Our trip to Golan Heights (and so much more!)

Israel soil, but Syria and Lebanon in the distance

I'm a bit late on posting this, but while it is still vivid in my memory I wanted to be sure to document it. Before you read this, I want to make it clear that at no point did we feel unsafe, or in harms way.  There is no way I would every put my sweet baby in a position like that.  IN fact, I felt as safe as anywhere else in this beautiful country and felt truly lucky to be able to learn and see for myself what it was like.  I cannot explain it, but can only tell you that you must experience it yourself to understand.

-----

Saturday afternoon, 1:30 pm:

It was perfect weather- maybe high 70's, and a light breeze.  Low humidity, which was a welcomed change to the air we were starting to grow used to in Tel Aviv. I remember the moment like a slow motion picture in my head- we were standing on a hill, overlooking the gorgeous scenery of Northern Israel (Golan Heights).  Landscapes of hills, large green pine trees, wild flowers and a feeling like I was back in the mountains of Wyoming- nothing like the scenery we had seen so far in this country (although all that we have seen has been gorgeous in other ways.) There was a faint scent of peppermint as the breeze hit my face- Our guide had made peppermint tea and cookies, and we stood atop this hill and took in the sights. The girls, both near the same age, were running in the small field of flowers and brush, and the boys were all in conversation with each other.  It was an incredible moment in time.

Sweet girls, unaware of where they stood

As I turned my gaze behind me, our guide pointed and said "There it is. Syria."  And in that moment, I realized the gravity of the place in which we stood.  Not because I felt unsafe or scared, but because I was shocked at the vast difference in landscape. And the significance of the cease fire line that was a mere 6 miles from where I stood. Glimpse of American news were flashing through my head.  The Israel side was beautiful, flourishing apple orchards and cherry farms up to the line.  On the other side of the line was desolate... nothing. What was once bunkers and buildings was now rubble.  A stark reminder of where we stood.  As the girls play in the field behind us, our guide continued to explain, unmoved, that if we stayed in this spot long enough we would eventually hear the war.  And 15 minutes later, hear it we did. First gun fire, and then a mortar.

-----
Preface:

Landmines

Entrance of the bunker

We headed up to the gorgeous Golan Heights earlier that day to stay the night in a Kibbutz with another family- they have a sweet little girl Ledoux's age and the most handsome little boy who is 6 months old.  We rented cabins next to each other, stocked up on wine and snacks, and were on our way for our weekend adventure.  And an adventure it was.  It was my idea to go on a jeep tour of the hills of the Kibbutz, so we met our awesome tour guide, Elaz, early that afternoon.  We climbed steep hills, went down inclines so steep we couldn't see the bottom (eek!) and went through apple orchards where we got fresh picked apples.  Although gorgeous, we couldn't help but notice the "DANGER: Landmine" signs every 6 feet.  Our guide, who had lived in the Kibbutz his whole life, explained that most aren't active, but you certainly don't want to chance it. (No Shit, buddy!) It was then that I realized we weren't in Kansas anymore... and as we got closer to the Syrian border, it became more apparent.  At one point, we came as close as 300 feet from Syria- through an active Military base that only our guide (and one other) have access to.  We saw and walked through the bunkers, the buildings, and the land that was once controlled by Syria.

We got out of the jeep at one point to explore the underground bunker- it was dark. Cold. A feeling of stagnant air and a hint of nerves hit me. I descended into the ground on the chipped cement stairs and I noticed porcupine quills to my left.  The white in them was a sharp contrast the to the dark.  I couldn't help but wonder what the quills had been used to attack.. if anything.  The area was so desolate I couldn't imagine it being spooked by someone.  As I continued the decline below the ground, a spider the size of a man's hand hung in front of me, and I screamed for anyone to come- I certainly wasn't going to try and pass it. It was then that I wanted to turn around and leave, but I saw the sun shining through a small area in front of me, and knew we were almost out.  A fleeting thought ran through my head- "you shouldn't be here..." but the glance of sunlight from above made me feel calm... and I climbed out and couldn't stop thinking about what it must have been like... fighting the war from this spot.  I almost felt suffocated in there and wondered how soldiers were able to live and sleep. But nothing put it into perspective until we were on the hill and actually "heard the war." Lee was unphased, after 4 deployments he has heard and see it all... but for me, to hear a mortar attack so close to wear I stood... it was surreal.

I didn't feel scared or unsafe... not even for a moment.  The protection of Israel makes me feel at peace.  But it did something else...it made me thankful. It put a lot into perspective for me.   I turned to look at our sweet girls, playing behind us, and reflected on that moment.  How lucky we were to be on our side of this border.  And how naive our sweet babies are to the world.  I am blessed to raise Ledoux as a child of the world, but will fight to protect her from the realities of this world as long as I can. And when the day comes that she asks me about it, we will talk.  We will experience.  We will learn.  We will not rely on the television to teach us.

After leaving the bunker

Syria

I asked our guide about the Syrian war, and how he remains so calm it.  As he put it, Israel doesn't have a dog in the fight right now.  They aren't fighting Israel.  The Shiites, the Sunnis (which also includes Isis), and the Government of Syria are all fighting each other.  Isis fights for religion, the government fights Isis, and so on.  I do not know near enough about the complexities surrounding the region to go into more detail, but can tell you its deep. And its a lot to take in. On the instances when a mortar from Syria makes it's way across to Israel (on accident), Israel retaliates, in true Israeli fashion, to make it clear they don't want to mess with their side of the border.

The Kibbutz

That night, we had dinner with the people of the Kibbutz. We drank wine while the children played.  And all I kept thinking was how ridiculously happy and blessed I feel to experience this life and have such amazing friends.   Its not easy... its not all rainbows and butterflies.  But it is life changing.  And eye opening.  And the experiences we are giving Ledoux, and ourselves, are only going to be for the better.  The next day, we visited a local winery and enjoyed each others company.  We laughed, we made memories, and we reflected on this incredible trip that started as a quick weekend getaway- and turned into something so much more.

Jerusalem + ALOT of pictures (beware!)

Hi Friends!  Checking in from Israel to share some pictures from our trip to Jerusalem!  All the Jerusalem photos can be seen by viewing the slideshow here

Overlooking the Wailing Wall and Dome of the Rock

We decided to kick off the Israel Holiday season with a trip to the Holy Land, only a 45 minute drive from our 'hood- and boy was it incredible.  Full disclaimer: I am not, and really have never been, a religious person.  I enjoy learning about religions, and appreciate them for what they are, but have never felt a "calling" like some people do.  The observations I share are from that point of view.

The Old City, from outside the walls

A map of the Old City of Jerusalem, only entered through 1 of 8 gates

                               
        I enjoy being a neutral observer, especially in a place like Israel where religion, government, and daily life intersect into one.  Religion out here is a way of life, and also part of the major conflicts in parts of the country.  When you travel to a place like Jerusalem, or even Israel as a a whole, it is fascinating that so many different people and religions stake claim to the same parts of land and holy sites. Clashes in Jerusalem are daily life- because each religious group believes they should "own" parts of it, which of course creates anger and frustration among other groups.  Take for example the well know Dome of the Rock, the iconic gold roofed mosque that is center to bitter disputes between Muslim and Jewish faiths.  The Jewish believe this was the place that Abraham offered his son Issac. The Muslim faith believes this was the point that Mohammed ascended to heaven.  To further complicate things, Christians took it during the Crusades and believed it to be the Temple of King Solomon, before it was returned to Islamic hands.  As you can imagine, this is one of many examples where multiple religions stake claim to the same holy sites.

Another view of the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock

There are all sorts of US travel warnings regarding Jerusalem, especially regarding the Old City.  I was well aware of all of this, but have also learned one important thing since moving here: take it with a grain of salt.  We went, we were amazed at the city, and only once felt a little uneasy. (More on that in a bit, its probably not what you think.)

We started our time in Jerusalem by entering through the Jaffa Gate, which gives you access to the Christian, Muslim, and Armenian quarters.  We walked through the Christian Quarter and then took back alley ways to arrive in the Muslim quarter.  People were friendly, happy, and in the shops they were all competing for your business.  It wasn't until we took some side roads in this quarter that I felt a bit uneasy (as I alluded to above)- but it wasn't because of adults staring us down or yelling.  There were no threats of personal safety.  It was the children.  Which was shocking and is almost hard for me to say- but the children made me most nervous.  They were aggressive- with each other and passerbyers. They stared at you as though they have been told you are an enemy. They followed us, and knew no physical boundaries.  One child wouldn't stop trying to force a ribbon on my wrist- touching me and in my face.  It wasn't violent, but it was uncomfortable.   He was trying to sell me a "bracelet" and the more I refused, the more he tried.  And the more angry he became. He was saying and shouting things in arabic- so Lee gave him 10 shekels so he would leave us alone, but he wanted more.  The children in this quarter, and this situation, was the only time I felt nervous in this amazing city.  You can't help but wonder what they have been told, taught, and what is expected of them.  It has had me thinking since we were there.  Is it culture? Is it religion? Is it both? Or none? There is no telling.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Entrance

After stopping for some shopping, we continued to the Church of Holy Sepulchre.  I was so naive- I had no idea the magnitude of the church I was about to enter, nor did I completely understand the vast importance.  Even without knowing all of that, when I entered the gates, I felt an undeniable energy. It was unlike anything I have felt- overwhelming emotion, gratitude, appreciation, and peace-which I didn't expect. Everywhere you looked there were people sobbing and praying, kneeling down and whispering prayers.  It is here that many religions mark the crucifixion and burial of Jesus.  Below are some pictures:

The inside, when you first enter

Above are pictures of the stone slab, said to be where Jesus was prepared for burial

Mosaic of the moments after Jesus is taken down and put into his tomb

Inside is the tomb of Jesus- the outside is being renovated

After this, we headed to the Western Wall, AKA the Wailing Wall, AKA the Kotel.  One of 4 walls that Herod the Great built, the wall has layers of historical importance.  Currently, it is dubbed the wailing wall (a name stemming from the middle ages) because they were lamenting the destruction of Herod's temple that was burned by the Romans. More recently, the wall was used to separate the jewish people (until 1967) but when the people were reunited and the division ended, the wall became a symbol of glory.  Now, many will worship at it- reading prayer that some times sounds like a "wail" and  rocking back and forth. Others leave prayers or notes in the rock walls. And some just observe, sitting in the chairs.   We knew this was a holy place, shoulders had to be covered, skin could not be shown, and women and men are separated.  Men worship at one part of the wall, and women go to another.  As Ledoux and I walked towards the wall, a woman came running towards me throwing scarfs at me- apparently too much of my chest was showing.  I had a jacket on, long sleeves, but a few inches beneath my neck were visible. I honestly thought I was good, but apparently not.  Note to self: when they say no skin, they literally mean wear a turtle neck.  Modesty has never been my jam anyway.  

Lots of security in this area

Finally, I leave you with a few other pics of the Old City, and hope that you can someday come visit.  Religious or not, it is incredible.  We already have plans to go back again- as one day is not enough time to properly see everything...it is an unbelievable city.  Truly a bucket list destination.

Our first Israeli Adventures!

We ventured out of our bubble for the first time and went all the way north to the Jordan border to tour an amazing site- Beit She'an. We drove about 1.5 hours and went through some very interesting Arab towns on our way up- what a far cry from the world we are used to back home. Never did I think I would be standing near the shore of the Jordan river, but there we were.  The history of this location is extensive, and way more than I care to write (and you probably care to read).  I prefer to share this incredible site via the pictures, but included a little blurb from the tourism website below.

Taking Selfies like a BOSS!

Taken directly from the website, "Beit She’an was first settled way back in the Chalcolithic Period (some 5,000 to 6,000 years ago). The city has had many conquerors, among them the Egyptians some 3,500 years ago. A few hundred years later, the Philistines conquered it (it was they who fastened Saul’s body to the wall of Beit She’an after the famous battle on Mount Gilbo’a: 1 Samuel 31 .8 – 11). Beit She’an became part of the kingdoms of David and Solomon, and was eventually destroyed in a fire, apparently at the hands of the King of Assyria (in 732 BCE). Beit She’an was rebuilt as a Hellenistic city about 2,300 years ago, and was renamed Scythopolis (“City of the Scyths”). In the succeeding Roman period, it spread south, reaching the peak of its greatness in the fifth century, when it had 30,000 – 40,000 inhabitants. 

This was such an incredible sight to see- and if you ever come to Israel, must be on your list. Pictures really don't do it justice.  I felt so adventurous being on the border of Israel and Jordan, and weaving through little Arab towns to find this place.  I'm so lame.  Just don't come when its 90 degrees and 75% humidity, because that definitely meant we had to book it out of there a lot quicker than we hoped.  Since it was so hot, Ledoux and I clearly needed to buy some sweet new hats for the sun. #Anyexcusetoshop.  Im sure we paid way more than they were worth just to own an authentic Israeli sun hat (aka made in China).  We left sweating like pigs, but man was it worth it! We will be going back in the winter when its much cooler- the site is so large and spread out that we didn't even get to scratch the surface of exploring.

In other news, we have officially started planning our travel outside of Israel.  I made quite the bucket list for our little family of places we must see over the new few years- and our first few destinations have been booked!  Let me tell you, the highlight of living here is the fact that we are $200 RT away from destinations that I would have only dreamed to have visited- and I plan to take full advantage. I am not going to come back from Israel with a lot of money saved, but shit- we are going to come back with some amazing stories and adventures. We let Ledoux "choose" our Christmas trip this year.  We wrote out 6 choices, buried them in the sand, and had her dig until she found one.  After lots of sand digging, she pulled out Switzerland and Southern Germany- and I am so excited!  She doesn't quite get it, but hearing her say Swvitz-a-lund is kind of adorable. 

our first 6 choices for Christmas

Trip 1: Back home to Tucson (not a bucket list destination, but exciting to visit Target again!) We will be home all of November

Trip 2: The week before Christmas we will be heading to Switzerland and Germany to hit up all of the magical Christmas Markets! I am seriously giddy inside- the pictures of the Christmas markets are everything I have dreamt Christmas should be.  Snow, twinkle lights as far as you can see, hand-made treasures, and fresh baked yummies in the open markets. 

Trip 3: The end of January we head to Athens (you guys, the tickets RT per person were $119... are you freaking kidding me?!)  

Trip 4: In February, we will be headed someone super special but it hasn't been booked just yet (but it might include a visit to Disneyland in a place that isn't Cali or Florida!) ;)

And last but not least, I felt I needed to share the magic in a bottle I found last night. Ahh yes. If it looks like a Corona, and (kind of) tastes like a Corona, its Corona, right?  Don't steal my thunder people.  Now if I could find some tacos...

10 things I have learned in the last month...

Shalom from Israel friends!  This week we have officially been gone for one month- and time has FLOWN by!  I feel like so many things have happened in the past month- more transitions and hurdles then most people have in a year-heck, even years. I haven't been as consistent in writing as I had hoped to be (sorry!) but as things settle down I will get better!  Pinky promise!  For now, here are the things we have learned about life in Israel so far...

1.) Time and speed is suggested.  Have an appointment set for 1:00 pm?  Add the word "suggested" to that.  Because there ain't no one who cares about time out here (wow, was that the best-est english grammar sentence ever, or what?!)  Speed limit says 70? 90? Eff it- go as fast or as slow as you want.  Everyone else does.  It reminds me a bit of Mario Kart.  Its a go at your own pace, do your own thing, don't care about urgency kind of lifestyle. I love hate it. I love the chillax style of life, but sometimes they take it toooooooo far.  This will be further reflected in a little story in #3 below.

2.) Recycling is HUGE, trash cans are teeny.  Every corner has three bins- plastic recycling, paper recycling, and aluminum recycling.  Our actual trash can is the size of a large bathroom trash can (aka its small.)  Lee and I looked at each other and couldn't, for the life of us, figure out how that little thing would be enough to hold a week's worth of trash. Are we terrible people because we consume and throw away so much?  Then it occurred to us- when you recycle everything, there isn't much trash left over.  Our itsy bitty trash can is just right for the things we have left after we recycle. The other interesting thing on this topic is in regards to yard debris (leaves, tree clippings, grass, etc.)  Once a week, trucks come through and pick it all up- you just leave it outside your home.

Just takin' up the whole street

10 mins later- still there. Backing up traffic

3.) Piggy backing off of the above, I'd like to share a story that is so... Israel.  As I was leaving last week to take Ledoux to school, I turned down the street that heads towards the highway.  I made it about half down when I saw a huge landscape recycling truck that goes through and picks up landscaping debris.  He was taking up the entire street- the workers would put it into park, hop out, sweep up the debris, get back in the truck, drive a whopping 50 feet, and do it again with the next house.  I thought for sure once they saw me behind them they would move out of the way.  Nope.  They kept on their merry, debris collecting way.  So for the sake of time, I backed all the way down the street, and turned onto the next street.  I got about 3/4 of the way down this time and guess what? Yep. Another truck. Taking up the whole street.  Only this time there were cars in front of and behind me and we had no choice but to wait.  15 minutes later the truck made it to the end of the block so we could break free... but this is so indicative of the country.  No rush, no one is in a hurry, and no one really cares if you are.

4.) Cooking with gas.  We were surprised to find out last night, in the middle of making dinner, you don't have a gas line going to your stove that is fed from the gas company.  Want gas?  Go buy a tank.  So in the middle of making dinner the burners stopped working.  And thats how we figured out that its not gas like back home, but feeds off of containers like we use in our grills back home.  So we called the gas company and paid the extra 50 shekels to have a couple tanks delivered ASAP.  Fast forward one week, we finally got them. (After calling...again.)  Another prime example of no urgency.

5.) Meow! Cats are everywhere.  The un-official mascot of Israel.  When I say everywhere, I am not exaggerating. I promise I could look out my window right now and spot atleast one.  They roam the streets, the parks, the cafes... all over the place.  If you follow our Instagram (and instagram stories) you have seen the million cats of Israel.

6.) I miss my coffee pot.  Good luck finding a good old coffee maker.  Most people use an electric water boiler and instant coffee.  Or they have a full on espresso machine.  I priced the espresso machines- and as with everything in Israel, it is so expensive, I will survive off the disgusting instant coffee. And dream of Starbucks.  And coffee makers. And coffee creamer.  And pumpkin spice lattes, because if what I am seeing all over instagram is true- its that time of year again! Oh, and anything else related to coffee.  My mouth is legit watering.

7.) Customer service? Umm... whats that?  In the states, great customer service is expected.  Here, not so much.  We usually have to go find our waiter if we want refills or to order something, get our check, or ask a question.  We ordered Ledoux a chocolate milk last week as a little cafe, and it never came.  When we finally found our waiter, he said "we don't have that anymore."  No "I'm so sorry", "here is what we do have", etc.  This isn't limited to restaurants but also most stores- you can walk into a grocery store and the clerks are on their phones (while working).  Go to an appliance store and want to ask for a price?  Good luck hunting down someone to ask.  We have had a few instances where this wasn't the case, but for the most part- customer service has been pretty limited.  We also learned that tipping really doesn't exceed 10%- a waiter told us that anything more than that in Israel is too much.  (I thought it odd that the waiter told us that, but its his money, so whatevs!)

8.) Safety.  So many people freaked out when we moved here.  So many people made comments about the safety of Israel.  Those people are crazy.  I feel safer in Israel then in most places in the US, and WAY safer here then I did in London when we visited.  The presence of the Israeli Defense Forces is everywhere- we see them every day, everywhere we go. The security of this country is something the US and other countries could learn from.  Every time you drive into a parking garage, security guards check your car.   You go through metal detectors and have your purse/bag checked before entering stores.  The checks aren't invasive or intrusive in nature- they walk around your car, peek in the windows, some have little mirrors to check underneath.  I personally love that they do this. The IDF can be seen on every bus, train, cafe, and beach- and every citizen of Israel is required to serve for 2-3 years.  So when you think about it- everyone, everywhere- are trained Military personnel.  They are committed to the security of their country- which is pretty awesome.  The people of this country are proud to be Israeli- they work together to keep their country safe, and will protect it any cost.

I will have plenty more to say on this topic soon- I have been keeping the "american media" versions of news articles that I see pop up on MSN, CNN, FOX, etc. and am comparing them to what really happens out here.  The differences in reality vs. what you see/read is pretty distorted, my friends.  My eyes are really being opened to the ways in which the media chooses what you see, you believe, and you read back home- its pretty scary that we take things for face value without digging for what is true.

The Shuk Ha Carmel

Fresh Veggies everywhere

9.)  Materialistic things don't matter like they do back home.  There isn't an overwhelming "keeping up with the Jones" syndrome out here that exists like in the US.  I never thought I could live a month without Target, Gap, etc.  But guess what? I am still here! Even without the super cute new Gap fall line that just came out.  No one really cares about that stuff... and even if you do, theres no way to get most of it, so what's the point?!  I have the same 3 outfits on rotation- and there are days when I don't bother doing my hair and make up because the humidity will just melt it all off anyway.  Its pretty comforting knowing that its not about the newest bag, the cutest shoes, or the best hair- just come as you are.

10.) Its gorgeous out here.  If you have ever wanted to visit Israel- do it. Its incredible.  Its beautiful. even in the areas that aren't "beautiful", the culture and vibrance of the people is.  Its safe. Life is chill and slow paced. People care more about relationships than the crap you have. Stop letting your fears define what you do- and live life- and when you come visit, just make sure you come with someone that doesn't have anxiety with driving and parking :)