Three Weeks of Vacation?!

Three Weeks of Vacation?!

So it’s been 7 ½ months since we moved to Israel and let’s call a spade a spade. I’ve pretty much been on vacation since we got here. Well, I have been extremely busy with life- wife, mother, household, volunteering, blogging…but I haven’t needed to answer to anyone, i.e. a boss. No one is demanding that I get into the office by 8am. I am on my own schedule- at least just for this year. And I am so grateful that I have had this opportunity to really acclimate the family to life in a new country.

The kids are doing so much better than any of the expectations I ever had. They’ve made friends, go to and come home from school happily (most days), and they’ve all picked up on Hebrew so fast. Don’t get me wrong, let’s be real here- we have our insane days too! Morning rushes still exist, bedtime battles still stress me out, and when they don’t eat my dinners it makes me highly annoyed. But those things all happened back in America too- so we can’t blame any of those types of frustrations on new life in Israel.

The one thing my kids really complain about is a 6 day school week. They don’t feel like they have down time just to relax. And I completely hear that. Because every Sunday before we moved here used to be family fun day- a trip to somewhere fun and exciting. The kids say life in Israel is “So Boring!” Wow! It’s painful for me to hear that. But it’s understood. They spend their entire week in a classroom- no time to travel around Israel. Though, the schools do a decent job to take the kids on trips throughout the year.

So now the kids have the next 3 weeks to really explore the land of Israel- from mountains to waterfalls and everything in between. Because here, there may be school on Sundays, but Pesach vacation starts a week and a half before Pesach! Talk about free time. And yes, talk about needing coverage for working parents. That’s a whole different topic that I won’t even touch with a 10 foot pole.

So starting this week, we have an itinerary planned out. So the kids don’t say, “Life is so boring!” We want them to see Israel in all its glory. To experience all they’ve been learning about in school. Their sneakers, water shoes, baseball caps, and bathing suits are ready. I bought the sunscreen. The snacks are prepared.

water hike pic

I want to give them that Sunday feel of family outdoor time. I hope I’m successful. I can tell you that as much as I love living in Yerushalayim, it’ll be nice to actually travel around the rest of the country too! And I hope, actually I’m sure, that the next few weeks will lend itself to some blogging!

This past Shabbat, a suggestion came up to go flower picking in Kedma. That sounds so beautiful and all those gorgeous pictures to take! But I was vetoed! My kids, American-born, amusement-park-raised, do not want to pick flowers! So it will take some time to turn them into nature-loving, outdoor-exploring, true land-loving Israelis. But I am up to the challenge! I can’t wait to see their faces as they splash through the water on all the upcoming water hikes. And I will definitely let you know, for good or bad, how it goes!

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Tova In Israel

I moved my family to Israel on August 23, 2015 from New Jersey, USA. My blog focuses on all the amazing experiences I come across while navigating through our new life in Israel. My other focus is to highlight the positivity of Israel to help inspire others to one day make the move too. If you have any questions about moving to Israel, please feel free to reach out on the Contact Me page or to my email TovaInIsraelBlog@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! See the behind the scenes of daily life on my Instagram @TovaInIsrael

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4 thoughts on “Three Weeks of Vacation?!

  1. if your itinerary brings you to Hevron, I’ll be happy to guide you, as well as welcome you to my home 10 minutes south #nottomiss

  2. That’s so sweet of you! We won’t be passing through this time.. We’ll be up north! Thanks though! 😊 😊

  3. Remember to save some activities for the 8-week summer vacation!

    1. Working in America for the summer.. The kids will be in camp..

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