Back to America So Soon 26/9/07

I am sitting in the Newark airport waiting for my flight to Houston. David is davening shacharit in the corner, and im playing on my computer and working on a kippa for Zaidy. We’re on our way to Houston for Succot- David was able to get permission to leave the country during his break for the holidays. This is his first trip to see my family in Houston at our home. It’s his first time going to my shul and meeting my friends and close families. It is going to be a really hectic and exciting chag—I have been waiting for this trip since we started dating. I have spent enough time at his house and with his family that I really feel at home there—I know where all the dishes are, I do my own laundry (mostly), I even know where the clean sheets are to make the bed for myself when I come over…. But David has never even SEEN my house. It is something that has always nagged at me our entire relationship and now at long last that missing link will be filled in.

Besides for my excitement about coming home with David, this trip is bringing out lots of feelings I had never really thought about. First and probably the most stark, was how happy I have been this entire journey so far. I can’t remember the last time I left Israel that I wasn’t depressed and literally sobbing as the plane took off. This time I couldn’t stop smiling because I know that not only am I coming back very soon but that I am going to do something really happy that I’ve been looking forward to for years. Another thing that was a huge difference was when the lady sitting next to us asked where we were from I could also answer that I’m from Israel. Yes my roots are in Houston, but Israel is my home now and it felt great to be able to say it like that. Something else cute, I haven’t been a citizen long enough to get an Israeli passport, and not even the special travel certificate that I need until I have been a citizen long enough…I had a one time use only exit letter that allowed me to use my American passport even though its illegal to leave on a foreign passport- because of some details with the dates it expires before I get home and I was worried that I would have a problem reentering the country. The customs official’s response made me feel so great “ Of course you will be able to get it, this is your home now and you will always be able to come home.” I could have kissed her.
Some of the other interesting feelings come from being back so soon. I have been away for less than 3 months. I have been away for much more significant lengths of time before so I am not really homesick. On the other hand, it was so hard to leave the first time that I am a bit worried that it will be hard to leave again. I love my family and it is hard for me to be away from them regardless of how strongly I feel about living in Israel. I don’t think it will be a problem, but it made me think a lot about how hard it will be to leave them again.
It’s time to board. Hopefully I will be unlazy enough to update more often about my trip home. Chag Sameach and Shana Tova to everyone.