I'm at the airport...

This might somehow be the least stressful trans-Atlantic trip I've ever taken. I packed less than I would bring for most trips from College Park to Newton. A good chunk of my bag is taken up by my large duffle which I expect to fill with new clothes or other stuff from Newton. It is also basically impossible to forget anything. I know that where I'm going I have extra clothes for all sorts of weather so I didn't have to agonize over what exactly to pack. Basically I have enough to hold me over until I go to Old Navy. Also unlike my ten previous trips to Israel, everyone I said bye to I will see again in under a month. Maybe that sort of stress is being saved for the way back.

I had a great last few days in Israel. My dad was here for shabbat in between business trips in Paris. A couple hours ago I got to quickly say bye to him as he lined up for his flight back to France. He'll be arriving back in Boston right after I leave for Philadelphia, so I actually won't see him for most of my trip. Because this trip involved easy packing and no real last minute shopping, I really got to enjoy myself. I saw friends all around Jerusalem, played with Harriet the Spy, and bonded with my roommates. Our new special handshake is unforgettable. It just can't be described.

I don't know what to expect from this trip. It's another step in my aliyah process and figuring out what my life here is really like. I look forward to seeing my mom and grandmother tonight, getting hugged by lots of people at shul on shabbat, and then visiting my other grandmother in Philadelphia on Sunday. After Philadelphia I will be traveling to College Park - the highlight of my trip - to visit the awesome friends I have there. Then I'll be making a quick trip to Teaneck to see my little cousins who aren't so glad that I'm not longer a four hour drive away. Then I'll be returning to Boston for another week at home and the first few days of Pesach. I'm sure the time will fly by. But as I said in my last post, I think the coolest part of this trip will be returning home to Jerusalem in three weeks.