of basic training I will complete some tests so that I can be assigned to a job and unit.

The last time I wrote I think I told you that I was set to be drafted on December 20 of this year. The reason this changed is because I sent a letter to the IDF asking for my draft date to be moved up to November, realizing that the December draft is not a combat draft. I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn't ever force myself to sit at a desk. The promises you make to yourself are those that are most important to honor. After all, you can't run away from you.

And here's a short recap of what I've been up to since I last wrote:

The past couple of months, though one could say they were largely unproductive, for me they have been an interesting mix of adventure, romance and boredom. Upon the conclusion of my Ulpan in mid September I flew to Rome to meet my parents for a two-week Italian adventure. Somewhere in the middle of the trip my Haifa friend Leon came to meet up with me in Milan and we are now a bit more than just friends ;) After Leon went back to Israel I still had five nights left with my parents in Italy. During the course of the trip I covered Rome, Verona, Lucca, the Cinque Terre, Florence, Venice and Milan. My favorite part of the whole experience had to have been meeting "long-lost" Italian Taranto cousins in Rome. With each new cousin I meet it's like I'm piecing together this huge family puzzle. I cannot express in words how grateful I am to my parents for bringing me along with them.

Upon the conclusion of my two weeks in Italy, it wasn't home to Israel for me but rather home to good ole' America. It was my first time back in the States after close to one year. I spent some time in Maryland/ D.C., and also had a great little side trip to Atlanta. Three and a half weeks and 50 degrees Fahrenheit weather later I couldn't have been more ready to return to a nice and sunny 75 degrees in Israel and a smiling Leon waiting for me at the airport.

In the few weeks I've been back in Israel I spent a whole week battling jet lag, road tripped to Eilat with Leon for my 25th birthday, had two little trips to Tel Aviv, got the ball rolling on the driver's license conversion process and have been running around doing random odds and ends preparing for the army.

So with this last post as just a regular civilian, wish me luck as I embark upon a completely new chapter in life. 

And I mustn't forget!!! Thank you to all my friends and family who have been so supportive along the way. Every Facebook comment, phone call and hug has truly meant the world to me.

Official Army Draft Date

Ever since I had my Tsav Rishon (first call up to the army for initial testing) about a month and a half ago I've been checking the army website everyday for updates on the status of my draft. And after a real test to my patience I've finally received my draft date!

December 20.

A week and a half ago I completed the last part of the Tsav Rishon and subsequently received the last of the three scores through which the army assesses recruits. The highest score you can receive is a 97, the next highest is an 82. They gave me an 82. I later discovered the reason as to why I didn't get a 97: the vision in my left eye is just barely bad enough that it knocked me down a full score (my contact prescription in my left eye is -4.0). This 82 is great news for me! It doesn't disqualify me from any of the roles in which I am interested. 

Other than my actual draft date I have not an ounce of information. I haven't been invited to any tryouts. I don't know if I will have to do the army ulpan. I haven't received anything in the mail. 

This is literally all the information I have regarding my army draft. A date. תאריך גיוס = draft date = tah-ah-reech ge-yoos

Until December 20 all I really can do is try my best to get in better shape, keep working on my Hebrew and enjoy having free time. My ulpan finishes this coming week. Later in the month I'm spending two weeks in Italy with my parents and then going home to the U.S. to visit for a few weeks. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Ashley Lessans, is getting married so I'm thrilled that I will get to be there for her wedding in Baltimore!

I'll be back in Israel at the end of October and maybe will try getting a job at a hotel to earn a few sheks (bucks) to offset my almost one year of "funemployment" ;-)

For now I'm quite happy though. It's a relief that I have officially been accepted into the army. A lot of people (especially those who are volunteers like me) have to harass the army repeatedly in order to get the process moving. I really don't feel as if I've had to be that much of a nagger.

The process pretty much went like this (I pretty much began doing these things in May/ June):

1) Become Israeli citizen

2) Call IDF to officially request to volunteer and be added to the army's database

3) Send letter to IDF in Hebrew telling why you want to serve and how you can be an asset

4) Call to follow up

5) Get Tsav Rishon date

6) Go to Tsav Rishon

7) Call to follow up

8) Get army draft date

I'm half considering trying to push for an earlier draft date but the other half of me says to let it be. Until then, Italian adventures, among other, await me!

Blood Test Results - 3 Years Vegan

A week ago I was ordered by the Israeli army to get a blood test at my health insurance provider... so I did.  Here I am publishing the results for the whole world to see (if you click on them they will get bigger, some of it is in Hebrew but the important stuff is in English).

Why am I doing this?

Well... for three years now I have practiced a plant-based/ vegan diet (and vegan lifestyle in general). All the time people ask me: Where do you get your protein? What about Vitamin B12? 

You can see here that both my Vitamin B12 and protein are within the normal value ranges. If my diet was ever going to cause me a deficiency, it would have already happened. 

Sometimes I will be talking to someone I met on the street or at a get-together and he or she will tell me, "Yeah, I was vegan for a few months but my hair started falling out," or "... but I felt really low in energy all the time," or "... but I could never feel full," or "... but I became anemic."

I have no way of knowing whether these statements are founded upon truth but what I can say is that these people probably did not invest the proper time to really research and plan out what they should be eating to make up for the calorie/ nutrient hole that forms as a result of removing animal products from one's diet. 

So you may no be wondering what exactly it is that I eat... 

Most of my calorie intake comes from yummy ripe fresh fruit!

I ate all of this in about two-three days :)

Bananas, mangoes, peaches, nectarines, dates, persimmons, oranges, figs, apples, pears, watermelon, cherries, etc... (except for papaya which I really don't like...)

I usually eat about 2,000 calories a day, sometimes more. If I'm hungry... I eat :) 

I'm always happy to share about my lifestyle so if you have any questions let me know. Perhaps at a later date I will post about being vegan in Israel... bye for now!

Why I'm Joining the IDF

Not too long from now I will be a woman in uniform!

It’s incredible how much my life has changed in the last year. One year ago I had a car, a full-time job and snow boots. Today I have a bus pass, a babysitting gig and hiking boots. 

I feel freer than ever and more in touch with what I want out of life. For the time being what I want is this:

I have decided to devote the next (approximately) two years of my life to service in the Israeli army. This is not a decision I arrived to overnight. I’ve been thinking about committing myself to Israeli military service for the past year and now that I’m an Israeli citizen I’ve decided to turn thought into action.

Before I go into my reasons for volunteering myself to serve I’ll give you the basics on military service requirements in Israel.

All citizens of Israel, with the exception of Arab Israelis but not excluding Druze Israelis, are required to serve in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Men are required to serve for three years and women for two. **Women can however opt of of military service and instead volunteer in a branch of national service.

The rules change a bit for immigrants (and for religious Jews, but I won’t get into that).

Men who arrive to Israel and immigrate after the age of 26 are not required to serve in the IDF. The same goes for women over the age of 21.

I am 24. When I arrived to Israel I was 23 - this means that I am not at all required to serve. But I want to; I feel compelled. 

There are a lot of people who are not going to agree with what I am about to say, or they will feel some sort of internal dissonance because they do agree but have decided not to act upon whatever feelings arise within them to serve. In any case, I will share with you my reasons for deciding to enlist…

It’s ridiculous that young immigrants in this country receive so much support from the government even when, in most cases, they do not serve in this country’s military, when had they been born here, they would have been required. During the first six months of citizenship in Israel new immigrants who are single receive about $650 each month - and that is from a government whose country is constantly fighting in wars of defense. On top of this direct monetary support new immigrants are also entitled to discounts on import taxes, rental tax and free health insurance for one year. And if that’s not enough, they also receive five free months of modern Hebrew class free from the government. 

Is it really fair for immigrants who don’t serve in the IDF to receive these benefits?

On the one hand, it’s not - in the history of this country thousands of Israeli soldiers have died who served not because they volunteered to, but because it was the status quo; they had to.

But on the other hand, the government doesn’t require military service of new immigrants beyond the already stated ages. This leads me to the question, if all citizens are required to serve, why aren’t all new citizens also required, regardless of age? I almost want to call it discrimination on the basis of age, but I’m afraid discrimination isn’t quite the right word.

Israel would not be able to exist without its military. It is my opinion that the State of Israel needs to exist; I point now to the slaughter of six million European Jews just 70 years ago. I can’t help but think that if the Jewish nation would have had an army, it would have been able to defend itself. By no means do I assert that Israel has done everything correct in regards to the people that have become refugees as a result of the State’s creation, but I do think it’s possible to still stand by the country and its military as a whole without taking a particular position in the matter.

All of these feelings aside… what’s in it for me, other than a uniform and gun?

I am happy in Israel. For the time being I want to live here. The best way for me to acclimate into Israeli society and to immerse myself in the Hebrew language is to join the army. However army service will not only be a Hebrew-learning tool, it will also provide me with a sense of self-fulfillment that cannot be found elsewhere.

I can’t feel right living here if I feel like a freeloader. I feel as though it is my duty to serve. If there had been required military service in the US I would have done it there - there wouldn’t have been a choice. Here in Israel, I feel as though it shouldn’t be a choice and for myself, I have decided it’s not a choice. I am committing myself.

My official Israeli Army process has already begun. On July 7 I went to the Israeli Army’s draft office in Haifa to have my Tsav Rishon (first call up). 

From this day I am supposed to receive three different scores: one is IQ related (Psychotechni), one corresponds to level of education and psychologic standing (Kaba), and the last is a physical assessment score (Profile). Based on my composite score I will be able to classify for various different units in the army. So far I have only received the first two scores; a 90/90 and a 56/56, respectively. Hopefully I will receive the physical score soon. It seems like there will be a lot of possibilities available, I just hope the language barrier won’t be a problem. An officer at the Tsav Rishon administered a Hebrew test to me but it wasn’t clear whether I passed or if I would be required to enroll in the army’s three-month Hebrew class. We shall see…

I will probably have more information to share about my draft date within the next week or two. And for those who are wondering… my current preference is to serve in the Search and Rescue unit. However, truth be told, I am not really that knowledgeable of the IDF and all of its units, so it is possible that my preference will waiver.

That’s all for now! Now that you’re all in on my big secret, I’ll keep you updated :)

My Life in Haifa

Two months ago I moved from Eilat to Haifa. What an amazing two months it has been. It's needless to say that I can feel, in a big way, the upside of living in a lush green paradise over the dry, quiet desert that is Eilat. 

Prior to moving to Haifa I’d only ever visited the city one time, for a couple hours, and barely even got a taste for it. My logic behind choosing Haifa as my new home was this: I want to learn Hebrew as quickly as possible. I should enroll in Ulpan Etzion. The Ulpan Etzion in Haifa starts the soonest after my program in Eilat finishes… I’ll go there!

And so here I am.

I live with two “native” Israelis in a three bedroom apartment that stands atop 115 steps (yes, I counted…). We have an incredible view of the surrounding areas and our neighborhood for the most part is familial and quiet. If I walk one block over I have an amazing view of downtown Haifa and the Mediterranean Sea. 

Everyday I wake up and feel like I’m a character in an adventure. 

During the week (Sunday-Thursday) I attend Ulpan (modern Hebrew language class) for five hours in a class that is, for the majority, comprised of Russian speakers. Three days a week after Ulpan I babysit for the children of the cousins of my landlord. (A connection like this is common in Israel.) On the other two afternoons following Ulpan I usually go to the shuk (the produce market) or study. On the weekends I try to mix it up - going to bars with friends, exploring Haifa’s hiking trails or taking a day trip somewhere. 

Since Haifa has historically been a labor city and is a mixed-faith city the busses run on Shabbat/ Saturday. This makes inner Haifa more accessible for its residents than other cities in Israel.

The lush neighborhood where I live.

My two biggest trips outside of Haifa thus far have been a day trip to Akko, and a four-day-long hike to complete the Yam L’Yam trail. 

The old city of Akko was quite amazing to see. I almost felt like I was in the movie Aladdin where at the beginning you see the marketplace. We ate some spectacular hummus and I found some freshly pressed sugarcane juice. But the best part of Akko, for me, was something we couldn’t have planned.

As my friends, Brooke and Aimee, and I were walking through an alleyway Aimee stopped and peered through a small opening in a doorway of what looked like at one time may have been some kind of large gathering house. Within less than a moment, one of the residents, Eddie, a 60-something-year-old petite man with poor oral hygiene, invites us in to see the view. We took turns getting our picture taken with him and got a rooftop tour of the surrounding scenery.

More recently (this past weekend), with my friends Aimee and Leon, I hiked from the Mediterranean Sea on the coast of Nahariya to the Kinneret at the town of Ginosar. This hike is about 80 kilometers (~50 miles). (For us it ended up being about 5-10 kilometers more since we took a few detours.) The hike is called Yam L’Yam, which in English translates to “Sea to Sea,” a name very fitting for journey. 

We spent three nights in tents, coexisting with all the sounds of crickets, cows and coyotes. I can’t even begin to explain the calm serenity of living outside. That is, until the last day of the hike when the sun was beating down on us like a sledgehammer and it was near impossible to find shade. 

We also encountered a decent handful of Israelis (and one German tourist) who didn’t hesitate to offer us lodging or rides, just out of the goodness of their hearts. There is certainly something to be said for this- you decide what that something is!

The nature of the hike was a first for me as I’ve never backpacked to anywhere. It was a real test of both my patience and my endurance. I’m proud to say that I passed my self test and I’m ready potentially for another: the Israel Trail! The Israel Trail takes about two months to complete and takes you from the lowest latitudinal point of Israel to the highest. It’s safe to say on this trip I definitely got bit with the hiking bug…

Moving on… my friends in Haifa are more than I could have asked for. Prior to moving here I did not know a single person. And now, two months later, I feel like I’m a part of a tight knit little community. The majority of my friends in Haifa are U.S. citizens but I also have many other friends from England, South Africa, France, Australia, Uruguay, Canada, Chile, Ukraine, Russia and of course Israel. 

It’s difficult to ever feel like you are alone when there are so many other young folks without nearby family in the same boat. We look after each other. We are one unit. You never have to worry about receiving an invitation anywhere, you can always assume you are welcome anywhere. 

I feel so thankful to get to live here in Haifa and to be able to experience what feels like the ride of a lifetime. The only thing I could wish for is for mango season to start ;-)

Sorry for the lack of pictures- my phone/ camera was consumed by nature on the hike and I didn't feel comfortable stealing friends' pictures from Facebook. Until next time… see ya later!

Hello from the Bahaii Gardens! A short walk from my apartment.

A French Adventure, Part II: The Countryside

(This post is continued from here.)

From Paris I boarded a train to Nantes with a bit of a fond excitement still lingering from my short time in Paris. For the country I was exhilarated. All the time in movies I see the Italian country, the English country and the Irish country… but where does the French country exist in movie land? I was about to find out.

The French country was just as charming and inviting as I had imagined.

My train arrived to Nantes, a mid-sized city two hours west of Paris, just after 6:00 p.m. (18:00). My friends Maïlyss and Ruslan were there to promplty greet me. We drove about an hour to their home in a small town sewn into the grassy meadows of France. I felt like I was in a fantasy.

Maïlyss and Ruslan live with Maïlyss’ parents in an old French country home where you definitely feel the presence of rustic French architecture.

You'll have to pardon my not taking many pictures of their house.

Maïlyss’ parents Frank and Jennifer happily welcomed me into their home as soon as we arrived and then the festivities began. We toasted my arrival with a bottle of cava and enjoyed each others’ company in the fresh air until it was time to eat dinner.

Cheers! Pictured: Maïlyss doing the honors.

Dinner was delicious and prepared deliberately vegan just for me :) 

The next morning the five of us departed early to visit a true gem of French history. A few days prior when my dad learned I was going to be staying in western France he told me that if there is one site I should visit it’s Mont St. Michel. And to my own lucky surprise, that is exactly where my friends took me.

A drawbridge!

Here comes the bride!

Versailles has all of the bells and whistles of French luxury, but Mont St. Michel feels truly authentic. It’s like taking a ride in a time machine back to the medieval days. You can almost see the knights in armor walking around the castle grounds and peasants coming to ask the king for more sizable grain rations. I now feel like I have experienced a real castle!

Following our visit to Mont St. Michel we were famished! We had a picnic in a picturesque little neighborhood with an amazing view of the castle. I wish I could remember the name...

After lunch we went to have a drink in the old walled-in village of St. Malo. Once again I was taken back in time… that is until I was awoken by the strong taste of the calvados (a spirit) my friends encouraged me to try. It was then that I decided I should never again attempt to drink liquor neat :) Too strong for me!

We returned home, drank our aperitifs and our wine and then once again had a delicious vegan dinner. These people could open a restaurant!

For hours that night we played Tarot, a French card game that makes use of its own special deck. Maïlyss and Ruslan had prior taught me how to play in Israel. What is really special about it is that the structure of the game changes slightly for every additional player. Later that night, I fell asleep as we were watching a movie that takes place in my own hometown; the movie: White House Down. I will spare you my comments on the movie and just say that Jamie Foxx should never again be cast in the role of a U.S. political figure.

The next day I was in for a special surprise! We drove half an hour west to the town of Blaine to meet Ruslan’s mother, and then an hour east to St. Herelon where Maïlyss’ brother lives with his wife and six-month-old daughter. 

I can’t say enough in the way of positive remarks about Ruslan’s mother. Like Ruslan she is originally from Ukraine and made a special vegan borscht just for me. The borscht was quite different from any borscht I’ve tasted previously; it was lighter on the beets and a little heavier on everything else. It had a lot more variety than I know borscht to have and tasted great with my Kir wine cocktail!

When in France you must do as the French and you must drink a lot of wine! ;-)

After lunch we visited the Castle of Blain but weren't able to go inside since it was closed. We then headed an hour east to St. Herelon to meet Mailyss' brother's family. His baby daughter was adorable but became sad each time that I spoke... perhaps she doesn't like English!

We found ourselves back at Maïlyss and Ruslan's house a couple hours later, ate dinner and then had a relaxing night.

The next morning day six had arrived of my stay in France and I wanted to take Maïlyss and Ruslan to a nice lunch to thank them for their hospitality. They chose the place: La Toile a Beurre in Ancenis. The menu changes daily and throughout the day depending what local farm-grown produce is available to the chef. The restaurant assured us that my being vegan would not be an issue for them and they proved that to be true ... (for the most part)... the food wasn't as filling as it could have been.

The restaurant is on the first floor of the townhouse found in the middle of this photo. 

My amuse-bouche!

My entree.

Unfortunately for dessert all they could come up with (aside from boring old sorbet) was fruit.

Panoramic view of the area from the parking lot.

After lunch we sat in a nearby pub overlooking the river and sipped craft beers. The rest of the day we took it easy since tomorrow was going to be a long one.

In the morning we woke up around 6:00 a.m. and left promptly to visit five different flea markets. The reason, you wonder... Frank and Jennifer buy and sell antiquities, so they visit flea markets routinely.

The number of vendors present at each market ranged anywhere from 50-250. It was really interested to see the kind of things French people have in their homes.

Food offerings (for the most part) at the markets were crepes, croissants, coffee, hot dogs and French fries.

By the time we got home we were all pooped but I decided to push through it and went for a stroll around the town to see all that there was. It was a Sunday so it was pretty much a ghost town. The only shops open were the boulangeries, because of course the French must be able to buy their bread every day of the week!

The was the towns are structured in France is like this: in the center of each town is the church. Around the church you have a couple boulangeries, maybe a book store, a family-owned electronics shop and some other small businesses. You can drive through must of the small towns, from end to end, in a minute.

Go to bed, wake up... already it is my last day in France. Where did the time go, I thought.

Thank you for having me!

Now looking back on my journey that already is a [approximately] month behind me I have to force myself to believe it wasn't a dream. If I ever can get the chance to go back to France I definitely will :)