It's funny how with all the sacrifices of material possessions that go along with a lower standard of living and income in Israel one starts to appreciate the little things in life. For example, until last week I did not have a mailbox. For some reason my landlord just never put one in, so I finally took the initiative and had one put in myself because I couldn't stand it anymore. I can't begin to explain the joy that I felt when I first saw my solo mailbox standing alone next to the other nine mailboxes that are lumped together in a 3 x 3 cube. You all need a visual, oh how I love that every phone these days has a camera. Well I do and I don't because privacy has become a thing of the past, but let's not get too off-topic just yet. But seriously, it's a little sad, but also really funny how excited I became over a mailbox, something that I always had until I moved to this apartment. You never know how much you truly take those little things in life like a mailbox for granted until you don't have one.
Not only do I now get excited over what would seem small insignificant things, but I'm also amazed at how many every day experiences are things that I had never encountered in the states. For example, sprinting for the bus because you see it stopped at a red light and you happen to be about 50 meters from the stop. Yes, that was me today. Not that I'm complaining because I haven't been exercising at all lately, but I'm sure I'm not the only new oleh who has experiences in Israel that they never had in their home country.
*Not me, but this is probably what I looked like to the bus driver seconds before I made it in the door.
I've recently been thinking back to nearly two years ago now, in February of 2012 when I was going back and forth on trading in my car for a different car instead of paying a significant amount of money on repairs for my then older car. I've been comparing that conundrum to my current situation only instead of buying a newish car, I'm weighing the purchase of a bicycle. And no people, not one of those new trendy electric bikes that can go up to 20-30 km/h with a battery that will take you 20km on its own, I'm talking a simple, single-speed bike. It's just shocking to look at the turns that my life has taken in such little time. Don't get me wrong, I'm completely happy with where I am in life, just amazed at how different my life is here compared to my life in the states.
The exact bike that I may buy in the next few days.
And have I mentioned all of the new experiences that go along with moving to a new country? I think I did earlier, but at the ripe old age of 27 my short term memory has really taken a hit. Yesterday I did something that I haven't done since I was a kid, and I'm pretty sure that I only did it once before: ice skating (which is a shocker because there is the "Skatium" right in the middle of my hometown). I must admit, at first I was only doing it for my lady, and I assumed that I would spend the entire time on my ass, but besides one very ungraceful fall I did ok and actually enjoyed myself. Here's a pic below of our first ice skating adventure. The place is called Iskate and it's right next to the Luna Park by the Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv for those of you interested in giving it a shot.
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