Getting Ready for a Journey

 

 

This picture was taken in July of 2008, when Eric and I first traveled to Jerusalem together. I like the image because it reminds me of what I found so wonderful about the city: the blue skies, high walls, and plants growing up despite all that stone and dryness. We stayed for six weeks in a studio apartment on Bezalel Street. You could hear the rush of traffic at all hours from our basement-level room, but outside our door, there was a lovely little patio where we ate, wrote, and visited with our neighbor, Metuka. Vines climbed up the stone building, and at night, when the day's heat finally abated, we'd sit down with a couple of beers and play backgammon together.

 

Just looking at those two chairs makes me think how much has changed in the past five years. It feels like a lifetime has passed since Eric and I sat down at a table like this! Since our first trip to Israel, Eric and I have welcomed two little boys, Alexander and Benjamin, into our lives. Even though so much has changed for us, we are still two people who love to travel. So we're heading back to Jerusalem again, and this time, we're bringing Alexander and Benjamin with us. The boys are only 20 months and 4 months old; we're not sure how a journey like this will impact them, or us. I decided to write this blog to chronicle our adventures over the next four months, and to share our experiences with family and friends. I'm excited (if a bit nervous!) to take this journey with our boys, and to show them a little bit more of the world beyond New Jersey.

But for now, we've got tons of packing to do. I've spent the last several weeks spending way too much time online, buying everything from sun hats to travel toys. With a house full of baby gear, I'm trying to figure out just what exactly I need to bring with us, and what we can leave behind for a few months. I used to pride myself on being able to live out of a backpack for several days, or on the fact that I lived off the grid for a couple of summers. Now, it seems almost terrifying to leave my cozy little suburban setup, with our cribs and diaper genies and bins full of toys. The prospect of traveling overseas with small children is intimidating: how will they fare in a new home in a city? Will they miss their toys and routines? Will we all make it through the ten-hour plane ride? It's easy to get caught up in fearful "what-ifs," especially when traveling to such a volatile region of the world. And I've had lots of anxiety about this trip over the past few months. But I also know that travel can bring much needed perspective, insight, and awareness into one's life.  I'm hoping this trip will provide me with the opportunity to grow as a parent, writer, and teacher. I hope Eric finds great success with his Fulbright research. And I hope my children simply have a wonderful time.