Six Month Check-Up

So December is a pretty substantial month for the team here. Not only does it represent six months in Israel, but also my birthday as I celebrated it for the first time here. It also gives me time to reflect on this year as we enter 2022.

I think it is safe to say that this has been the most consequential year of my life.

• We started the year in an owned two-bedroom condo with plenty of storage, ended in a smaller two-bedroom apartment with none.

• We started the year with one temporary job, ended with one temporary and one permanent job.

• Started the year with three cars, two less than two years old and one classic Convertable, ended the year with 1 POS 11-year-old car,

• We started the year having not taken a public bus in 30 years, ended taking public transportation almost every day.

• Started the year by regularly going to fast-food restaurants, ended the year with ”what‘s fast food?”.

• I started the year knowing one language, ended knowing 1 1/4 languages.

• I started the year understanding anyone who called me on the phone, ended the year commonly answering with not hello, but ”do you speak English?”

• I started the year with no vaccine shots, ended with three, and stared down a fourth.

• I started the year as a US Citizen, ended as a US, Israeli, and (possibly in 2022) a Polish Citizen.

• I started the year with a sullen, angry 14 year old ended the year with a sullen, angry 15-year-old.

And so many other changes too numerous to mention.

While there are so many highlights this year, I think I will remember the trips most of all. While we could not visit Europe as we wanted, we could visit a portion of this unbelievable country. What we realized is that we have so much more to see. We are excited about that potential In 2022 and beyond.

So on balance, this year has been a fantastic experience. And as we enter 2022, we are looking forward to:

• Moving into a new, larger apartment in February. While the cost is outrageous, we decided that it would be worth it in Jerusalem for the last two years. It has all of the things we are missing where we currently live.

• Utilizing the car for more travel. I have already written about the advantages of getting a car. In 2022, we are also looking at taking additional use of it so that the world can easily travel outside of Israel.

• Getting healthier. You might not tell by looking at the photos, but I have taken significant steps to lower my weight and improve my health. We are already seeing positive impacts and will see more in 2022.

• Enjoying spending significant time with my daughter. One of the reasons we moved here was to show her a different society and lifestyle. It would make my year if she could inform me by the end that she was delighted that we moved.

• Having my wife finish her training to teach English as a second language and make the serious money that allows me to retire.

I hope all that read this have a happy and healthy new year, and we look forward to you visiting us in 2022. We will have space for some of you.